Improving bread wheat yield through modulating an unselected AP2/ERF gene

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Crop science
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Crop breeding utilizes natural genetic variation, but new variations are needed for increasing global food demand.
• Inflorescence architecture, specifically grain number per spike, is a key factor in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify genetic factors regulating spike inflorescence architecture in bread wheat.
• To explore the potential of novel genetic variations for enhancing wheat yield.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Brachypodium distachyon as a model system to identify genes involved in inflorescence development.
• Characterized the function of the identified DUO-B1 gene, an APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factor.
• Performed pan-genome analysis to assess the breeding potential of DUO-B1.

Main Results:

• Identified DUO-B1, a gene regulating spike inflorescence architecture in bread wheat.
• Mutations in DUO-B1 resulted in mild supernumerary spikelets and increased grain number per spike.
• Field trials demonstrated that DUO-B1 mutations significantly increased wheat yield without adverse effects on other agronomic traits.
• DUO-B1 was found to suppress cell division and regulate the expression of BH^t/WFZP.

Conclusions:

• DUO-B1 is a promising target for genetic improvement of wheat yield.
• The identified DUO-B1 gene has not been exploited in current breeding programs.
• Further utilization of DUO-B1 holds significant potential for increasing future wheat production.