AUTHOR=Shi Ji , Tong Yiping 

TITLE=TaLAMP1 Plays Key Roles in Plant Architecture and Yield Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer in Wheat

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.598015

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2020.598015

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Understanding the molecular mechanisms in wheat response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer will help us to breed wheat varieties with improved yield and N use efficiency. Here, we cloned <italic>TaLAMP1-3A</italic>, <italic>-3B</italic>, and <italic>-3D</italic>, which were upregulated in roots and shoots of wheat by low N availability. In a hydroponic culture, lateral root length and N uptake were decreased in both overexpression and knockdown of <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> at the seedling stage. In the field experiment with normal N supply, the grain yield of overexpression of <italic>TaLAMP1-3B</italic> is significantly reduced (14.5%), and the knockdown of <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> was significantly reduced (15.5%). The grain number per spike of overexpression of <italic>TaLAMP1-3B</italic> was significantly increased (7.2%), but the spike number was significantly reduced (19.2%) compared with wild type (WT), although the grain number per spike of knockdown of <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> was significantly decreased (15.3%), with no difference in the spike number compared with WT. Combined with the agronomic data from the field experiment of normal N and low N, both overexpression and knockdown of <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> inhibited yield response to N fertilizer. Overexpressing <italic>TaLAMP1-3B</italic> greatly increased grain N concentration with no significant detrimental effect on grain yield under low N conditions; TaLAMP1-3 <italic>B</italic> is therefore valuable in engineering wheat for low input agriculture. These results suggested that <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> is critical for wheat adaptation to N availability and in shaping plant architecture by regulating spike number per plant and grain number per spike. Optimizing <italic>TaLAMP1</italic> expression may facilitate wheat breeding with improved yield, grain N concentration, and yield responses to N fertilizer.</p>