Abstract:

Photoperiod‐dependent flowering in rice is regulated by HEADING DATE 1 (Hd1), which acts as both an activator and repressor of flowering in a daylength‐dependent manner. To investigate the use of microProteins as a tool to modify rice sensitivity to the photoperiod, we designed a synthetic Hd1 microProtein (Hd1miP) capable of interacting with Hd1 protein, and overexpressed it in rice. Transgenic OX‐Hd1miP plants flowered significantly earlier than wild type plants when grown in non‐inductive long day conditions. Our results show the potential of microProteins to serve as powerful tools for modulating crop traits and unraveling protein function.