Application of OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape and heading time

By gene editing the OsSCL26 gene, the rice grain shape and heading period were regulated, which solved the difficult problems of regulating rice grain shape and heading period, improved rice yield and adaptability, and achieved optimization of grain shape and heading period.

CN116286951BActive Publication Date: 2025-09-12ZHEJIANG UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310188181.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-02-23
Publication Date
2025-09-12
Estimated Expiration
2043-02-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the existing technology, the regulation of rice grain shape and heading period has not been effectively solved, which affects rice yield and regional adaptability.

Method used

By knocking out the OsSCL26 gene through gene editing technology and using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, the grain shape and heading period of rice were regulated, resulting in longer grain length, narrower width, thinner thickness, a larger aspect ratio, and earlier heading.

Benefits of technology

It significantly improved the grain shape and heading period of rice, increased rice yield and regional adaptability, ensured that seeds mature in a suitable environment, and avoided adverse conditions.

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Abstract

The present invention discloses for the first time the new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape and the new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice heading period, laying a foundation for regulating rice grain shape, improving the quality of rice appearance and increasing rice yield.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of molecular biology, and in particular to application of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape and heading time. Background Art

[0002] Heading date (flowering time) and grain size are key traits influencing rice yield. Grain shape is determined by grain length, width, and thickness, while grain weight is largely determined by grain size. Grain shape remains a key trait for current rice breeders. The cloning of genes controlling rice grain shape not only contributes to our understanding of genetic mechanisms but also provides a theoretical foundation for current molecular marker-assisted breeding.

[0003] Heading time is an important agronomic trait closely related to rice yield, seasonality, and regional adaptability. It is primarily regulated by photoperiodic signals and endogenous flowering regulatory genes. Rice is a facultative short-day plant, with heading accelerated under short-day conditions and suppressed under long-day conditions. Rice domestication involved the selection of flowering time genes, enabling rice plants to adapt to a wide range of geographic regions.

[0004] Serine / arginine rich protein (SR) is an important component of the splicing complex. SR family protein members are highly conserved in structure, and SR proteins in humans and Arabidopsis have been studied extensively and in depth. However, the function of SR proteins in rice needs further study. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape and a new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice heading period, providing a basis for preparing rice germplasm resources with different rice grain shape traits.

[0006] The specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0007] The application of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape, the nucleotide sequence of the OsSCL26 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO.1.

[0008] Furthermore, the rice grain shape refers to the length, width, thickness, and aspect ratio of the rice.

[0009] Furthermore, the regulation approach is: knocking out the OsSCL26 gene through gene editing technology, so that the length of rice grains becomes longer, the width becomes narrower, the thickness becomes thinner, and the aspect ratio becomes larger.

[0010] Furthermore, the OsSCL26 gene regulates rice grain shape by regulating the number of cell proliferation in rice husks.

[0011] The OsSCL26 gene is used for regulating the heading time of rice. The nucleotide sequence of the OsSCL26 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO.1.

[0012] Furthermore, the regulation approach is: knocking out the OsSCL26 gene through gene editing technology to cause rice to head early.

[0013] This study reveals for the first time that the rice gene OsSCL26 (LOC_Os03g25770) regulates rice grain shape and heading date. Map-based cloning identified the OsSCL26 gene as a candidate gene for regulating rice grain shape. Sequencing and comparison of genes within this region in the wild-type Zhejiang Agricultural University 41 and mutant sgs3 revealed a C-to-T base substitution in the promoter of LOC_Os03g25770. By designing a knockout target site in the coding region of the gene OsSCL26, gene-edited strains were obtained using CRISPR / Cas9 technology. Through progeny isolation and testing, homozygous mutants without transgene insertion were obtained. Compared with the wild-type Nipponbare, the gene-edited strains exhibited significantly increased grain length, significantly reduced grain width and thickness, and a significantly increased aspect ratio, demonstrating excellent appearance quality. Furthermore, the heading date was advanced by 2 to 3 days.

[0014] However, strains overexpressing either spliceosome of the gene showed no significant changes in grain shape or heading date. Scanning electron microscopy of glumes of wild-type Nipponbare, OsSCL26-overexpressing strains, and gene-edited strains revealed a significant increase in the number of glumes of the rice seeds, while no significant decrease in individual cell length. This suggests that the OsSCL26 gene affects rice grain length by regulating cell proliferation.

