Neo-functionalization of a Teosinte branched 1 homologue mediates adaptations of upland rice

Jun Lyu, Liyu Huang, Shilai Zhang, Yesheng Zhang, Weiming He, Peng Zeng, Yan Zeng, Guangfu Huang, Jing Zhang, Min Ning, Yachong Bao, Shilei Zhao, Qi Fu, Len J. Wade (), Hua Chen (), Wen Wang () and Fengyi Hu ()
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Jun Lyu: Yunnan University
Liyu Huang: Yunnan University
Shilai Zhang: Yunnan University
Yesheng Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Weiming He: Yunnan University
Peng Zeng: University of Macau
Yan Zeng: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guangfu Huang: Yunnan University
Jing Zhang: Yunnan University
Min Ning: Yunnan University
Yachong Bao: Yunnan University
Shilei Zhao: Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qi Fu: Yunnan University
Len J. Wade: The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences
Hua Chen: Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wen Wang: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fengyi Hu: Yunnan University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract The rice orthologue of maize domestication gene Teosinte branched 1 (Tb1) affects tillering. But, unlike maize Tb1 gene, it was not selected during domestication. Here, we report that an OsTb1 duplicate gene (OsTb2) has been artificially selected during upland rice adaptation and that natural variation in OsTb2 is associated with tiller number. Interestingly, transgenic rice overexpressing this gene shows increased rather than decreased tillering, suggesting that OsTb2 gains a regulatory effect opposite to that of OsTb1 following duplication. Functional analyses suggest that the OsTb2 protein positively regulates tillering by interacting with the homologous OsTb1 protein and counteracts the inhibitory effect of OsTb1 on tillering. We further characterize two functional variations within OsTb2 that regulate protein function and gene expression, respectively. These results not only present an example of neo-functionalization that generates an opposite function following duplication but also suggest that the Tb1 homologue has been selected in upland rice.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14264-1

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