Identification and functional analysis of the HvD14 gene involved in strigolactone signaling in Hordeum vulgare

In this study, the barley HvD14 gene encoding α/β hydrolase, which is involved in strigolactone (SL) signaling, was identified. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the identified gene is an orthologue of the D14, AtD14 and PhDAD2 genes that have been described in rice, Arabidopsis thaliana and petunia, respectively. Using TILLING strategy, an hvd14.d mutant that carried the G725A transition, located in the second exon, was identified. This mutation led to the substitution of a highly conserved glycine-193 to glutamic acid in the conserved fragment of the α/β hydrolase domain of the HvD14 protein. The plants that carry the hvd14.d allele were semi-dwarf and produced a higher number of tillers in comparison to the wild-type (WT) parent cultivar. Additionally, the root architecture of mutant plants was affected: the total length of the seminal roots was significantly reduced, and the density of the lateral roots was higher than in the WT. Plants with the hvd14.d allele were insensitive to treatment with GR24, which is the synthetic analogue of SL. Analysis of the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentration in the lateral buds showed no differences between the WT and mutant plants. By contrast, the WT seedlings treated with GR24 developed a lower number of tillers, longer primary roots with a reduced number of lateral roots and had an increased concentration of IAA in lateral buds. This paper describes the first barley SL mutant and shows the potential functions of SLs in barley growth and development.