[0015] Using qRT-PCR, the expression pattern of OsSCL26 was determined. OsSCL26 was expressed in various organs and tissues of Nipponbare, with higher expression in leaves and panicles and very low expression in roots and mature seeds. This finding was also confirmed by GUS staining of transgenic plants harboring the OsSCL26 promoter fused to GUS. Scanning electron microscopy results indicate that OsSCL26 regulates grain length not by affecting husk cell elongation but rather by affecting husk cell proliferation. Furthermore, OsSCL26's effect on grain width is due to its influence on cell elongation at the width level.

[0016] Grain shape traits such as grain length, width, and thickness are important traits related to rice yield and appearance quality. Genetic analysis and gene mapping of the OsSCL26 gene, which regulates rice grain shape, and research into rice development will help to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating rice grain shape. The heading date (flowering time) of rice determines the distribution and regional adaptability of rice. An appropriate heading date ensures the accumulation of dry matter in the seeds and effectively avoids unfavorable grain-filling conditions. For example, early rice can avoid high temperatures during the grain-filling period, while single-season and late rice can avoid low temperatures. Therefore, grain shape and heading date regulated by OsSCL26 are crucial for ensuring high and stable rice yields.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The present invention discloses for the first time the new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice grain shape and the new use of the OsSCL26 gene in regulating rice heading period, laying a foundation for regulating rice grain shape, improving the quality of rice appearance and increasing rice yield. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Comparison of the traits of the wild type and mutant sgs3;

[0020] A: Grain shape of the wild type and mutant sgs3. B: Brown rice morphology of the wild type and mutant sgs3 at 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 17 days after flowering. The left image at each stage is the wild type and the right image is the mutant sgs3. Scale bar: 1 mm. CF: Comparison of grain length, grain width, grain thickness, and aspect ratio (GL / GW) of the wild type and mutant sgs3. G: Mature main panicle of the wild type and mutant sgs3. Scale bar: 2 cm. HI: Mature and heading plants of the wild type and mutant sgs3. Scale bar: 10 cm. J: Comparison of heading date between the wild type and mutant sgs3. KL: Scanning electron micrographs of glume epidermal cells and glume parenchyma cells of the wild type and mutant sgs3. Scale bar: 10 μm. MR: Cell length, cell width, cell size, and cell number of the glumes of the wild type and mutant sgs3. **: Significant difference at the 0.01 level; t-test.

[0021] Figure 2are the starch content and net photosynthetic rate in the leaf sheaths of the wild type and mutant sgs3;

[0022] A: Starch content in leaf sheaths before grain filling of wild type and mutant sgs3. BC: Net photosynthetic rate of leaves 5 and 10 days after anthesis of wild type and mutant sgs3.

[0023] Figure 3 For the location of the OsSCL26 gene;

[0024] AD: Polymorphisms of molecular markers 3M17, M3M5, 3ML17, and 3ML30 among P1, P2, the mutant pool, and the non-mutant pool. E: Segregation verification of molecular marker 3ML17 among 12 slender-grained plants and non-slender-grained plants. F: Segregation verification of molecular marker 3ML30 among 12 slender-grained plants and non-slender-grained plants. P1: female parent; P2: male parent; M: slender-grained plant; W: non-slender-grained plant.

[0025] Figure 4 For the localization and gene expression analysis of OsSCL26;

[0026] A: OsSCL26 was initially mapped between molecular markers 3M17 and M3M5 on rice chromosome 3. B: OsSCL26 was finely mapped within a 77.1 kb interval between molecular markers 3ML30 and 3ML17. C: This interval contains 10 candidate genes. D: Schematic diagram of the structure of candidate gene LOC_Os03g25770, with the red arrow indicating the mutation site. E: Sequence alignment of the wild type and mutant sgs3. F: Differential expression analysis of OsSCL26 between the wild type and mutant sgs3. R1, S1, L1: roots, stems, and leaves at the seedling stage, respectively; R2, S2, L2: roots, stems, and leaves at the pre-heading stage, respectively; R3, S3, L3: roots, stems, and leaves after heading, respectively; P3, P5, P10, P20: panicles 3, 5, 10, and 20 days after heading, respectively. Relative expression level: Relative expression level. **: Significant difference at the 0.01 level; t-test.

