| 作者： | Boshu Li, Xinwei Jiang, Zhuangzhuang Chai, Jinxing Liu, Caixia Gao and Kunling Chen |
|---|---|
| 刊物名称： | Science China Life Sciences |
| DOI： | |
| 联系作者： | |
| 英文联系作者： | |
| 发布时间： | 2025-03-11 |
| 卷： | |
| 摘要： | The GRF4-GIF1-miR396 module serves as a crucial regulatory network across plant species, influencing cell proliferation, cell expansion, organ development, and other biological processes. GRF4 and GIF1 interact to promote plant growth, while miR396 negatively regulates GRF4 expression by targeting its mRNA, thereby modulating this growth regulatory module. Previous studies have demonstrated that elevating the endogenous GRF4 level can enhance crop grain size. In this work, we report the successful editing of the miR396 binding site in TaGRF4, disrupting post-transcriptional regulation and significantly enlarging wheat grain size. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy in both greenhouse and field conditions, with T4-line 12 showing notable improvements in grain length, width, and thousand kernel weight compared to the wild type (Grain length, grain width, and thousand kernel weight were increased by 17.8%, 3.9%, and 14.3%, respectively, compared to the wild type). This research offers a promising new avenue for enhancing wheat grain size through targeted, transgene-free genome editing, providing a potential strategy for future wheat breeding programs and even for the improvement of other cereal crops. |
