Genome-wide analysis of Q binding reveals a regulatory network that coordinates wheat grain yield and grain protein content
Wheat is an important cereal crop used to produce diverse and popular food worldwide because of its high grain yield (GY) and grain protein content (GPC). However, GY and GPC are usually negatively correlated. We previously reported that favorable alleles of the wheat domestication gene Q can synchronously increase GY and GPC, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the regulatory network involving Q associated with GY and GPC in young grains through DNA affinity purification sequencing and transcriptome sequencing analyses, electrophoretic mobility shift and dual-luciferase assays, and transgenic approaches. Three Q-binding motifs, namely TTAAGG, AAACA[A/T]A, and GTAC[T/G]A, are identified. Notably, genes related to photosynthesis or carbon and nitrogen metabolism are enriched and regulated by Q. Moreover, Q is revealed to bind directly to its own gene and the glutamine synthetase gene GSr-4D to increase expression, thereby influencing nitrogen assimilation during the grain filling stage and increasing GPC. Considered together, our findings provide molecular evidence of the positive regulatory effects of Q on wheat GY and GPC.
Authors
- Qingcheng Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7859-3999)
- Pengfei Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-9591)
- Yue Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7006-6038)
- Jie Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8841-0781)
- Qing Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4589-0161)
- Zhongxu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2356-9721)
- Yan Wang
- Zhenru Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4741-6439)
- Jing Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3621-381X)
- Yazhou Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5148-3423)
- Rui Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1263-9939)
- Qiang Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8433-8687)
- Yunfeng Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-1684)
- Jirui Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5019-6844)
- Li Kong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3415-0520)
- Ziyi Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3996-3369)
- Caihong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8434-4693)
- Mi Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2096-7713)
- Lei Lü (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2873-4271)
- Mei Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0480-5730)
- Yuming Wei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3212-4329)
- Guoyue Chen
- Yang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0604-8501)
- Qiantao Jiang
- Youliang Zheng
- Shijing Peng
Institutions
- Sichuan Agricultural University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of genetics and genomics/Journal of Genetics and Genomics
- Published
- 2025-03-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2025.02.011
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 10.50
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province
- Sichuan Agricultural University
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research