A serine/threonine protein kinase encoding gene KERNEL NUMBER PER ROW6 regulates maize grain yield
A serine/threonine protein kinase encoding gene KERNEL NUMBER PER ROW6 regulates maize grain yield
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DOI：
10.1038/s41467-020-14746-7
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发表时间：
2020-02-20
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Zhang, Zuxin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Jia, Haitao;Li, Manfei;Zhang, Zuxin
提高玉米（Zea mays L.）以满足对玉米衍生的食品、饲料和燃料的快速增长的需求。育种家们已经通过聚合更大穗部的理想特性来提高玉米杂交种的籽粒产量。然而，选择用于提高谷物生产力的基因座在很大程度上仍不清楚。在这里，我们表明，丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶编码基因KERNEL NUMBER PER ROW 6（KNR 6）决定雌蕊小花数和穗长。KNR 6基因的过表达或在KNR 6基因调控区缺失两个转座因子的等位基因的渐渗均能显著提高籽粒产量。进一步的体外研究表明，KNR 6可以与一种Arf GTP酶激活蛋白（AGAP）相互作用，KNR 6的磷酸化作用可能影响穗长和籽粒数。这一发现为提高玉米杂交种产量提供了理论依据。玉米穗粒数的选择提高了玉米产量，但其遗传基础尚不清楚。在这里，作者揭示了丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶KNR 6是该性状的正调节因子，并显示了KNR 6可能通过磷酸化Arf GTP酶激活蛋白发挥作用的体外证据。
Increasing grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) is required to meet the rapidly expanding demands for maize-derived food, feed, and fuel. Breeders have enhanced grain productivity of maize hybrids by pyramiding desirable characteristics for larger ears. However, loci selected for improving grain productivity remain largely unclear. Here, we show that a serine/threonine protein kinase encoding gene KERNEL NUMBER PER ROW6 (KNR6) determines pistillate floret number and ear length. Overexpression of KNR6 or introgression of alleles lacking the insertions of two transposable elements in the regulatory region of KNR6 can significantly enhance grain yield. Further in vitro evidences indicate that KNR6 can interact with an Arf GTPase-activating protein (AGAP) and its phosphorylation by KNR6 may affect ear length and kernel number. This finding provides knowledge basis to enhance maize hybrids grain yield. Selection of kernel number per ear has improved maize yield, but the genetic base is unclear. Here, the authors reveal that a serine/threonine protein kinase KNR6 is a positive regulator of the trait and show in vitro evidences that KNR6 may function through phosphorylating an Arf GTPase-activating protein.