Natural variation of STKc_GSK3 kinase TaSG-D1 contributes to heat stress tolerance in Indian dwarf wheat

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 2097
• Main Authors: Cao, Jie, Qin, Zhen, Cui, Guangxian, Chen, Zhaoyan, Cheng, Xuejiao, Peng, Huiru, Yao, Yingyin, Hu, Zhaorong, Guo, Weilong, Ni, Zhongfu, Sun, Qixin, Xin, Mingming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 07-03-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/44; 38/88; 38/90; 38/91; 631/208/8; 631/449/1870; 631/449/2661/2663; 631/449/711; 82/58; 82/80; 82/83; China; Cloning; Cultivars; Germplasm; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 - genetics; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 - metabolism; Heat stress; Heat tolerance; Heat-Shock Response - genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Kinases; Molecular modelling; multidisciplinary; Phosphorylation; Plant breeding; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Selective breeding; Temperature effects; Temperature tolerance; Thermotolerance - genetics; Triticum - physiology; Triticum sphaerococcum; Variation; Wheat; China
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46419-0

Heat stress threatens global wheat (
Triticum aestivum
) production, causing dramatic yield losses worldwide. Identifying heat tolerance genes and comprehending molecular mechanisms are essential. Here, we identify a heat tolerance gene,
TaSG-D1
E286K
, in Indian dwarf wheat (
Triticum sphaerococcum
), which encodes an STKc_GSK3 kinase.
TaSG-D1
E286K
improves heat tolerance compared to
TaSG-D1
by enhancing phosphorylation and stability of downstream target TaPIF4 under heat stress condition. Additionally, we reveal evolutionary footprints of
TaPIF4
during wheat selective breeding in China, that is, InDels predominantly occur in the
TaPIF4
promoter of Chinese modern wheat cultivars and result in decreased expression level of
TaPIF4
in response to heat stress. These sequence variations with negative effect on heat tolerance are mainly introduced from European germplasm. Our study provides insight into heat stress response mechanisms and proposes a potential strategy to improve wheat heat tolerance in future.
Indian dwarf wheat (
Triticum sphaerococcum
) is thermotolerant, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, the authors report the cloning of the heat tolerance gene encoding a STKc_GSK3 kinase and its variation affects phosphorylation level of downstream TaPIF4 in determining thermotolerance.