[0027] Figure 5 Relative expression analysis of promoter-fused GUS and OsSCL26;

[0028] A: Glumes, pistils, and stamens of Nipponbare before pollination. BH: Glumes and grains at 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 17, and 21 days after pollination. I: Root. J: Stem. K: Leaf. Scale bar, 1 cm. L: Relative expression levels of OsSCL26 in roots, stems, and leaves of Nipponbare, as measured by qRT-PCR, and at 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 17, and 21 days after fertilization (DAF). OsActin1 was used as a reference gene. All measurements are the means of three biological replicates.

[0029] Figure 6 The grain shape and heading phenotypes of Nipponbare, gene-edited lines, and overexpression lines;

[0030] A: Mutation site information for the gene-edited lines scl26-1 and scl26-2. Numbers indicate the ATG start position. Red arrows indicate base insertions, red hollow arrows indicate base deletions, and red inverted T symbols indicate premature stop codons. B: Expression of the OsSCL26 gene in the OsSCL26 overexpression lines. Relative expression level: relative expression level. C: Comparison of grain shape among Nip, scl26-1, scl26-2, OE1-1, OE1-2, OE2-1, and OE2-2. Scale bar: 1 cm. DG: Comparison of grain length, width, thickness, and aspect ratio (GL / GW) among Nip, scl26-1, scl26-2, OE1-1, OE1-2, OE2-1, and OE2-2. HI: Comparison of heading phenotypes and heading dates of Nip, scl26-1, scl26-2, OE1-1, OE1-2, OE2-1, and OE2-2. Arrows indicate ears. Scale bar, 10 cm. Nip stands for Nipponbare; scl26-1 and scl26-2 are gene-edited lines for OsSCL26; OE1-1 and OE1-2 are lines overexpressing the OsSCL26.1 spliceosome; OE2-1 and OE2-2 are lines overexpressing the OsSCL26.2 spliceosome. **: Significant difference at the 0.01 level; t-test.

[0031] Figure 7 Scanning electron microscopy analysis of grain morphology of OsSCL26 transgenic lines;

[0032] A: Scanning electron micrographs of mature seeds of Nip, OE1, OE2, and scl26. Scale bar: 1 mm. B: Scanning electron micrographs of glume epidermal cells of Nip, OE1, OE2, and scl26. Scale bar: 100 μm. CE: Cell length, cell width, and cell number of glume epidermal cells of Nip, OE1, OE2, and scl26. Nip: Nipponbare; OE1 is an overexpression line of the OsSCL26.1 spliceosome; OE2 is an overexpression line of the OsSCL26.2 spliceosome; scl26 is a gene-edited line of OsSCL26. **: Significant difference at the 0.01 level; *: Significant difference at the 0.05 level; ns: no significance; t-test. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0034] Example 1 Phenotypic analysis of mutant sgs3

[0035] The mutant sgs3 is a slender grain mutant obtained by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis in the indica rice variety Zhenong 41, and the slender grain trait of the mutant sgs3 can be stably inherited.

[0036] Compared with the wild type Zhenong 41, the mutant sgs3 showed significant changes in grain length, width and thickness, with grain length increasing by 22.14%, grain width decreasing by 23.90%, and grain thickness decreasing by 8.26%. The length-to-width ratio increased by 60.15%, and the thousand-grain weight decreased by 8.79% (Table 1, Figure 1 AF).

[0037] 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 10 days, 15 days and 17 days after rice flowering, 10 grains of wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3 were obtained during grain filling. After peeling the husks, the morphology of brown rice of wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3 during grain filling was observed and analyzed. The results showed that within 3 days after flowering, there were differences in the growth and development of wild-type and mutant sgs3. The length of brown rice of wild-type basically reached its peak after 10 days of flowering. Thereafter, the brown rice of wild-type mainly grew horizontally, and the width of brown rice reached its peak after 15 days of flowering. While mutant sgs3 mainly grew vertically after 5 days of flowering, and the length of brown rice reached its peak after 10 days of flowering, and the width of brown rice reached its peak after 10 days of flowering. The shape of brown rice of wild-type and mutant sgs3 was obviously different after 7 days of flowering, and this difference was maintained until grain maturity ( Figure 1 B).

