Yanhui Yu, Wenqiang Li, Yuanfang Liu, Yanjun Liu, Qinzhi Zhang, Yidan Ouyang, Wenya Ding, Yu Xue, Yilin Zou, Junjun Yan, Anqiang Jia, Jiali Yan, Xinfei Hao, Yujie Gou, Zhaowei Zhai, Longyu Liu, Yang Zheng, Bao Zhang, Jieting Xu, Ning Yang, Yingjie Xiao, Lin Zhuo, Zhibing Lai, Ping Yin, Hai-Jun Liu, Alisdair R.Fernie, David Jackson, Jianbing Yan

Cell, Published: November 12, 2024

Highlights

• qKDR1 is a major QTL controlling kernel dehydration, which is a key production trait

• qKDR1 regulates RPG, which encodes a 31 amino acid Zea genus-specific micropeptide

• RPG originated de novo from a non-coding sequence

• microRPG1 controls kernel dehydration by precisely regulating ethylene gene expression

Summary

Kernel dehydration rate (KDR) is a crucial production trait that affects mechanized harvesting and kernel quality in maize; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL), qKDR1, as a non-coding sequence that regulates the expression of qKDR1 REGULATED PEPTIDE GENE (RPG). RPG encodes a 31 amino acid micropeptide, microRPG1, which controls KDR by precisely modulating the expression of two genes, ZmETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3-like 1 and 3, in the ethylene signaling pathway in the kernels after filling. microRPG1 is a Zea genus-specific micropeptide and originated de novo from a non-coding sequence. Knockouts of microRPG1 result in faster KDR in maize. By contrast, overexpression or exogenous application of the micropeptide shows the opposite effect both in maize and Arabidopsis. Our findings reveal the molecular mechanism of microRPG1 in kernel dehydration and provide an important tool for future crop breeding.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

论文链接：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.030