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Overcoming the trade-off between early flowering and high yield in wheat: Light regimens, developmental dynamics, and transcriptome landscapes
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  • Yinghua Zhang,
  • Xiaolei Guo,
  • Zhen Zhang,
  • Junyan Li,
  • Siqi Zhang,
  • Wan Sun,
  • Xuechen Xiao,
  • Zhencai Sun,
  • Xuzhang Xue,
  • Zhimin Wang
Yinghua Zhang
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Xiaolei Guo
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Zhen Zhang
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Junyan Li
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Siqi Zhang
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Wan Sun
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Xuechen Xiao
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Zhencai Sun
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Xuzhang Xue
Beijing Research Center of Intelligent Equipment for Agriculture
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Zhimin Wang
China Agricultural University College of Agronomy and Biotechnology
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Abstract

Early flowering is a survival strategy in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) that sacrifices grain yield under long photoperiod conditions, and this contradiction is greatly affected by floral growth and development. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that remove the barrier between “early flowering” and “high yielding” during floret development. Here, we showed high-resolution analyses of the number and morphology of floret primordia and the transcriptomes of wheat spikes in three light regimens. The development of all floret primordia in a spike could be divided into four distinct stages: differentiation (Stage I), differentiation and morphology development concurrently (Stage II), morphology development (Stage III), and polarization (Stage IV). Compared to the controls, the long photoperiod supplemented with red light treatment shortened the time required to complete Stage I-II, then improved assimilates in the spike and promoted anther development, thereby increasing fertile floret primordia during Stage III, and maintained fertile floret primordia development during Stage IV until they became fertile florets (grains) via a dynamic gene network centered on ubiquitin, calcium signaling, aldehyde dehydrogenase, zinc finger proteins, and heat shock proteins. Our findings proposed a light regimen, critical stages, and candidate regulators that promoted early flowering and high yield in wheat.
21 Jun 2023Submitted to Plant, Cell & Environment
21 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
21 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
21 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
03 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
21 Sep 20231st Revision Received
22 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
22 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
25 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Oct 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Nov 20232nd Revision Received
21 Nov 2023Submission Checks Completed
21 Nov 2023Assigned to Editor