OsMYB8-OsARF12/25 module fine-tunes tiller angle via auxin signaling pathway in rice

Abstract

Tiller angle is a critical determinant of rice plant architecture and significantly impacts grain yield by influencing planting density and photosynthetic efficiency. Although auxin signaling is known to affect tiller angle in rice, the detailed regulatory networks remain largely unknown. In this study, we identify OsMYB8, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, as a positive regulator of rice tiller angle. Functional analyses revealed that loss-of-function mutants of OsMYB8 exhibited reduced tiller angles and a more compact architecture, while overexpression of OsMYB8 resulted in more expanded tiller angles. Further investigations found that OsMYB8 might negatively regulate the shoot gravitropic response by disrupting asymmetric auxin distribution. At the molecular level, OsMYB8 directly binds to the promoters of two auxin response factors, OsARF12 and OsARF25, and represses their transcription. Genetic analyses confirmed that OsMYB8 acts upstream of OsARF12 and OsARF25 in regulating rice tiller angle. Our finding elucidates a previously uncharacterized OsMYB8-OsARF12/25 transcriptional module that fine-tunes auxin signaling to regulate tiller angle in rice, and offers valuable genetic targets for the optimization of rice architecture and yield potential.