Fine-tuning gibberellin improves rice alkali–thermal tolerance and yield

Shuang-Qin Guo, Ya-Xin Chen, Ya-Lin Ju, Chen-Yang Pan, Jun-Xiang Shan, Wang-Wei Ye, Nai-Qian Dong, Yi Kan, Yi-Bing Yang, Huai-Yu Zhao, Hong-Xiao Yu, Zi-Qi Lu, Jie-Jie Lei, Ben Liao, Xiao-Rui Mu, Ying-Jie Cao, Liangxing Guo, Jin Gao, Ji-Fu Zhou, Kai-Yang Yang, Hong-Xuan Lin () and Youshun Lin ()
Additional contact information
Shuang-Qin Guo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ya-Xin Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ya-Lin Ju: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chen-Yang Pan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jun-Xiang Shan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wang-Wei Ye: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Nai-Qian Dong: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yi Kan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yi-Bing Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Huai-Yu Zhao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hong-Xiao Yu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zi-Qi Lu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jie-Jie Lei: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ben Liao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiao-Rui Mu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ying-Jie Cao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Liangxing Guo: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Jin Gao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ji-Fu Zhou: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Kai-Yang Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hong-Xuan Lin: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Youshun Lin: Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Nature, 2025, vol. 639, issue 8053, 162-171

Abstract: Abstract Soil alkalinization and global warming are predicted to pose major challenges to agriculture in the future, as they continue to accelerate, markedly reducing global arable land and crop yields1,2. Therefore, strategies for future agriculture are needed to further improve globally cultivated, relatively high-yielding Green Revolution varieties (GRVs) derived from the SEMIDWARF 1 (SD1) gene3,4. Here we propose that precise regulation of the phytohormone gibberellin (GA) to optimal levels is the key to not only confer alkali–thermal tolerance to GRVs, but also to further enhance their yield. Endogenous modulation of ALKALI-THERMAL TOLERANCE 1/2 (ATT1/2), quantitative trait loci encoding GA20-oxidases or exogenous application of GA minimized rice yield loss affected by sodic soils. Mechanistically, high GA concentrations induce reactive oxygen species over-accumulation, whereas low GA concentrations repress the expression of stress-tolerance genes by means of DELLA–NGR5-mediated H3K27me3 methylation. We further showed that ATT1 induces large fluctuations in GA levels, whereas ATT2 is the ideal candidate for fine-tuning GA concentrations to appropriate levels to balance reactive oxygen species and H3K27me3 methylation to improve alkali–thermal tolerance and yield. Thus, ATT2 is expected to be a potential new post-Green Revolution gene that could be harnessed to develop and use marginal lands for sustainable agriculture in the future.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08486-7

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