[0038] In addition, compared with the wild type Zhe Nong 41, the heading time, plant height and ear length of the mutant sgs3 were significantly changed. The heading time was advanced by about 7 days, the plant height decreased by 7.71%, and the ear length increased by 10.06% ( Figure 1 GJ, Table 1 ).

[0039] Examination of other agronomic traits of wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3 revealed that while the mutant sgs3 showed no significant differences in effective ear number and main ear seed set rate compared to the wild type, the mutant sgs3 exhibited significantly increased main ear length, main ear grain number, primary and secondary branch number, and yield per plant compared to the wild type (Table 1). This suggests that the increase in yield per plant is due to an increase in grain number per ear.

[0040] Table 1 Comparison of agronomic traits between wild type and mutant sgs3

[0041]

[0042] **: significant difference at the 0.01 level, t test.

[0043] The spikelets before flowering were taken and their glume epidermal cells were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Compared with the wild type Zhenong 41, the glume epidermal cells of the mutant sgs3 did not show obvious changes ( Figure 1 K).

[0044] By analyzing the paraffin sections of spikelet cross sections, we found that although there was no significant difference in the length of the thin wall cells of the glumes between the mutant sgs3 and the wild type Zhe Nong 41, the width of the thin wall cells of the glumes of the mutant sgs3 was significantly smaller than that of the wild type, resulting in a significant reduction in the size of the thin wall cells ( Figure 1 The number of thin-walled cells in the glumes of wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3 was statistically analyzed. 2 The number of thin-walled cells in the mutant sgs3 was significantly greater than that in the wild type, and the increase was mainly in the longitudinal direction ( Figure 1 L, R).

[0045] In summary, it is speculated that the difference in grain shape between the mutant sgs3 and the wild type Zhe Nong 41 may be caused by changes in the size and number of thin-walled cells in the glume, resulting in an increase in the number of glume cells. Therefore, it is speculated that the OsSCL26 gene may regulate rice grain shape by regulating cell proliferation in rice glume.

[0046] The starch content in the leaf sheaths before grain filling was determined. The results showed that there was no significant difference in starch content between the wild type Zhenong 41 and the mutant sgs3 ( Figure 2A). At the same time, the net photosynthetic rate of leaves was measured 5 days after flowering and 10 days after flowering. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the net photosynthetic rate between the wild type Zhenong 41 and the mutant sgs3 ( Figure 2 BC).

[0047] In summary, the results indicate that there were no significant differences in dry matter accumulation before grain filling or dry matter synthesis during grain filling between wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3. This is consistent with the finding that there were no significant differences in thousand-grain weight and brown rice dry weight between wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3.

[0048] Example 2 Genetic Analysis and Gene Mapping of Mutant sgs3

[0049] The mutant sgs3 was crossed with the wild-type Zhe Nong 41 to obtain an F1 population, which was then self-pollinated to obtain an F2 population. A statistical analysis was conducted on the number of slender and non-slender-grained plants in the F2 population. The results showed that among the 446 plants in the F2 population, 325 plants had non-slender grains and 121 had slender grains. The chi-square test showed that this segregation ratio conformed to Mendel's 3:1 segregation ratio (χ 2 =0.97<χ 2 0.05 =3.84, n=446), indicating that the slender grain trait of mutant sgs3 is controlled by a pair of recessive nuclear genes.

