Dwarf and tiller-enhancing 1 regulates growth and development by influencing boron uptake in boron limited conditions in rice

• Published in: Plant science (Limerick) 2015-07, Vol.236, p.18-28
• Main Authors: Liu, Kai, Liu, Ling-Long, Ren, Yu-Long, Wang, Zhi-Quan, Zhou, Kun-Neng, Liu, Xi, Wang, Dan, Zheng, Ming, Cheng, Zhi-Jun, Lin, Qi-Bing, Wang, Jiu-Lin, Wu, Fu-Qing, Zhang, Xin, Guo, Xiu-Ping, Wang, Chun-Ming, Zhai, Hu-Qu, Jiang, Ling, Wan, Jian-Min
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Boron - metabolism; Channel protein; Dwarf; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Mutation; NOD26-LIKE INTRINSIC PROTEIN; Oryza - genetics; Oryza - growth & development; Oryza - metabolism; Oryza sativa; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Shoots - metabolism; Tiller enhancement
• ISSN: 0168-9452; 1873-2259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.03.015

•A rice mutant, named dte1, exhibits defects under low boron (B) conditions.•DTE1 is facilitating B absorption in root as well as B distribution in shoot.•The expression of DTE1 is regulated by 5′UTR.•The regulating mechanism of DTE1 is relevant for adaptation to B stress. Boron (B) is essential for plant growth, and B deficiency causes severe losses in crop yield. Here we isolated and characterized a rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant named dwarf and tiller-enhancing 1 (dte1), which exhibits defects under low-B conditions, including retarded growth, increased number of tillers and impaired pollen fertility. Map-based cloning revealed that dte1 encodes a NOD26-LIKE INTRINSIC PROTEIN orthologous to known B channel proteins AtNIP5;1 in Arabidopsis and TASSEL-LESS1 in maize. Its identity was verified by transgenic complementation and RNA-interference. Subcellular localization showed DTE1 is mainly localized in the plasma membrane. The accumulation of DTE1 transcripts both in roots and shoots significantly increased within 3h of the onset of B starvation, but decreased within 1h of B replenishment. GUS staining indicated that DTE1s are expressed abundantly in exodermal cells in roots, as well as in nodal region of adult leaves. Although the dte1 mutation apparently reduces the total B content in plants, it does not affect in vivo B concentrations under B-deficient conditions. These data provide evidence that DTE1 is critical for vegetative growth and reproductive development in rice grown under B-deficient conditions.