Chengzhi Jiao, Xiaoming Xie, Chenyang Hao, Liyang Chen, Yuxin Xie, Vanika Garg, Li Zhao, Zihao Wang, Yuqi Zhang, Tian Li, Junjie Fu, Annapurna Chitikineni, Jian Hou, Hongxia Liu, Girish Dwivedi, Xu Liu, Jizeng Jia, Long Mao, Xiue Wang, Rudi Appels, Rajeev K. Varshney, Weilong Guo, Xueyong Zhang <<<

Abstract Inflorescence branching in the grasses controls the number of florets and hence the number of seeds. Recent data on the underlying genetics come primarily from rice and maize, although new data are accumulating in other systems as well. This review focuses on a window in developmental time from the production of primary branches by the inflorescence meristem through to the production of glumes, which indicate the transition to producing a spikelet. Several major developmental regulatory modules appear to be conserved among most or all grasses. Placement and development of primary branches are controlled by conserved auxin regulatory genes. Subtending bracts are repressed by a network including TASSELSHEATH4, and axillary branch meristems are regulated largely by signaling centers that are adjacent to but not within the meristems themselves. Gradients of SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING-like and APETALA2-like proteins and their microRNA regulators extend along the inflorescence axis and the branches, governing the transition from production of branches to production of spikelets. The relative speed of this transition determines the extent of secondary and higher order branching. This inflorescence regulatory network is modified within individual species, particularly as regards formation of secondary branches. Differences between species are caused both by modifications of gene expression and regulators and by presence or absence of critical genes. The unified networks described here may provide tools for investigating orphan crops and grasses other than the well-studied maize and rice. <<<

Qiang Ning, Yinan Jian, Yanfang Du, Yunfu Li, Xiaomeng Shen, Haitao Jia, Ran Zhao, Jimin Zhan, Fang Yang, David Jackson, Lei Liu, Zuxin Zhang <<<

AbstractMaize ear size and kernel number differ among lines, however, little is known about the molecular basis of ear length and its impact on kernel number. Here, we characterize a quantitative trait locus, qEL7, to identify a maize gene controlling ear length, flower number and fertility. qEL7 encodes 1-aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylate oxidase2 (ACO2), a gene that functions in the final step of ethylene biosynthesis and is expressed in specific domains in developing inflorescences. Confirmation of qEL7 by gene editing of ZmACO2 leads to a reduction in ethylene production in developing ears, and promotes meristem and flower development, resulting in a ~13.4% increase in grain yield per ear in hybrids lines. Our findings suggest that ethylene serves as a key signal in inflorescence development, affecting spikelet number, floral fertility, ear length and kernel number, and also provide a tool to improve grain productivity by optimizing ethylene levels in maize or in other cereals. <<<

Wenkang Chen, Lu Chen, Xuan Zhang, Ning Yang, Jianghua Guo, Min Wang, Shenghui Ji, Xiangyu Zhao, Pengfei Yin, Lichun Cai, Jing Xu, Lili Zhang, Yingjia Han, Yingni Xiao, Gen Xu, Yuebin Wang, Shuhui Wang, Sheng Wu, Fang Yang, David Jackson, Jinkui Cheng, Saihua Chen, Chuanqing Sun, Feng Qin, Feng Tian, Alisdair R. Fernie, Jiansheng Li, Jianbing Yan, Xiaohong Yang <<<

A better understanding of the extent of convergent selection among crops could greatly improve breeding programs. We found that the quantitative trait locus KRN2 in maize and its rice ortholog, OsKRN2 , experienced convergent selection. These orthologs encode WD40 proteins and interact with a gene of unknown function, DUF1644, to negatively regulate grain number in both crops. Knockout of KRN2 in maize or OsKRN2 in rice increased grain yield by ~10% and ~8%, respectively, with no apparent trade-offs in other agronomic traits. Furthermore, genome-wide scans identified 490 pairs of orthologous genes that underwent convergent selection during maize and rice evolution, and these were enriched for two shared molecular pathways. KRN2 , together with other convergently selected genes, provides an excellent target for future crop improvement. <<<

