scholarly journals The rice PLATZ protein SHORT GRAIN6 determines grain size by regulating spikelet hull cell division

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi‐Rong Zhou ◽  
Hong‐Wei Xue
Keyword(s):  
2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (32) ◽  
pp. 16121-16126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yan Xiong ◽  
Renyi Liu ◽  
Hong-Wei Xue ◽  
Zhenbiao Yang

Grain size is a key factor for determining grain yield in crops and is a target trait for both domestication and breeding, yet the mechanisms underlying the regulation of grain size are largely unclear. Here we show that the grain size and yield of rice (Oryza sativa) is positively regulated by ROP GTPase (Rho-like GTPase from plants), a versatile molecular switch modulating plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. Overexpression of rice OsRac1ROP not only increases cell numbers, resulting in a larger spikelet hull, but also accelerates grain filling rate, causing greater grain width and weight. As a result, OsRac1 overexpression improves grain yield in O. sativa by nearly 16%. In contrast, down-regulation or deletion of OsRac1 causes the opposite effects. RNA-seq and cell cycle analyses suggest that OsRac1 promotes cell division. Interestingly, OsRac1 interacts with and regulates the phosphorylation level of OsMAPK6, which is known to regulate cell division and grain size in rice. Thus, our findings suggest OsRac1 modulates rice grain size and yield by influencing cell division. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the control of rice grain size and suggests that OsRac1 could serve as a potential target gene for breeding high-yield crops.


Rice ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihong Hu ◽  
Liyu Huang ◽  
Guanglong Chen ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Yesheng Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractGrain weight and grain number, the two important yield traits, are mainly determined by grain size and panicle architecture in rice. Herein, we report the identification and functional analysis of OsSPL4 in panicle and grain development of rice. Using CRISPR/Cas9 system, two elite alleles of OsSPL4 were obtained, which exhibited an increasing number of grains per panicle and grain size, resulting in increase of rice yield. Cytological analysis showed that OsSPL4 could regulate spikelet development by promoting cell division. The results of RNA-seq and qRT-PCR validations also demonstrated that several MADS-box and cell-cycle genes were up-regulated in the mutation lines. Co-expression network revealed that many yield-related genes were involved in the regulation network of OsSPL4. In addition, OsSPL4 could be cleaved by the osa-miR156 in vivo, and the OsmiR156-OsSPL4 module might regulate the grain size in rice. Further analysis indicated that the large-grain allele of OsSPL4 in indica rice might introgress from aus varieties under artificial selection. Taken together, our findings suggested that OsSPL4 could be as a key regulator of grain size by acting on cell division control and provided a strategy for panicle architecture and grain size modification for yield improvement in rice.


Author(s):  
L. M. Lewis

The effects of colchicine on extranuclear microtubules associated with the macronucleus of Paramecium bursaria were studied to determine the possible role that these microtubules play in controlling the shape of the macronucleus. In the course of this study, the ultrastructure of the nuclear events of binary fission in control cells was also studied.During interphase in control cells, the micronucleus contains randomly distributed clumps of condensed chromatin and microtubular fragments. Throughout mitosis the nuclear envelope remains intact. During micronuclear prophase, cup-shaped microfilamentous structures appear that are filled with condensing chromatin. Microtubules are also present and are parallel to the division axis.


Author(s):  
Krishan Awtar

Exposure of cells to low sublethal but mitosis-arresting doses of vinblastine sulfate (Velban) results in the initial arrest of cells in mitosis followed by their subsequent return to an “interphase“-like stage. A large number of these cells reform their nuclear membranes and form large multimicronucleated cells, some containing as many as 25 or more micronuclei (1). Formation of large multinucleate cells is also caused by cytochalasin, by causing the fusion of daughter cells at the end of an otherwise .normal cell division (2). By the repetition of this process through subsequent cell divisions, large cells with 6 or more nuclei are formed.


Author(s):  
K. P. Staudhammer ◽  
L. E. Murr

The effect of shock loading on a variety of steels has been reviewed recently by Leslie. It is generally observed that significant changes in microstructure and microhardness are produced by explosive shock deformation. While the effect of shock loading on austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, and pearlitic structures has been investigated, there have been no systematic studies of the shock-loading of microduplex structures.In the current investigation, the shock-loading response of millrolled and heat-treated Uniloy 326 (thickness 60 mil) having a residual grain size of 1 to 2μ before shock loading was studied. Uniloy 326 is a two phase (microduplex) alloy consisting of 30% austenite (γ) in a ferrite (α) matrix; with the composition.3% Ti, 1% Mn, .6% Si,.05% C, 6% Ni, 26% Cr, balance Fe.


