Direct and tunable modulation of protein levels in rice and wheat with a synthetic small molecule

Direct control of protein level enables rapid and efficient analyses of gene functions in crops. Previously, we developed the RDDK-Shield1 (Shld1) system in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana for direct modulation of protein stabilization using a synthetic small molecule. However, it was unclear whether this system is applicable to economically important crops. In this study, we show that the RDDK-Shld1 system enables rapid and tunable control of protein levels in rice and wheat. Accumulation of RDDK fusion proteins can be reversibly and spatio-temporally controlled by the synthetic small-molecule Shld1. Moreover, RDDK-Bar and RDDK-Pid3 fusions confer herbicide and rice blast resistance, respectively, in a Shld1-dependent manner. Therefore, the RDDK-Shld1 system provides a reversible and tunable technique for controlling protein functions and conditional expression of transgenes in crops.