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Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield

Received: 12 November 2018     Accepted: 3 December 2018     Published: 10 January 2019
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Abstract

The rate of leaf starch biosynthesis impacts overall plant growth and yield. Overexpression of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), the rate limiting enzyme in the starch pathway, has led to increased plant growth in multiple species. Our goal here was to identify and test transcription factors that themselves upregulate starch biosynthetic genes. To accomplish this objective, we examined rice genes upregulated in response to overexpression of leaf AGPase, and identified the transcription factor (TF) WRKY76 as a potential regulator of the rice leaf starch biosynthesis pathway. Overexpression of WRKY76 in rice (Oyrza sativa) leaves led to a 27% increase in plant growth and seed yield. The enhanced productivity phenotype in rice overexpressing WRKY76 was associated with a 40% increase in leaf starch levels at one month after planting and at anthesis. This was accompanied by a 16% increase in photosynthetic rate and 20% increase in net carbon metabolism, indicating that WRKY76 positively regulates leaf starch biosynthesis and carbon metabolism. Interestingly, increased expression of WRKY76 led to changes in expression of other WRKY TFs, indicating that the mechanism by which WRKY76 regulates starch biosynthesis involves a complicated regulatory network. This research indicates that WRKY76 directly increases expression of genes involved in leaf starch biosynthesis.

Published in Journal of Plant Sciences (Volume 6, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11
Page(s) 185-197
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

ADP-glucose Pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), Photosynthesis, Starch, Transcription Factor (TF), WRKY, Yield

References
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    Alanna Jane Oiestad, Hannah Margaret Turner, Brian Stuart Beecher, John Munson Martin, Michael Joseph Giroux. (2019). Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield. Journal of Plant Sciences, 6(6), 185-197. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11

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    ACS Style

    Alanna Jane Oiestad; Hannah Margaret Turner; Brian Stuart Beecher; John Munson Martin; Michael Joseph Giroux. Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield. J. Plant Sci. 2019, 6(6), 185-197. doi: 10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11

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    AMA Style

    Alanna Jane Oiestad, Hannah Margaret Turner, Brian Stuart Beecher, John Munson Martin, Michael Joseph Giroux. Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield. J Plant Sci. 2019;6(6):185-197. doi: 10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11,
      author = {Alanna Jane Oiestad and Hannah Margaret Turner and Brian Stuart Beecher and John Munson Martin and Michael Joseph Giroux},
      title = {Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield},
      journal = {Journal of Plant Sciences},
      volume = {6},
      number = {6},
      pages = {185-197},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jps.20180606.11},
      abstract = {The rate of leaf starch biosynthesis impacts overall plant growth and yield. Overexpression of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), the rate limiting enzyme in the starch pathway, has led to increased plant growth in multiple species. Our goal here was to identify and test transcription factors that themselves upregulate starch biosynthetic genes. To accomplish this objective, we examined rice genes upregulated in response to overexpression of leaf AGPase, and identified the transcription factor (TF) WRKY76 as a potential regulator of the rice leaf starch biosynthesis pathway. Overexpression of WRKY76 in rice (Oyrza sativa) leaves led to a 27% increase in plant growth and seed yield. The enhanced productivity phenotype in rice overexpressing WRKY76 was associated with a 40% increase in leaf starch levels at one month after planting and at anthesis. This was accompanied by a 16% increase in photosynthetic rate and 20% increase in net carbon metabolism, indicating that WRKY76 positively regulates leaf starch biosynthesis and carbon metabolism. Interestingly, increased expression of WRKY76 led to changes in expression of other WRKY TFs, indicating that the mechanism by which WRKY76 regulates starch biosynthesis involves a complicated regulatory network. This research indicates that WRKY76 directly increases expression of genes involved in leaf starch biosynthesis.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Overexpression of Transcription Factor WRKY76 in Rice Leaves Leads to Increased Photosynthesis and Plant Yield
    AU  - Alanna Jane Oiestad
    AU  - Hannah Margaret Turner
    AU  - Brian Stuart Beecher
    AU  - John Munson Martin
    AU  - Michael Joseph Giroux
    Y1  - 2019/01/10
    PY  - 2019
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11
    T2  - Journal of Plant Sciences
    JF  - Journal of Plant Sciences
    JO  - Journal of Plant Sciences
    SP  - 185
    EP  - 197
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2331-0731
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jps.20180606.11
    AB  - The rate of leaf starch biosynthesis impacts overall plant growth and yield. Overexpression of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), the rate limiting enzyme in the starch pathway, has led to increased plant growth in multiple species. Our goal here was to identify and test transcription factors that themselves upregulate starch biosynthetic genes. To accomplish this objective, we examined rice genes upregulated in response to overexpression of leaf AGPase, and identified the transcription factor (TF) WRKY76 as a potential regulator of the rice leaf starch biosynthesis pathway. Overexpression of WRKY76 in rice (Oyrza sativa) leaves led to a 27% increase in plant growth and seed yield. The enhanced productivity phenotype in rice overexpressing WRKY76 was associated with a 40% increase in leaf starch levels at one month after planting and at anthesis. This was accompanied by a 16% increase in photosynthetic rate and 20% increase in net carbon metabolism, indicating that WRKY76 positively regulates leaf starch biosynthesis and carbon metabolism. Interestingly, increased expression of WRKY76 led to changes in expression of other WRKY TFs, indicating that the mechanism by which WRKY76 regulates starch biosynthesis involves a complicated regulatory network. This research indicates that WRKY76 directly increases expression of genes involved in leaf starch biosynthesis.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA

  • Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA

  • USDA-GIPSA Technology and Science Division, Kansas City, USA

  • Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA

  • Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA

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