Iron (Fe) deficiency remains widespread among people in developing countries. To help solve this problem, breeders have been attempting to develop maize cultivars with high yields and high Fe concentrations in the kernels. We conducted a genome-wide association study and identified a gene, (), that regulates Fe concentrations in maize kernels. We cultivated maize varieties with both high yield and high Fe concentrations in their kernels by using a molecular marker developed from a 42-base pair insertion or deletion (indel) in the promoter of . expression is enriched in the basal endosperm transfer layer of kernels, and the ZmNAC78 protein directly regulates messenger RNA abundance of Fe transporters. Our results thus provide an approach to develop maize varieties with Fe-enriched kernels. <<<

Jinge Tian, Chenglong Wang, Fengyi Chen, Wenchao Qin, Hong Yang, Sihang Zhao, Jinliang Xia, Xian Du, Yifan Zhu, Lishuan Wu, Yan Cao, Hong Li, Junhong Zhuang, Shaojiang Chen, Huayuan Zhang, Qiuyue Chen, Mingcai Zhang, Xing Wang Deng, Dezhi Deng, Jigang Li, Feng Tian <<<

Increasing planting density is a key strategy to enhance maize yields. An ideotype for dense planting requires a 'smart canopy' with leaf angles at different canopy layers differentially optimized to maximize light interception and photosynthesis, amongst other features. Here, we identified leaf angle architecture of smart canopy 1 (lac1), a natural mutant possessing upright upper leaves, less erect middle leaves and relatively flat lower leaves. lac1 has improved photosynthetic capacity and weakened shade-avoidance responses under dense planting. lac1 encodes a brassinosteroid C-22 hydroxylase that predominantly regulates upper leaf angle. Phytochrome A photoreceptors accumulate in shade and interact with the transcription factor RAVL1 to promote its degradation via the 26S proteasome, thereby attenuating RAVL1 activation of lac1 and reducing brassinosteroid levels. This ultimately decreases upper leaf angle in dense fields. Large-scale field trials demonstrate lac1 boosts maize yields under high densities. To quickly introduce lac1 into breeding germplasm, we transformed a haploid inducer and recovered homozygous lac1 edits from 20 diverse inbred lines. The tested doubled haploids uniformly acquired smart-canopy-like plant architecture. We provide an important target and an accelerated strategy for developing high-density-tolerant cultivars, with lac1 serving as a genetic chassis for further engineering of a smart canopy in maize. <<<

Genome duplication (generating polyploids) is an engine of novelty in eukaryotic evolution and a promising crop improvement tool. Yet newly formed polyploids often have low fertility. Here we report that a severe fertility-compromising defect in pollen tube tip growth arises in new polyploids of . Pollen tubes of newly polyploid grow slowly, have aberrant anatomy and disrupted physiology, often burst prematurely, and have altered gene expression. These phenotypes recover in evolved polyploids. We also show that gametophytic (pollen tube) genotypes of two tip-growth genes under selection in natural tetraploid are strongly associated with pollen tube performance in the tetraploid. Our work establishes pollen tube tip growth as an important fertility challenge for neo-polyploid plants and provides insights into a naturally evolved multigenic solution. <<<

Although originally primarily a system for functional biology, Arabidopsis thaliana has, owing to its broad geographical distribution and adaptation to diverse environments, developed into a powerful model in population genomics. Here we present chromosome-level genome assemblies of 69 accessions from a global species range. We found that genomic colinearity is very conserved, even among geographically and genetically distant accessions. Along chromosome arms, megabase-scale rearrangements are rare and typically present only in a single accession. This indicates that the karyotype is quasi-fixed and that rearrangements in chromosome arms are counter-selected. Centromeric regions display higher structural dynamics, and divergences in core centromeres account for most of the genome size variations. Pan-genome analyses uncovered 32,986 distinct gene families, 60% being present in all accessions and 40% appearing to be dispensable, including 18% private to a single accession, indicating unexplored genic diversity. These 69 new Arabidopsis thaliana genome assemblies will empower future genetic research. <<<

Xuelei Lin, Yongxin Xu, Dongzhi Wang, Yiman Yang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Xiaomin Bie, Lixuan Gui, Zhongxu Chen, Yiliang Ding, Long Mao, Xueyong Zhang, Fei Lu, Xiansheng Zhang, Cristobal Uauy, Xiangdong Fu, Jun Xiao <<<

