An autoactive NB-LRR gene causes Rht13 dwarfism in wheat

Borrill, P.; Mago, R.; Xu, T.; Ford, B.; Williams, S. J.; Derkx, A.; Bovill, W. D.; Hyles, J.; Bhatt, D.; Xia, X.; MacMillan, C.; White, R.; Buss, W.; Molnar, I.; Walkowiak, S.; Olsen, O.-A.; Dolezel, J.; Pozniak, C. J.; Spielmeyer, W.

doi:10.1101/2022.05.28.493833

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.05.28.493833

An autoactive NB-LRR gene causes Rht13 dwarfism in wheat

Borrill, P.·Mago, R.·Xu, T.·Ford, B.·Williams, S. J.·Derkx, A.·Bovill, W. D.·Hyles, J.·Bhatt, D.·Xia, X.·MacMillan, C.·White, R.·Buss, W.·Molnar, I.·Walkowiak, S.·Olsen, O.-A.·Dolezel, J.·Pozniak, C. J.·Spielmeyer, W.

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Abstract

Semidwarfing genes have greatly increased wheat yields globally, yet the widely used gibberellin (GA) insensitive genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b have disadvantages for seedling emergence. Use of the GA sensitive semidwarfing gene Rht13 avoids this pleiotropic effect. Here we show that Rht13 encodes a nucleotide-binding site/leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) gene. A point mutation in the semidwarf Rht-B13b allele autoactivates the NB-LRR gene and causes a height reduction comparable to Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b in diverse genetic backgrounds. The autoactive Rht-B13b allele leads to transcriptional upregulation of pathogenesis-related genes including class III peroxidases associated with cell wall remodelling. Rht13 represents a new class of reduced height (Rht) gene, unlike other Rht genes which encode components of the GA signalling or metabolic pathways. This discovery opens new avenues to use autoactive NB-LRR genes as semidwarfing genes in a range of crop species, and to apply Rht13 in wheat breeding programmes using a perfect genetic marker.

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Borrill, P., Mago, R., Xu, T., Ford, B., Williams, S. J., Derkx, A., Bovill, W. D., Hyles, J., Bhatt, D., Xia, X., MacMillan, C., White, R., Buss, W., Molnar, I., Walkowiak, S., Olsen, O.-A., Dolezel, J., Pozniak, C. J., Spielmeyer, W.. 2022-05-29. An autoactive NB-LRR gene causes Rht13 dwarfism in wheat. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.28.493833

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