Identification of a novel ERF gene, TaERF8, associated with plant height and yield in wheat - PubMed (original) (raw)
Identification of a novel ERF gene, TaERF8, associated with plant height and yield in wheat
Lei Zhang et al. BMC Plant Biol. 2020.
Abstract
Background: Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF) is involved in various processes of plant development and stress responses. In wheat, several ERFs have been identified and their roles in mediating biotic or abiotic stresses have been elucidated. However, their effects on wheat plant architecture and yield-related traits remain poorly studied.
Results: In this study, TaERF8, a new member of the ERF family, was isolated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Three homoeologous TaERF8 genes, TaERF8-2A, TaERF8-2B and TaERF8-2D (named according to sub-genomic origin), were cloned from the common wheat cultivar Chinese Spring. The three homoeologs showed highly similar protein sequences, with identical AP2 domain. Whereas homoeologs sequence polymorphism analysis allowed the establishment of ten, two and three haplotypes, respectively. Expression analysis revealed that TaERF8s were constitutively expressed through entire wheat developmental stages. Analysis of related agronomic traits of TaERF8-2B overexpressing transgenic lines showed that TaERF8-2B plays a role in regulating plant architecture and yield-related traits. Association analysis between TaERF8-2B haplotypes (Hap-2B-1 and Hap-2B-2) and agronomic traits showed that TaERF8-2B was associated with plant height, heading date and 1000 kernel weight (TKW). The TaERF8-2B haplotypes distribution analysis revealed that Hap-2B-2 frequency increased in domesticated emmer wheat and modern varieties, being predominant in five major China wheat producing zones.
Conclusion: These results indicated that TaERF8s are differentially involved in the regulation of wheat growth and development. Haplotype Hap-2B-2 was favored during domestication and in Chinese wheat breeding. Unveiling that the here described molecular marker TaERF8-2B-InDel could be used for marker-assisted selection, plant architecture and TKW improvement in wheat breeding.
Keywords: ERF transcription factor; Haplotypes; TaERF8; Wheat.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Figures
Fig. 1
Wheat TaERF8s belong to the ERF family. a Alignment of ERFs from different plant species; The conserved AP2 domains were marked in red rectangle; typical amino acid residues at the14th (a) and the 19th (d) positions of β-sheet were indicated by red triangle. b Phylogenetic tree of ERF proteins. TaERF8-2A, TaERF8-2B and TaERF8-2D were marked with red dots; blue dots indicated some of the ERFs identified in wheat
Fig. 2
Sequence polymorphism and molecular marker of TaERF8s.a SNPs found in TaERF8-2A among different wheat accessions. b Molecular marker _TaERF8-2A_-SNP was developed based on the SNP detected at 274 bp (T/C). c PCR products were obtained by screening the YZ1/NX188 population using marker _TaERF8-2A_-SNP. M: Marker III. d SNPs and InDel found in TaERF8-2B among different wheat accessions. e Molecular marker _TaERF8-2B_-InDel was developed based on the polymorphic InDel (−−−/CTC) site. f Products were obtained by screening the H10/L14 population [27] using marker _TaERF8-2B_-InDel. g SNPs found in TaERF8-2D among different wheat accessions
Fig. 3
Chromosomal localization of TaERF8s.a Localization of TaERF8s on homoeologous group 2 using Chinese Spring nullisomic-tetrasomic lines, diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheat. AA: T.urartu; AABB: T.dicoccoides; DD: A.tauschii; AABBDD: Chinese Spring; M: DNA Marker III. bTaERF8-2A was mapped to chromosome 2A flanked by Xwpt2882 and Xwpt3114.cTaERF8-2B was mapped to chromosome 2B flanked by Xwmc223 and Xgwm388. Locations of TaERF8-2A and TaERF8-2B were marked in red, black diamonds indicate QTL associated with agronomic traits reported previously, QGy [27]; QNa2A [27, 29]; QKw2A-4 and QKl2A-4 [30]; QY [31]; QSl and QTkw [32]; QSn [33]; QGw1.inra-2B [34]
Fig. 4
Expression patterns of TaERF8s in wheat. SL: Leaf at seedling stage; SS: Stem at seedling stage; SR: Root at seedling stage; JL: Leaf at jointing stage; JS: Stem at jointing stage; JR: Root at jointing stage; N: node; I: internode; L&P: lemma & palea; GL: glume; S: spike; P: pistil; ST: stamen; SP: spikelet; G: grain. A: TaERF8-2A, B: TaERF8-2B and D: TaERF8-2D. The error bars represent SD from three replicates
Fig. 5
Phenotypic comparisons of two TaERF8-2B haplotypes in nine environments. Traits were TKW (a), heading date (b) and plant height (c). E1 to E9 indicated the environments of 2012-BJ, 2012-XX, 2012-JZ, 2012-LY, 2014-XX, 2014-BJ, 2015-XX, 2015-BJ and 2015-JZ, respectively. Heading Date (days from April 1st). The error bars represent SE; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01
Fig. 6
Favored haplotype was selected during domestication and Chinese wheat breeding. a Frequency of TaERF8-2B haplotypes in sample set 1 and 2. WEW: wild emmer wheat; DEW: domesticated emmer wheat; L: landraces; M: modern varieties; Hd: haplotype diversity. b Geographic distribution of TaERF8-2B haplotypes in five major wheat-producing zones in China. Zone I: the Northeastern Spring Wheat Zone; II: the Northern Winter Wheat Zone; III: the Huanghuai River Winter Wheat Zone; IV: the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River Winter Wheat Zone; IV: the Southwestern Winter Wheat Zone
Fig. 7
Phenotypic analysis of _TaERF8-2B-_overexpression (OE) transgenic wheat. a Plant morphology of WT and two independent OE transgenic lines, scale bar:10 cm; comparison of OE transgenic lines and WT in plant height b; heading date (c); kernel width, scale bar:10 mm (d); TKW (e). WT: wild type; data were means ± SD of 20 plants; **P < 0.01
References
- Xu ZS, Chen M, Li LC, Ma YZ. Functions of the ERF transcription factor family in plants. Botany. 2008;86:969–977. doi: 10.1139/B08-041. -DOI
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