The spike architecture of wheat plays a crucial role in determining grain number, making it a key trait for optimization in wheat breeding programs. In this study, we used a multi-omic approach to analyze the transcriptome and epigenome profiles of the young spike at eight developmental stages, revealing coordinated changes in chromatin accessibility and H3K27me3 abundance during the flowering transition. We constructed a core transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) that drives wheat spike formation and experimentally validated a multi-layer regulatory module involving TaSPL15, TaAGLG1, and TaFUL2. By integrating the TRN with genome-wide association studies, we identified 227 transcription factors, including 42 with known functions and 185 with unknown functions. Further investigation of 61 novel transcription factors using multiple homozygous mutant lines revealed 36 transcription factors that regulate spike architecture or flowering time, such as TaMYC2-A1, TaMYB30-A1, and TaWRKY37-A1. Of particular interest, TaMYB30-A1, downstream of and repressed by WFZP, was found to regulate fertile spikelet number. Notably, the excellent haplotype of TaMYB30-A1, which contains a C allele at the WFZP binding site, was enriched during wheat breeding improvement in China, leading to improved agronomic traits. Finally, we constructed a free and open access Wheat Spike Multi-Omic Database (http://39.98.48.156:8800/#/). Our study identifies novel and high-confidence regulators and offers an effective strategy for dissecting the genetic basis of wheat spike development, with practical value for wheat breeding. <<<

Xin Wei, Jie Qiu, Kaicheng Yong, Jiongjiong Fan, Qi Zhang, Hua Hua, Jie Liu, Qin Wang, Kenneth M Olsen, Bin Han, Xuehui Huang <<<

Extensive allelic variation in agronomically important genes serves as the basis of rice breeding. Here, we present a comprehensive map of rice quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and inferred QTN effects based on eight genome-wide association study cohorts. Population genetic analyses revealed that domestication, local adaptation and heterosis are all associated with QTN allele frequency changes. A genome navigation system, RiceNavi, was developed for QTN pyramiding and breeding route optimization, and implemented in the improvement of a widely cultivated indica variety. This work presents an efficient platform that bridges ever-increasing genomic knowledge and diverse improvement needs in rice. <<<

Xin-Min Li, Hannah Jenke, Sören Strauss, Christos Bazakos, Gabriella Mosca, Rena Lymbouridou, Daniel Kierzkowski, Ulla Neumann, Purva Naik, Peter Huijser, Stefan Laurent, Richard S Smith, Adam Runions, Miltos Tsiantis <<<

How is time encoded into organ growth and morphogenesis? We address this question by investigating heteroblasty, where leaf development and form are modified with progressing plant age. By combining morphometric analyses, fate-mapping through live-imaging, computational analyses, and genetics, we identify age-dependent changes in cell-cycle-associated growth and histogenesis that underpin leaf heteroblasty. We show that in juvenile leaves, cell proliferation competence is rapidly released in a "proliferation burst" coupled with fast growth, whereas in adult leaves, proliferative growth is sustained for longer and at a slower rate. These effects are mediated by the SPL9 transcription factor in response to inputs from both shoot age and individual leaf maturation along the proximodistal axis. SPL9 acts by activating CyclinD3 family genes, which are sufficient to bypass the requirement for SPL9 in the control of leaf shape and in heteroblastic reprogramming of cellular growth. In conclusion, we have identified a mechanism that bridges across cell, tissue, and whole-organism scales by linking cell-cycle-associated growth control to age-dependent changes in organ geometry. <<<

Luchang Ming, Debao Fu, Zhaona Wu, Hu Zhao, Xingbing Xu, Tingting Xu, Xiaohu Xiong, Mu Li, Yi Zheng, Ge Li, Ling Yang, Chunjiao Xia, Rongfang Zhou, Keyan Liao, Qian Yu, Wenqi Chai, Sijia Li, Yinmeng Liu, Xiaokun Wu, Jianquan Mao, Julong Wei, Xu Li, Lei Wang, Changyin Wu, Weibo Xie <<<

