Next Generation Cereal Crop Yield Enhancement: From Knowledge of Inflorescence Development to Practical Engineering by Genome Editing

Liu, Lei; Lindsay, Penelope L; Jackson, David

doi:10.3390/ijms22105167

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 128 publications

(210 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Variation in the activity and maturation rate of meristems has profound effects on inflorescence architecture and crop productivity ( Park et al, 2014 ; Liu et al, 2021b ). In wheat, the timing of the transition from the IM to TS determines the number of spikelets per spike, which, together with the number of fertile florets per spikelet, determines the maximum number of grains that a spike can produce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between SQUAMOSA and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE MADS-box proteins regulate meristem transitions during wheat spike development

Debernardi

et al. 2021

The Plant Cell

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Inflorescence architecture is an important determinant of crop productivity. The number of spikelets produced by the wheat inflorescence meristem (IM) before its transition to a terminal spikelet (TS) influences the maximum number of grains per spike. Wheat MADS-box genes VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1) and FRUITFULL 2 (FUL2) (in the SQUAMOSA-clade) are essential to promote the transition from IM to TS and for spikelet development. Here we show that SQUAMOSA genes contribute to spikelet identity by repressing MADS-box genes VEGETATIVE TO REPRODUCTIVE TRANSITION 2 (VRT2), SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 1 (SVP1), and SVP3 in the SVP clade. Constitutive expression of VRT2 resulted in leafy glumes and lemmas, reversion of spikelets to spikes, and downregulation of MADS-box genes involved in floret development, whereas the vrt2 mutant reduced vegetative characteristics in spikelets of squamosa mutants. Interestingly, the vrt2 svp1 mutant showed similar phenotypes to squamosa mutants regarding heading time, plant height, and spikelets per spike, but it exhibited unusual axillary inflorescences in the elongating stem. We propose that SQUAMOSA–SVP interactions are important to promote heading, formation of the TS, and stem elongation during the early reproductive phase, and that downregulation of SVP genes is then necessary for normal spikelet and floral development. Manipulating SVP and SQUAMOSA genes can contribute to engineering spike architectures with improved productivity.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between SQUAMOSA and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE MADS-box proteins regulate meristem transitions during wheat spike development

Debernardi

et al. 2021

The Plant Cell

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This indicates that grain number in sorghum contributes substantially to observed variation in grain yield. Grain number in cereals is determined during inflorescence development (Liu, Lindsay, et al., 2021). In sorghum hybrids, increased cell division and cell numbers have been proposed as mechanisms for the observed differences with inbreds (Quinby, 1963).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation and plasticity of yield in hybrid and inbred sorghum

Otwani,

Hunt,

Cruickshank

et al. 2024

Crop Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Local adaptation and genotype by environment (G×E) interactions affect the expression of phenotypes in crop species. An investigation on the interplay between adaptation and G×E on sorghum heterosis phenotypes is lacking. To address this question, a set of 112 diverse grain sorghum hybrids and their 22 inbred parents of local and exotic origins, representing the primary female and male heterotic groups, were tested in five contrasting sorghum growing environments across two years in Queensland, Australia. Plant height, days to flowering, seed yield, grain weight, and grain number were measured and used in the estimation of heterosis. Mid parent heterosis for yield ranged from ‐25 to 217% and was highly influenced by grain number. In contrast to observations in maize the magnitude of heterosis for yield was not associated with site mean. Striking differences were observed in heterosis in hybrids from locally developed inbred parents compared with hybrids that were developed from exotic inbred parents developed in other countries. Heterosis in the latter combination was higher on average across all the test environments for the majority of traits. We hypothesise maladaptive phenotypic plasticity in the exotic parents contributed to the observed differences in heterosis estimates. These data confirm that heterosis estimates in sorghum must be obtained and interpreted in relevant genetic and environmental contexts. Breeders in developing countries with low sorghum hybrid seed uptake will find these insights useful when selecting hybrids for broader adaptation, improving efficiency of their breeding programs.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

show abstract

The Impact of Fasciation on Maize Inflorescence Architecture

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How functional genetics research can be applied to improving crop yields is a timely challenge. One of the most direct methods is to produce larger inflorescences with higher productivity, which should be accompanied by a balance between stem cell proliferation and lateral organ initiation in meristems. Unbalanced proliferation of stem cells causes the fasciated inflorescences, which reflect the abnormal proliferation of meristems, derived from the Latin word ‘fascis’, meaning ‘bundle’. Maize, a model system for grain crops, has shown tremendous yield improvements through the mysterious transformation of the female inflorescence during domestication. In this review, we focus on maize inflorescence architecture and highlight the patterns of fasciation, including recent progress.

show abstract

Next Generation Cereal Crop Yield Enhancement: From Knowledge of Inflorescence Development to Practical Engineering by Genome Editing

Cited by 6 publications

References 128 publications

Interactions between SQUAMOSA and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE MADS-box proteins regulate meristem transitions during wheat spike development

Interactions between SQUAMOSA and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE MADS-box proteins regulate meristem transitions during wheat spike development

Adaptation and plasticity of yield in hybrid and inbred sorghum

The Impact of Fasciation on Maize Inflorescence Architecture

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About