[0050] Using approximately 300 pairs of SSR and InDel molecular markers randomly distributed on 12 rice chromosomes and polymorphic in Zhe Nong 41 (indica rice) and Zhe Nong Da 104 (japonica rice), polymorphism screening was performed using the BSA method (segregating population grouping and mixed analysis method) to identify linked markers. The results showed that molecular markers 3M17 and M3M5 located at the long arm end of chromosome 3 were polymorphic between the mutant pool and the non-mutant pool ( Figure 3 AB), the initial positioning results showed that molecular markers 3M17 and M3M5 were linked to the target gene ( Figure 4 A). To further narrow the localization interval, polymorphic primers were designed within the molecular markers 3M17 and M3M5 using Primer 5.0 and NCBI software. The newly designed polymorphic primers were validated using DNA from 12 slender-grained and non-slender-grained individual plants ( Figure 3 After verifying the availability of primers, 556 individual plants with slender grain phenotype in the F2 population were used for fine mapping, and the target gene was finally located between the molecular markers 3ML17 and 3ML30 with a physical distance of 77.1 kb ( Figure 4 B) According to the annotations in the rice genome annotation database, there are 10 annotated genes in this interval ( Figure 4C), but none of these genes have been reported to be associated with grain shape. Sequencing of the genes within the target region revealed that compared with the wild-type Zhenong 41, the mutant sgs3 had a base substitution at the promoter 2029 bp upstream of the start codon of LOC_Os03g25770, from C to T ( Figure 4 Therefore, LOC_Os03g25770 was speculated to be a candidate gene controlling the grain shape.

[0051] LOC_Os03g25770 consists of six exons and five introns. It has two spliceosomes. The CDS sequence of the first spliceosome is 657 bp long and encodes 218 amino acids. The CDS sequence of the second spliceosome is 654 bp long and encodes 217 amino acids. LOC_Os03g25770 is annotated to encode a serine / arginine-rich SC35-like protein (SCL) containing an RNA recognition motif (RRM). It is a member of the SCL subfamily and was named OsSCL26.

[0052] In order to clarify the expression pattern of OsSCL26, qRT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression of OsSCL26 in different tissues and parts of wild-type Zhenong 41 and mutant sgs3 at different stages. The results showed that in the mutant sgs3 at the seedling stage, although the expression of OsSCL26 in stems and leaves was lower than that of the wild type, in the leaves after heading, the expression of the gene in the sgs3 mutant was higher than that of the wild type. It is possible that the difference in the expression of the gene in stems and leaves before heading led to the difference in heading time. Before heading, the expression of OsSCL26 in the stems of the mutant sgs3 was significantly reduced compared with the wild type. After 20 days after heading, the expression in the ears of the mutant was significantly higher than that of the wild type, about 2.7 times ( Figure 4 F). The above results indicate that the difference in OsSCL26 mainly leads to the change of grain shape during the late ear development period.

[0053] To further investigate the spatiotemporal expression pattern of the OsSCL26 gene, qRT-PCR analysis of OsSCL26 and staining analysis of promoter-fused GUS transgenic lines were performed. GUS staining experiments showed that no GUS signal was detected in the husks and grains before pollination, but significant GUS signals were detected on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after pollination. Figure 5 AE), where the GUS signal was strongest 1 day after pollination ( Figure 5 B), but as the grains developed, the GUS signal became weaker and weaker, and no GUS signal was detected on the husk 11 days after pollination ( Figure 5 F), no obvious GUS signal was found in the grains 17 and 21 days after pollination ( Figure 5 GH). In addition, strong GUS signals were also detected in the stems and leaves at the ear stage ( Figure 5 JK), but no obvious GUS signal was detected in roots ( Figure 5 I). Using qRT-PCR technology, the relative expression levels of the OsSCL26 gene in the roots, stems, leaves, and grains of Nipponbare on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 17, and 21 after pollination were determined. The results showed that the OsSCL26 gene was expressed in all organs and tissues of Nipponbare ( Figure 5 L), the relative expression level was low in roots, and high in leaves and stems. Higher expression levels were detected in grains on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after pollination. As the spikelets matured, the expression level of the OsSCL26 gene became lower.

[0054] Example 3 Screening and phenotypic analysis of OsSCL26 gene-edited and overexpression strains

[0055] To explore the specific function of the OsSCL26 gene, CRISPR / Cas9 technology was used to design targets in the second and fifth exons of OsSCL26, respectively. Because the indica rice variety Zhenong 41 is difficult to regenerate plants through tissue culture, the japonica rice variety Nipponbare was selected as the transgenic background material to obtain scl26 gene-edited strains. A total of 17 transgenic T0 strains were obtained. After PCR testing and SSCP screening, two positive T0 gene-edited strains were retained. Their seeds were harvested and planted to obtain T1 plants. Homozygous T1 gene-edited strains were selected through SSCP screening and sequencing.