Panicle architecture is a key determinant of rice grain yield and is mainly determined at the 1-2 mm young panicle stage. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of the 1-2 mm young panicles from 275 rice varieties and identified thousands of genes whose expression levels were associated with panicle traits. Multimodel association studies suggested that many small-effect genetic loci determine spikelet per panicle (SPP) by regulating the expression of genes associated with panicle traits. We found that alleles at cis-expression quantitative trait loci of SPP-associated genes underwent positive selection, with a strong preference for alleles increasing SPP. We further developed a method that integrates the associations of cis- and trans-expression components of genes with traits to identify causal genes at even small-effect loci and construct regulatory networks. We identified 36 putative causal genes of SPP, including SDT (MIR156j) and OsMADS17, and inferred that OsMADS17 regulates SDT expression, which was experimentally validated. Our study reveals the impact of regulatory variants on rice panicle architecture and provides new insights into the gene regulatory networks of panicle traits. <<<

Chunhui Li, Honghui Guan, Xin Jing, Yaoyao Li, Baobao Wang, Yongxiang Li, Xuyang Liu, Dengfeng Zhang, Cheng Liu, Xiaoqing Xie, Haiyan Zhao, Yanbo Wang, Jingbao Liu, Panpan Zhang, Guanghui Hu, Guoliang Li, Suiyan Li, Dequan Sun, Xiaoming Wang, Yunsu Shi, Yanchun Song, Chengzhi Jiao, Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, Yu Li, Tianyu Wang, Haiyang Wang <<<

Single-cross maize hybrids display superior heterosis and are produced from crossing two parental inbred lines belonging to genetically different heterotic groups. Here we assembled 1,604 historically utilized maize inbred lines belonging to various female heterotic groups (FHGs) and male heterotic groups (MHGs), and conducted phenotyping and genomic sequencing analyses. We found that the FHGs and MHGs have undergone both convergent and divergent changes for different sets of agronomic traits. Using genome-wide selection scans and association analyses, we identified a large number of candidate genes that contributed to the improvement of agronomic traits of the FHGs and MHGs. Moreover, we observed increased genetic differentiation between the FHGs and MHGs across the breeding eras, and we found a positive correlation between increasing heterozygosity levels in the differentiated genes and heterosis in hybrids. Furthermore, we validated the function of two selected genes and a differentiated gene. This study provides insights into the genomic basis of modern hybrid maize breeding. <<<

Jizeng Jia, Guangyao Zhao, Danping Li, Kai Wang, Chuizheng Kong, Pingchuan Deng, Xueqing Yan, Xueyong Zhang, Zefu Lu, Shujuan Xu, Yuannian Jiao, Kang Chong, Xu Liu, Dangqun Cui, Guangwei Li, Yijing Zhang, Chunguang Du, Liang Wu, Tianbao Li, Dong Yan, Kehui Zhan, Feng Chen, Zhiyong Wang, Lichao Zhang, Xiuying Kong, Zhengang Ru, Daowen Wang, Lifeng Gao <<<

Despite recent progress in crop genomics studies, the genomic changes brought about by modern breeding selection are still poorly understood, thus hampering genomics-assisted breeding, especially in polyploid crops with compound genomes such as common wheat (Triticum aestivum). In this work, we constructed genome resources for the modern elite common wheat variety Aikang 58 (AK58). Comparative genomics between AK58 and the landrace cultivar Chinese Spring (CS) shed light on genomic changes that occurred through recent varietal improvement. We also explored subgenome diploidization and divergence in common wheat and developed a homoeologous locus-based genome-wide association study (HGWAS) approach, which was more effective than single homoeolog-based GWAS in unraveling agronomic trait-associated loci. A total of 123 major HGWAS loci were detected using a genetic population derived from AK58 and CS. Elite homoeologous haplotypes (HHs), formed by combinations of subgenomic homoeologs of the associated loci, were found in both parents and progeny, and many could substantially improve wheat yield and related traits. We built a website where users can download genome assembly sequence and annotation data for AK58, perform blast analysis, and run JBrowse. Our work enriches genome resources for wheat, provides new insights into genomic changes during modern wheat improvement, and suggests that efficient mining of elite HHs can make a substantial contribution to genomics-assisted breeding in common wheat and other polyploid crops. <<<

