A natural variation in the promoter of <i>TaGDSL</i>‐<i>7D</i> contributes to grain weight and yield in wheat
Grain weight (GW) is a critical agronomic trait that greatly impacts wheat yield, yet the underlying genetic factors remain largely unknown. Here, we identify and characterize a candidate gene TaGDSL-7D controlling GW in wheat through map-based cloning, which encodes an ER-located GDSL-family protein. Natural variations within the promoter of the GW-enhancing TaGDSL-7D<sup>HS2</sup> allele result in a differential transcriptional response by promoting the binding of the TaGT1 transcription factor, a positive GW regulator. Additionally, TaGT1 directly interacts with TaBZR1 to enhance TaGDSL-7D activation. Haplotype analysis revealed that TaGDSL-7D<sup>HS2</sup> is a superior haplotype, improving both GW and yield. Taken together, these findings highlight the pivotal role of TaGDSL-7D in deciphering the genetic basis of GW in wheat and provide valuable natural allelic variation for GW improvement in high-yield breeding programmes.
Authors
- Dejie Du (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1874-6700)
- Fei He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1165-3248)
- Yujie Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7373-1387)
- Zhongfu Ni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4524-7720)
- Long Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5723-302X)
- Qixin Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3819-6892)
- Zihao Jiang
- Liang Ma
- Zhaoyan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3955-4134)
- Yunjie Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9312-7523)
- Zhaoju Li
Institutions
- China Agricultural University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Plant Biotechnology Journal
- Published
- 2025-06-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70204
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.75
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Agricultural University
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences