What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

Recently, a research team led by Professor Wu Yuejin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered a key gene that can influence rice grain length by regulating cell proliferation, the RGL2 gene. This provides new genetic resources for high-yield breeding of rice. The related findings were recently published in Physiologia Plantarum.

High yield is one of the primary objectives in rice breeding, and grain type like grain length and width is an important agronomic trait affecting yield. Wu's team obtained this rgl2 mutant in their research, which exhibited shorter grain length without changes in grain width through physical mutagenesis.

Cytological analysis revealed that the reduction in grain length was primarily due to a decrease in cell number rather than changes in cell length. Mapping and functional analysis indicated that RGL2 encoded a keratin-associated protein (KAP), which was expressed at a higher level in the young panicle. Overexpression of RGL2 significantly increased grain length and enhanced single-plant yield by promoting cell proliferation in the grain.

Phenotypic analysis of rgl2 mutant. Credit: Cheng Weimin

Additionally, OsRGL2 interacted with the RGB1 protein, suggesting that it may positively regulate grain type and yield through the G protein signaling pathway.

• Read More