Rujia Chen, Ning Xiao, Yue Lu, Tianyun Tao, Qianfeng Huang, Shuting Wang, Zhichao Wang, Mingli Chuan, Qing Bu, Zhou Lu, Hanyao Wang, Yanze Su, Yi Ji, Jianheng Ding, Ahmed Gharib, Huixin Liu, Yong Zhou, Shuzhu Tang, Guohua Liang, Honggen Zhang, Chuandeng Yi, Xiaoming Zheng, Zhukuan Cheng, Yang Xu, Pengcheng Li, Chenwu Xu, Jinling Huang, Aihong Li, Zefeng Yang <<<

The role of de novo evolved genes from non-coding sequences in regulating morphological differentiation between species/subspecies remains largely unknown. Here, we show that a rice de novo gene GSE9 contributes to grain shape difference between indica/xian and japonica/geng varieties. GSE9 evolves from a previous non-coding region of wild rice Oryza rufipogon through the acquisition of start codon. This gene is inherited by most japonica varieties, while the original sequence (absence of start codon, gse9) is present in majority of indica varieties. Knockout of GSE9 in japonica varieties leads to slender grains, whereas introgression to indica background results in round grains. Population evolutionary analyses reveal that gse9 and GSE9 are derived from wild rice Or-I and Or-III groups, respectively. Our findings uncover that the de novo GSE9 gene contributes to the genetic and morphological divergence between indica and japonica subspecies, and provide a target for precise manipulation of rice grain shape. <<<

Jianqing Niu, Shengwei Ma, Shusong Zheng, Chi Zhang, Yaru Lu, Yaoqi Si, Shuiquan Tian, Xiaoli Shi, Xiaolin Liu, Muhammad Kashif Naeem, Hua Sun, Yafei Hu, Huilan Wu, Yan Cui, Chunlin Chen, Wenbo Long, Yue Zhang, Mengjun Gu, Man Cui, Qiao Lu, Wenjuan Zhou, Junhua Peng, Eduard Akhunov, Fei He, Shancen Zhao, Hong-Qing Ling <<<

Breeding has dramatically changed the plant architecture of wheat (Triticum aestivum), resulting in the development of high-yielding varieties adapted to modern farming systems. However, how wheat breeding shaped the genomic architecture of this crop remains poorly understood. Here, we performed a comprehensive comparative analysis of a whole-genome resequencing panel of 355 common wheat accessions (representing diverse landraces and modern cultivars from China and the United States) at the phenotypic and genomic levels. The genetic diversity of modern wheat cultivars was clearly reduced compared to landraces. Consistent with these genetic changes, most phenotypes of cultivars from China and the United States were significantly altered. Of the 21 agronomic traits investigated, 8 showed convergent changes between the 2 countries. Moreover, of the 207 loci associated with these 21 traits, more than half overlapped with genomic regions that showed evidence of selection. The distribution of selected loci between the Chinese and American cultivars suggests that breeding for increased productivity in these 2 regions was accomplished by pyramiding both shared and region-specific variants. This work provides a framework to understand the genetic architecture of the adaptation of wheat to diverse agricultural production environments, as well as guidelines for optimizing breeding strategies to design better wheat varieties. <<<

Daiqi Wang, Hongru Wang, Xiaomei Xu, Man Wang, Yahuan Wang, Hong Chen, Fei Ping, Huanhuan Zhong, Zhengkun Mu, Wantong Xie, Xiangyu Li, Jingbin Feng, Milan Zhang, Zhilan Fan, Tifeng Yang, Junliang Zhao, Bin Liu, Ying Ruan, Guiquan Zhang, Chunlin Liu, Ziqiang Liu <<<

Understanding the evolutionary forces in speciation is a central goal in evolutionary biology. Asian cultivated rice has two subspecies, indica and japonica, but the underlying mechanism of the partial reproductive isolation between them remains obscure. Here we show a presence-absence variation (PAV) at the Se locus functions as an indica-japonica reproductive barrier by causing hybrid sterility (HS) in indica-japonica crosses. The locus comprises two adjacent genes: ORF3 encodes a sporophytic pollen killer, whereas ORF4 protects pollen in a gametophytic manner. In F of indica-japonica crosses, pollen with the japonica haplotype, which lacks the sequence containing the protective ORF4, is aborted due to the pollen-killing effect of ORF3 from indica. Evolutionary analysis suggests ORF3 is a gene associated with the Asian cultivated rice species complex, and the PAV has contributed to the reproductive isolation between the two subspecies of Asian cultivated rice. Our analyses provide perspectives on rice inter-subspecies post-zygotic isolation, and will promote efforts to overcome reproductive barriers in indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding. <<<

