Natural variation in TaERF-A1 confers semi-dwarf and lodging-resistant plant architecture in wheat.

ABSTRACT: The introduction of Reduced height (Rht) genes into wheat varieties has been pivotal in developing semi-dwarf plant architectures, significantly improving lodging resistance and harvest indices. Therefore, identifying new Rht gene resources for breeding semi-dwarf wheat cultivars has been a key strategy for ensuring high and stable grain yields since the 1960s. In this study, we report the map-based cloning of TaERF-A1, which encodes an AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor) transcription factor that acts as a positive regulator of wheat stem elongation, as a novel gene that regulates plant height and spike length. The natural variant, TaERF-A1^JD6, features a Phe (derived from 'Nongda3338') to Ser (derived from 'Jingdong6') substitution at position 178, which significantl

SUBMITTER: Li R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11956107 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature