AUTHOR=Huang Yong , Han Zhongmin , Cheng Niannian , Luo Meifang , Bai Xufeng , Xing Yongzhong 

TITLE=Minor Effects of 11 Dof Family Genes Contribute to the Missing Heritability of Heading Date in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.01739

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2019.01739

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>DNA binding with one finger (Dof) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors with important and diverse functions in seed germination, flowering time, and biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, haplotype-based association analysis was conducted between heading date and 30 <italic>Dof</italic> family genes in a worldwide germplasm collection. Of these, 22 <italic>Dof</italic> genes were associated with heading date. Multiple comparisons among haplotypes revealed their diverse functions in promoting and suppressing heading date under short-day (SD) and long-day (LD) conditions. They cumulatively made a considerable contribution to the missing heritability of heading date. A set of knockout mutants of 30 <italic>Dof</italic> genes generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing technology showed that 11<italic></italic> and 9 <italic>Dof</italic> genes regulated heading date under LD and SD, respectively. Phenotype measurement of mutants showed that these 11 and 9 <italic>Dof</italic> genes slightly regulated heading with effects of 2–5 days under LD and SD, respectively. Both mutant and natural variation assays indicated functional redundancy in regulating heading date among <italic>Dof</italic> family genes. Nucleotide diversity analysis suggested that most <italic>Dof</italic> genes have been subjected to selection during domestication and improvement. Beyond heading date, this set of mutants is also a good resource for evaluating the function of <italic>Dof</italic> genes in regulating stress tolerance and seed germination.</p>