Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice

Abstract Panicle elongation length (PEL), which determines panicle exsertion, is an important outcrossing-related trait. Mining genes controlling PEL in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has great practical significance in breeding cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) lines with increased PEL and simplified, high-...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hao Sun, Qiqi Yao, Mei Hai, Tianhu Li, Jinghan Sun, Zhengbo Liu, Yang Ang, Yingying Zhao, Yanan Zhang, Xianping Cheng, Tao Huang, Yinping Chang, Mingyu Du, Erbao Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-01-01
Series:Rice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00759-7
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832571294951931904
author Hao Sun
Qiqi Yao
Mei Hai
Tianhu Li
Jinghan Sun
Zhengbo Liu
Yang Ang
Yingying Zhao
Yanan Zhang
Xianping Cheng
Tao Huang
Yinping Chang
Mingyu Du
Erbao Liu
author_facet Hao Sun
Qiqi Yao
Mei Hai
Tianhu Li
Jinghan Sun
Zhengbo Liu
Yang Ang
Yingying Zhao
Yanan Zhang
Xianping Cheng
Tao Huang
Yinping Chang
Mingyu Du
Erbao Liu
author_sort Hao Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Panicle elongation length (PEL), which determines panicle exsertion, is an important outcrossing-related trait. Mining genes controlling PEL in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has great practical significance in breeding cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) lines with increased PEL and simplified, high-efficiency seed production. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed on the PELs of 440 rice accessions in 2022 and 2023, considering 3.17 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to detect the effects of different genes on PEL. A total of five quantitative trait loci (QTLs) significantly associated with PEL were detected in both years by using the general linear model (GLM) and the mixed linear model (MLM). Notably, our study identified a previously unreported QTL, qPE2.1. Three candidate genes associated with PEL were predicted by non-synonymous SNPs and functional annotation. We characterize one gibberellin (GA)-related gene, LOC_Os02g41954 (OsGA2ox9), which encodes gibberellin 2-beta-dioxygenase 7 located in the cell membrane and nucleus. Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) has been reported to control GA levels by inactivating GA via 2-β hydroxylation. Compared with the short PELs of wild plants, mutant plants with Cas9-induced knockout (KO) of OsGA2ox9 exhibit long PELs. Therefore, OsGA2ox9 was identified as the key gene controlling PEL in rice. Haplotype analysis showed that the two polymorphisms of HapD cause amino acid residue changes from phenylalanine to leucine (F/L43) and isoleucine to phenylalanine (I/F52), which lead to the enhancement of panicle exsertion; therefore, we renamed this gene ENHANCED PANICLE EXSERTION (EPE1). Our study showed that EPE1 (OsGA2ox9) negatively regulated GA4 content in rice. Elite alleles of EPE1 can be used to further improve PEL in CMS lines to increase the outcrossing rate and yield or seed production in hybrid rice breeding.
format Article
id doaj-art-3c7625111ba9424f9a72b3032982ec4c
institution Kabale University
issn 1939-8425
1939-8433
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series Rice
spelling doaj-art-3c7625111ba9424f9a72b3032982ec4c2025-02-02T12:42:41ZengSpringerOpenRice1939-84251939-84332025-01-0118111810.1186/s12284-025-00759-7Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in RiceHao Sun0Qiqi Yao1Mei Hai2Tianhu Li3Jinghan Sun4Zhengbo Liu5Yang Ang6Yingying Zhao7Yanan Zhang8Xianping Cheng9Tao Huang10Yinping Chang11Mingyu Du12Erbao Liu13College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityAbstract Panicle elongation length (PEL), which determines panicle exsertion, is an important outcrossing-related trait. Mining genes controlling PEL in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has great practical significance in breeding cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) lines with increased PEL and simplified, high-efficiency seed production. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed on the PELs of 440 rice accessions in 2022 and 2023, considering 3.17 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to detect the effects of different genes on PEL. A total of five quantitative trait loci (QTLs) significantly associated with PEL were detected in both years by using the general linear model (GLM) and the mixed linear model (MLM). Notably, our study identified a previously unreported QTL, qPE2.1. Three candidate genes associated with PEL were predicted by non-synonymous SNPs and functional annotation. We characterize one gibberellin (GA)-related gene, LOC_Os02g41954 (OsGA2ox9), which encodes gibberellin 2-beta-dioxygenase 7 located in the cell membrane and nucleus. Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) has been reported to control GA levels by inactivating GA via 2-β hydroxylation. Compared with the short PELs of wild plants, mutant plants with Cas9-induced knockout (KO) of OsGA2ox9 exhibit long PELs. Therefore, OsGA2ox9 was identified as the key gene controlling PEL in rice. Haplotype analysis showed that the two polymorphisms of HapD cause amino acid residue changes from phenylalanine to leucine (F/L43) and isoleucine to phenylalanine (I/F52), which lead to the enhancement of panicle exsertion; therefore, we renamed this gene ENHANCED PANICLE EXSERTION (EPE1). Our study showed that EPE1 (OsGA2ox9) negatively regulated GA4 content in rice. Elite alleles of EPE1 can be used to further improve PEL in CMS lines to increase the outcrossing rate and yield or seed production in hybrid rice breeding.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00759-7RicePELGWASQTLsEPE1 (OsGA2ox9)
spellingShingle Hao Sun
Qiqi Yao
Mei Hai
Tianhu Li
Jinghan Sun
Zhengbo Liu
Yang Ang
Yingying Zhao
Yanan Zhang
Xianping Cheng
Tao Huang
Yinping Chang
Mingyu Du
Erbao Liu
Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
Rice
Rice
PEL
GWAS
QTLs
EPE1 (OsGA2ox9)
title Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
title_full Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
title_fullStr Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
title_full_unstemmed Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
title_short Elite Alleles of EPE1 Identified via Genome-wide Association Studies Increase Panicle Elongation Length in Rice
title_sort elite alleles of epe1 identified via genome wide association studies increase panicle elongation length in rice
topic Rice
PEL
GWAS
QTLs
EPE1 (OsGA2ox9)
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12284-025-00759-7
work_keys_str_mv AT haosun eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT qiqiyao eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT meihai eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT tianhuli eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT jinghansun eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT zhengboliu eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT yangang eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT yingyingzhao eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT yananzhang eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT xianpingcheng eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT taohuang eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT yinpingchang eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT mingyudu eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice
AT erbaoliu eliteallelesofepe1identifiedviagenomewideassociationstudiesincreasepanicleelongationlengthinrice