Author(s):  
R. Sinclair ◽  
B.E. Jacobson

INTRODUCTIONThe prospect of performing chemical analysis of thin specimens at any desired level of resolution is particularly appealing to the materials scientist. Commercial TEM-based systems are now available which virtually provide this capability. The purpose of this contribution is to illustrate its application to problems which would have been intractable until recently, pointing out some current limitations.X-RAY ANALYSISIn an attempt to fabricate superconducting materials with high critical currents and temperature, thin Nb3Sn films have been prepared by electron beam vapor deposition [1]. Fine-grain size material is desirable which may be achieved by codeposition with small amounts of Al2O3 . Figure 1 shows the STEM microstructure, with large (∽ 200 Å dia) voids present at the grain boundaries. Higher quality TEM micrographs (e.g. fig. 2) reveal the presence of small voids within the grains which are absent in pure Nb3Sn prepared under identical conditions. The X-ray spectrum from large (∽ lμ dia) or small (∽100 Ǻ dia) areas within the grains indicates only small amounts of A1 (fig.3).


Author(s):  
Takao Suzuki ◽  
Hossein Nuri

For future high density magneto-optical recording materials, a Bi-substituted garnet film ((BiDy)3(FeGa)5O12) is an attractive candidate since it has strong magneto-optic effect at short wavelengths less than 600 nm. The signal in read back performance at 500 nm using a garnet film can be an order of magnitude higher than a current rare earth-transition metal amorphous film. However, the granularity and surface roughness of such crystalline garnet films are the key to control for minimizing media noise.We have demonstrated a new technique to fabricate a garnet film which has much smaller grain size and smoother surfaces than those annealed in a conventional oven. This method employs a high ramp-up rate annealing (Γ = 50 ~ 100 C/s) in nitrogen atmosphere. Fig.1 shows a typical microstruture of a Bi-susbtituted garnet film deposited by r.f. sputtering and then subsequently crystallized by a rapid thermal annealing technique at Γ = 50 C/s at 650 °C for 2 min. The structure is a single phase of garnet, and a grain size is about 300A.


Author(s):  
Ernest L. Hall ◽  
Shyh-Chin Huang

Addition of interstitial elements to γ-TiAl alloys is currently being explored as a method for improving the properties of these alloys. Previous work in which a number of interstitial elements were studied showed that boron was particularly effective in refining the grain size in castings, and led to enhanced strength while maintaining reasonable ductility. Other investigators have shown that B in γ-TiAl alloys tends to promote the formation of TiB2 as a second phase. In this study, the microstructure of Bcontaining TiAl alloys was examined in detail in order to describe the mechanism by which B alters the structure and properties of these alloys.


Author(s):  
Ernest L. Hall ◽  
Lee E. Rumaner ◽  
Mark G. Benz

The intermetallic compound Nb3Sn is a type-II superconductor of interest because it has high values of critical current density Jc in high magnetic fields. One method of forming this compound involves diffusion of Sn into Nb foil containing small amounts of Zr and O. In order to maintain high values of Jc, it is important to keep the grain size in the Nb3Sn as small as possible, since the grain boundaries act as flux-pinning sites. It has been known for many years that Zr and O were essential to grain size control in this process. In previous work, we have shown that (a) the Sn is transported to the Nb3Sn/Nb interface by liquid diffusion along grain boundaries; (b) the Zr and O form small ZrO2 particles in the Nb3Sn grains; and (c) many very small Nb3Sn grains nucleate from a single Nb grain at the reaction interface. In this paper we report the results of detailed studies of the Nb3Sn/Nb3Sn, Nb3Sn/Nb, and Nb3Sn/ZrO2 interfaces.


Author(s):  
J.M. Schwartz ◽  
L.F. Francis ◽  
L.D. Schmidt ◽  
P.S. Schabes-Retchkiman

Ceramic thin films and coatings are of interest for electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal barrier applications. Critical for improved properties in thin films is the development of specific microstructures during processing. To this end, the sol-gel method is advantageous as a versatile processing route. The sol-gel process involves depositing a solution containing metalorganic or colloidal ceramic precursors onto a substrate and heating the deposited layer to form a crystalline or non-crystalline ceramic coating. This route has several advantages, including the ability to create tailored microstructures and properties, to coat large or small areas, simple or complex shapes, and to more easily prepare multicomponent ceramics. Sol-gel derived coatings are amorphous in the as-deposited state and develop their crystalline structure and microstructure during heat-treatment. We are particularly interested in studying the amorphous to crystalline transformation, because many key features of the microstructure such as grain size and grain size distribution may be linked to this transformation.


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