Long Li, Zhitao Tian, Jie Chen, Zengdong Tan, Yuting Zhang, Hu Zhao, Xiaowei Wu, Xuan Yao, Weiwei Wen, Wei Chen, Liang Guo <<<

BACKGROUND: Seed oil content is an important agronomic trait of Brassica napus (B. napus), and metabolites are considered as the bridge between genotype and phenotype for physical traits.RESULTS: Using a widely targeted metabolomics analysis in a natural population of 388 B. napus inbred lines, we quantify 2172 metabolites in mature seeds by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, in which 131 marker metabolites are identified to be correlated with seed oil content. These metabolites are then selected for further metabolite genome-wide association study and metabolite transcriptome-wide association study. Combined with weighted correlation network analysis, we construct a triple relationship network, which includes 21,000 edges and 4384 nodes among metabolites, metabolite quantitative trait loci, genes, and co-expression modules. We validate the function of BnaA03.TT4, BnaC02.TT4, and BnaC05.UK, three candidate genes predicted by multi-omics analysis, which show significant impacts on seed oil content through regulating flavonoid metabolism in B. napus.CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the advantage of utilizing marker metabolites integrated with multi-omics analysis to dissect the genetic basis of agronomic traits in crops. <<<

Development of wheat ( L) grain mainly depends on the processes of starch synthesis and storage protein accumulation, which are critical for grain yield and quality. However, the regulatory network underlying the transcriptional and physiological changes of grain development is still not clear. Here, we combined ATAC-seq and RNA-seq to discover the chromatin accessibility and gene expression dynamics during these processes. We found that the chromatin accessibility changes are tightly associated with differential transcriptomic expressions, and the proportion of distal ACRs was increased gradually during grain development. Specific transcription factor (TF) binding sites were enriched at different stages and were diversified among the 3 subgenomes. We further predicted the potential interactions between key TFs and genes related with starch and storage protein biosynthesis and found different copies of some key TFs played diversified roles. Overall, our findings have provided numerous resources and illustrated the regulatory network during wheat grain development, which would shed light on the improvement of wheat yields and qualities. <<<

Long Song, Jie Liu, Beilu Cao, Bin Liu, Xiaoping Zhang, Zhaoyan Chen, Chaoqun Dong, Xiangqing Liu, Zhaoheng Zhang, Wenxi Wang, Lingling Chai, Jing Liu, Jun Zhu, Shubin Cui, Fei He, Huiru Peng, Zhaorong Hu, Zhenqi Su, Weilong Guo, Mingming Xin, Yingyin Yao, Yong Yan, Yinming Song, Guihua Bai, Qixin Sun, Zhongfu Ni <<<

Modern green revolution varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) confer semi-dwarf and lodging-resistant plant architecture owing to the Reduced height-B1b (Rht-B1b) and Rht-D1b alleles. However, both Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are gain-of-function mutant alleles encoding gibberellin signalling repressors that stably repress plant growth and negatively affect nitrogen-use efficiency and grain filling. Therefore, the green revolution varieties of wheat harbouring Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b usually produce smaller grain and require higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs to maintain their grain yields. Here we describe a strategy to design semi-dwarf wheat varieties without the need for Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b alleles. We discovered that absence of Rht-B1 and ZnF-B (encoding a RING-type E3 ligase) through a natural deletion of a haploblock of about 500 kilobases shaped semi-dwarf plants with more compact plant architecture and substantially improved grain yield (up to 15.2%) in field trials. Further genetic analysis confirmed that the deletion of ZnF-B induced the semi-dwarf trait in the absence of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b alleles through attenuating brassinosteroid (BR) perception. ZnF acts as a BR signalling activator to facilitate proteasomal destruction of the BR signalling repressor BRI1 kinase inhibitor 1 (TaBKI1), and loss of ZnF stabilizes TaBKI1 to block BR signalling transduction. Our findings not only identified a pivotal BR signalling modulator but also provided a creative strategy to design high-yield semi-dwarf wheat varieties by manipulating the BR signal pathway to sustain wheat production. <<<