Natural variation in SSW1 coordinates seed growth and nitrogen use efficiency in Arabidopsis
Shan Jiang,
Ximing Jin,
Zebin Liu,
Ran Xu,
Congcong Hou,
Fengxia Zhang,
Chengming Fan,
Huilan Wu,
Tianyan Chen,
Jianghua Shi,
Zanmin Hu,
Guodong Wang,
Sheng Teng,
Legong Li,
Yunhai Li
Affiliations
Shan Jiang
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Ximing Jin
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Zebin Liu
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Ran Xu
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Congcong Hou
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Fengxia Zhang
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Chengming Fan
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Huilan Wu
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Tianyan Chen
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Jianghua Shi
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China
Zanmin Hu
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Guodong Wang
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
Sheng Teng
Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Environmental Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Legong Li
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Yunhai Li
Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Seed size is controlled not only by intrinsic genetic factors but also by external environmental signals. Here, we report a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) gene for seed size and weight on chromosome 1 (SSW1) in Arabidopsis, and we found SSW1 acts maternally to positively regulate seed size. Natural variation in SSW1 contains three types of alleles. The SSW1Cvi allele produces larger seeds with more amino acid and storage protein contents than the SSW1Ler allele. SSW1Cvi displays higher capacity for amino acid transport than SSW1Ler due to the differences in transport efficiency. Under low nitrogen supply, the SSW1Cvi allele exhibits increased seed yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Locations of natural variation alleles of SSW1 are associated with local soil nitrogen contents, suggesting that SSW1 might contribute to geographical adaptation in Arabidopsis. Thus, our findings reveal a mechanism that coordinates seed growth and NUE, suggesting a potential target for improving seed yield and NUE in crops.
