J Integr Plant Biol.

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Precise tiller angle control by manipulating TAC1 expression in rice

Tao Yin1†, Yuxin Tai1†, Yao Sun1,2, Zixiang Cheng1, Chuanyin Wu1* and Yi Sui1*   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
    2. Shandong Rice Engineering Technology Research Center, Institute of Wetland Agriculture and Ecology, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China

    These authors contributed equally to this work
    *Correspondences: Chuanyin Wu (wuchuanyin@caas.cn); Yi Sui (suiyi@caas.cn, Dr. Sui is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article in the manuscript)
  • Received:2024-12-11 Accepted:2025-02-02 Online:2025-03-07
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by grants from the Biological Breeding‐National Science and Technology Major Project (2024ZD04077), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31801323) and the Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Abstract: Tiller angle shapes plant architecture, and is one of the top traits in plant breeding. A compact plant type reduces shading between plants, especially at high planting density, but also creates a humid microenvironment often associated with a higher incidence of pathogen and pest attacks, especially under highly humid climates. However, how to precisely manipulate the tiller angle to achieve a desirable plant type has been under-approached. Here we report the creation of gradient tiller angles in indica rice by fine tuning the expression of TILLER ANGLE CONTROL1 (TAC1), a domesticated gene in cultivated rice. We edited the regions upstream and downstream of the TAC1 coding sequence using multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 technology and developed homozygous allelic lines carrying deletions/inversions of various sizes at different positions. Those lines displayed smooth gradient changes in tiller angle that aligned well with TAC1 expression levels. Additionally, changes in the TAC1 expression level had no impact on other agronomic traits examined. TAC1 is well conserved across species, including perennial fruit trees in which mutation of TAC1 orthologs leads to a broomy plant type. Thus, our results provide a guide to creating tiller angles for selection according to climate zones in rice breeding programs, this approach can be extended to diverse species for improving plant architecture.

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