The VRS genes of barley control the fertility of the lateral spikelets on the barley inflorescence. Here, Bull et al. show that VRS3 encodes a putative Jumonji C-type histone demethylase that regulates expression of other VRS genes, and genes involved in stress, hormone and sugar metabolism

A Conesa

A Criscuolo

A Eveland

A Gustafsson

A Samach

A Tondelli

AJ Goodall

AM Bolger

B Shuai

B Siridechadilok

C Soneson

C Wasternack

C Yan

CW Law

Druka

H Maucher

H Schluepmann

H Yousseff

I Fridborg

IBSC

IWGSC

J Cockram

J Russell

K Houston

K Tamura

L Ramsay

M Ashikari

M Bayer

M Mascher

M Moragues

M Muñoz-Amatriaín

M Wu

M Yuan

MD Robinson

ME Ritchie

P Cubas

Q Cai

Q Sun

Q Zheng

R Edgar

R Koppolu

R Patro

R Takahashi

S Bustin

Sakuma

T Close

T Kazama

T Komatsuda

T Kurakawa

T Kuroha

TS Hooker

U Lundqvist

Y Benjamini

Y Choi

Z Chu

The barley inflorescence (‘spike’) comprises a multi-noded central stalk (‘rachis’) with tri-partite clusters of uni-floretted spikelets attached alternately along its length. Relative fertility of lateral spikelets within each cluster leads to spikes with two or six rows of grain or an intermediate morphology. Understanding the mechanisms controlling this key developmental step could provide novel solutions to enhanced grain yield. Classical genetic studies identified five major SIX-ROWED SPIKE (VRS) genes, with four now known to encode transcription factors. Here, we identify and characterise the remaining major VRS gene, VRS3, as encoding a putative Jumonji C-type H3K9me2/me3 demethylase, a regulator of chromatin state. Exploring the expression network modulated by VRS3 reveals specific interactions, both with other VRS genes and genes involved in stress, hormone and sugar metabolism. We show that combining a vrs3 mutant allele with natural six-rowed alleles of VRS1 and VRS5 leads to increased lateral grain size and greater grain uniformity

Bull, Hazel

Casao, M. Cristina

Zwirek, Monika

Flavell, Andrew J.

Thomas, William T. B.

Guo, Wenbin

Zhang, Runxuan

Rapazote-Flores, Paulo

Kyriakidis, Stylianos

Russell, Joanne

Druka, Arnis

McKim, Sarah M.

Waugh, Robbie

University of Dundee Online Publications

English

Barley <i>SIX-ROWED SPIKE3</i> encodes a putative Jumonji C-type H3K9me2/me3 demethylase that represses lateral spikelet fertility

AbstractThe barley inflorescence (spike) comprises a multi-noded central stalk (rachis) with tri-partite clusters of uni-floretted spikelets attached alternately along its length. Relative fertility of lateral spikelets within each cluster leads to spikes with two or six rows of grain, or an intermediate morphology. Understanding the mechanisms controlling this key developmental step could provide novel solutions to enhanced grain yield. Classical genetic studies identified five major SIX-ROWED SPIKE (VRS) genes, with four now known to encode transcription factors. Here we identify and characterise the remaining major VRS gene, VRS3, as encoding a putative Jumonji C-type H3K9me2/me3 demethylase, a regulator of chromatin state. Exploring the expression network modulated by VRS3 reveals specific interactions, both with other VRS genes and genes involved in stress, hormone and sugar metabolism. We show that combining a vrs3 mutant allele with natural six-rowed alleles of VRS1 and VRS5 leads to increased lateral grain size and greater grain uniformity.</jats:p

Hazel Bull

M. Cristina Casao

Monika Zwirek

Andrew J. Flavell

William T. B. Thomas

Wenbin Guo

Runxuan Zhang

Paulo Rapazote-Flores

Stylianos Kyriakidis

Joanne Russell

Arnis Druka

Sarah M. McKim

Robbie Waugh

Crossref

Nature Communications

Barley SIX-ROWED SPIKE3 encodes a putative Jumonji C-type H3K9me2/me3 demethylase that represses lateral spikelet fertility

Barley <i>SIX-ROWED SPIKE3</i> encodes a putative Jumonji C-type H3K9me2/me3 demethylase that represses lateral spikelet fertility

Abstract

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University of Dundee Online Publications

University of Dundee Online Publications

Crossref

University of Dundee Online Publications