[0056] Sequencing results showed that the homozygous gene-edited strain scl26-1 had a T insertion at the 81st base starting from ATG and a six-base deletion of CCGCTC starting from the 437th base, resulting in a premature termination codon at the 96th base; the homozygous gene-edited strain scl26-2 had an A insertion at the 81st base starting from ATG, resulting in a premature termination codon at the 96th base ( Figure 6 A).

[0057] By comparing with the Ricedata database, we found that the gene OsSCL26 has variable splicing. To study whether the expression level of OsSCL26 affects rice grain shape, we used the overexpression binary vector pUN1301 to overexpress the spliceosomes OsSCL26.1 and OsSCL26.2, and obtained overexpression lines of OsSCL26.1 and OsSCL26.2 spliceosomes in the Nipponbare background (OE1 and OE2 in the figure). Positive T0 overexpression plants were identified by PCR, and their seeds were harvested and planted to obtain T1 plants. Subsequently, plants with relatively high expression levels were screened from the T1 lines by qRT-PCR ( Figure 6 B).

[0058] Compared with Nipponbare, the gene-edited lines scl26-1 and scl26-2 showed extremely significant differences in grain length, width, thickness, and aspect ratio. Grain length increased by 10.46-11.13%, grain width narrowed by 6.59-8.38%, and grain thickness narrowed by 5.29-7.05%. The corresponding aspect ratio increased by 18.75-20.54% ( Figure 6 CG). There were no significant differences in grain length, width, thickness and aspect ratio between the OsSCL26.1 and OsSCL26.2 overexpressing lines and Nipponbare ( Figure 6 CG). The heading time of rice in gene-edited and overexpression lines was observed and the days to heading were counted. It was found that the days to heading of gene-edited lines were 1-2 days earlier than Nipponbare on average, while the days to heading of overexpression lines were not significantly different from Nipponbare ( Figure 6 Therefore, knockout of the OsSCL26 gene resulted in elongated rice grains and premature heading, indicating that the OsSCL26 gene is related to rice grain formation and heading time.

[0059] Comprehensive phenotypic analysis of overexpression lines revealed that overexpression of both spliceosomes of OsSCL26 did not affect rice grain shape and heading time, and there was no functional differentiation in the effects of the two spliceosomes on rice grain shape and heading time.

[0060] Example 4 Scanning electron microscopy analysis of grains of OsSCL26 overexpression lines and gene-edited lines

[0061] Genes regulate rice grain shape by affecting rice glume cell division and cell proliferation. To explore how OsSCL26 affects rice grain shape, grains of OsSCL26-overexpressing and gene-edited lines were observed and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The length and width of individual cells in the outer epidermis of the rice glume, as well as the total number of cells in a 300× field of view, were measured and counted.

[0062] Compared with Nipponbare, the length and width of individual cells in the glumes of the OsSCL26 overexpression strains and the number of cells were not significantly different. This result is consistent with the previous conclusion that the length and width of grains of OsSCL26 overexpression strains were not different from those of Nipponbare. However, the width of individual cells in the glumes of the OsSCL26 gene-edited strains was significantly narrower than that of individual cells in Nipponbare. There was no significant difference in the length of individual cells, but the number of cells increased significantly ( Figure 7 ).

[0063] Taken together, these results indicate that OsSCL26 regulates grain length not by affecting the elongation of rice hull cells but by affecting the proliferation of rice hull cells. In addition, the effect of OsSCL26 on grain width is due to affecting the elongation of cells at the width level.

Claims

1. OsSCL26 The application of the gene in regulating rice grain shape is characterized in that: described OsSCL26 The nucleotide sequence of the gene is shown in SEQ ID NO.1; the regulatory approach is: knocking out by gene editing technology OsSCL26 Genes that make rice grains longer, narrower, thinner, and with a larger aspect ratio.

2. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that described OsSCL26 Genes regulate rice grain shape by regulating the number of cell proliferation in rice glume.

3. OsSCL26 The application of the gene in regulating the heading period of rice is characterized in that: described OsSCL26 The nucleotide sequence of the gene is shown in SEQ ID NO.1; the regulatory approach is: knocking out by gene editing technology OsSCL26 Gene that causes rice to head early.