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Molecular and genetic pathways for optimizing spikelet development and grain yield

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Abstract

The spikelet is a unique structure of inflorescence in grasses that generates one to many flowers depending on its determinate or indeterminate meristem activity. The growth patterns and number of spikelets, furthermore, define inflorescence architecture and yield. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying spikelet development and evolution are attractive to both biologists and breeders. Based on the progress in rice and maize, along with increasing numbers of genetic mutants and genome sequences from other grass families, the regulatory networks underpinning spikelet development are becoming clearer. This is particularly evident for domesticated traits in agriculture. This review focuses on recent progress on spikelet initiation, and spikelet and floret fertility, by comparing results from Arabidopsis with that of rice, sorghum, maize, barley, wheat, Brachypodium distachyon, and Setaria viridis. This progress may benefit genetic engineering and molecular breeding to enhance grain yield.

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Abbreviations

AM:

Axillary meristem

AP2/ERF:

APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR

bHLH:

Basic helix–loop–helix

BM:

Branch meristem

BR:

Brassinosteroid

CK:

Cytokinin

FAC:

Florigen activation complex

FM:

Flower meristem

GA:

Gibberellic acid

HD-Zip:

Homeodomain leucine zipper

IM:

Inflorescence meristem

LD:

Long day

PS:

Pedicellate spikelet

SAM:

Shoot apical meristem

SD:

Short day

SpM:

Spikelet meristem

SS:

Sessile spikelet

TCP:

Teosinte branched/Cycloidea/PCF

TF:

Transcription factor

SL:

Strigolactone

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank supporting by the funds from National Natural Science Foundation of China (31671260, 31470397 and 91417311); and China Innovative Research Team, Ministry of Education and the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (111 Project, B14016), and SMC Morningstar Young Scholarship of Shanghai Jiao Tong University to Z. Y. S. P. is funded by ARC FT and DP Grants (DP190101941; FT160100218), and by a Villum Investigator Grant (Project ID: 25915) and Novo Nordisk Laureate Grant (NNF19OC0056076).

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Correspondence to Zheng Yuan.

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Yuan, Z., Persson, S. & Zhang, D. Molecular and genetic pathways for optimizing spikelet development and grain yield. aBIOTECH 1, 276–292 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42994-020-00026-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42994-020-00026-x

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