<i>DICER-LIKE 5</i> loss causes thermosensitive male sterility in durum wheat and reveals an AU-rich motif guiding 24-nt phasiRNA biogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Reproductive, male-enriched small RNAs are present in flowering plants and animals, yet their role in plants remains underexplored. We generated dicer-like 5 (dcl5) mutants in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum 2n = 4× = 28; AABB), revealing temperature-sensitive genic male sterility. Loss of DCL5 depleted premeiotic and meiotic 24-nt phasiRNA production, correlating with sterility under standard growth conditions and partial fertility recovery at higher temperatures. A single functional DCL5 allele restored complete fertility, presenting a promising alternative to current methods for hybrid production. We demonstrate that premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNA biogenesis is independent of miRNA-mediated cleavage and driven by a conserved motif initiatin

SUBMITTER: Belanger S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12337324 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature