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PvTB1, a Teosinte Branched1 Gene Homolog, Negatively Regulates Tillering in Switchgrass

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Abstract

Switchgrass belongs to the family Poaceae and genus Panicum, and is a highly versatile grass used for soil and water conservation, livestock production, and biomass production for energy conversion. Tillering plays an important role in determining the morphology of the aboveground parts and the final biomass yield of switchgrass. In this study, we first cloned and identified PvTB1, a teosinte branched1 (TB1) gene homolog in switchgrass, based on its sequence similarity with the TB1 gene, which is involved in lateral branching in maize. Similar to other TB1 genes, the PvTB1 gene encoded putative transcription factors containing a basic helix-loop-helix type of DNA-binding motif called the TCP domain. Tiller emergence and development were obviously inhibited by overexpression of PvTB1 in transgenic plants, and the mutated phenotypes could be rescued using 6-benzylaminopurine. Overexpression or suppression of PvTB1 through a transgenic approach resulted in changes in tiller number, stem height, stem diameter, and biomass yield. Taken together, our results suggest that PvTB1 negatively regulates tillering in switchgrass, presumably via its expression in axillary buds.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (31171607, 31371690).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Kaijie Xu, Yongfeng Wang, Fengli Sun, Shudong Liu & Yajun Xi

  2. Key Laboratory of Wheat Biology and Genetic Improvement on Northwestern China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Kaijie Xu, Yongfeng Wang, Fengli Sun, Shudong Liu & Yajun Xi

  3. Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Kaijie Xu, Yongfeng Wang, Fengli Sun, Shudong Liu & Yajun Xi

  4. Handan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Handan, 056001, Hebei, China

    Lili Shi

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  1. Kaijie Xu
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Correspondence to Yajun Xi.

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Xu, K., Wang, Y., Shi, L. et al. PvTB1, a Teosinte Branched1 Gene Homolog, Negatively Regulates Tillering in Switchgrass. J Plant Growth Regul 35, 44–53 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-9505-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-015-9505-x

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