A homolog of blade-on-petiole 1 and 2 (BOP1/2) controls internode length and homeotic changes of the barley inflorescence

Matthias Jost, Shin Taketa, Martin Mascher, Axel Himmelbach, Takahisa Yuo, Fahimeh Shahinnia, Twan Rutten, Arnis Druka, Thomas Schmutzer, Burkhard Steuernagel, Sebastian Beier, Stefan Taudien, Uwe Scholz, Michele Morgante, Robbie Waugh, Nils Stein (Lead / Corresponding author)

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44 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Inflorescence architecture in small-grain cereals has a direct effect on yield and is an important selection target in breeding for yield improvement. We analyzed the recessivemutation laxatum-a (lax-a) in barley (Hordeum vulgare), which causes pleiotropic changes in spike development, resulting in (1) extended rachis internodes conferring a more relaxed inflorescence, (2) broadened base of the lemma awns, (3) thinner grains that are largely exposed due to reduced marginal growth of the palea and lemma, and (4) and homeotic conversion of lodicules into two stamenoid structures. Map-based cloning enforced by mapping-by-sequencing of the mutant lax-a locus enabled the identification of a homolog of BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1 (BOP1) and BOP2 as the causal gene. Interestingly, the recently identified barley uniculme4 gene also is a BOP1/2 homolog and has been shown to regulate tillering and leaf sheath development. While the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) BOP1 and BOP2 genes act redundantly, the barley genes contribute independent effects in specifying the developmental growth of vegetative and reproductive organs, respectively. Analysis of natural genetic diversity revealed strikingly different haplotype diversity for the two paralogous barley genes, likely affected by the respective genomic environments, since no indication for an active selection process was detected.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1113-1127
Number of pages15
JournalPlant Physiology
Volume171
Issue number2
Early online date14 Apr 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Plant Science
  • Genetics
  • Physiology

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