1. The TaWAK2-TaNAL1-TaDST pathway regulates leaf width via cytokinin signaling in wheat.
- Author
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Dejie Du, Zhaoju Li, Jun Yuan, Fei He, Xiongtao Li, Naijiao Wang, Renhan Li, Wensheng Ke, Dongxue Zhang, Zhaoyan Chen, Zihao Jiang, Yunjie Liu, Lingling Chai, Jie Liu, Zhaorong Hu, Weilong Guo, Huiru Peng, Yingyin Yao, Qixin Sun, and Zhongfu Ni
- Subjects
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CYTOKININS , *ZINC-finger proteins , *TRANSCRIPTION factors , *LEAF development , *GENE expression , *CROP yields , *PROTEIN stability , *WHEAT , *GRAIN yields - Abstract
Leaves play a crucial role in photosynthesis and respiration, ultimately affecting the final grain yield of crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat leaf development remain largely unknown. Here, we isolated a narrow-leaf gene, TaWAK2-A, through a map-based cloning strategy. TaWAK2-A encodes a wall-associated kinase (WAK), for which a single Ala-to-Val amino acid substitution reduces the protein stability, leading to a narrow-leaf phenotype in wheat. Further investigation suggests that TaWAK2 directly interacts with and phosphorylates TaNAL1, a trypsin-like serine/cysteine protease. The phosphorylated TaNAL1 is then involved in the degradation of the zinc finger transcription factor TaDST, which acts as a repressor of leaf expansion by activating the expression of the cytokinin oxidase gene TaCKX9 and triggering in vivo cytokinin degradation. Therefore, our findings elucidate a signaling cascade involving TaWAK2-TaNAL1-TaDST that sheds light on the regulation of wheat leaf development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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