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Genetic manipulation of gibberellin metabolism in transgenic rice

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 909–913 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The 'green revolution' was fueled by the introduction of the semi-dwarf trait into cereal crop cultivars. The semi-dwarf cultivars—which respond abnormally to the plant growth hormone gibberellin (GA)—are more resistant to wind and rain damage and thus yield more grain when fertilized. To generate dwarf rice plants using a biotechnological approach, we modified the level of GA by overproduction of a GA catabolic enzyme, GA 2-oxidase. When the gene encoding GA 2-oxidase, OsGA2ox1, was constitutively expressed by the actin promoter, transgenic rice showed severe dwarfism but failed to set grain because GA is involved in both shoot elongation and reproductive development. In contrast, OsGA2ox1 ectopic expression at the site of bioactive GA synthesis in shoots under the control of the promoter of a GA biosynthesis gene, OsGA3ox2 (D18), resulted in a semi-dwarf phenotype that is normal in flowering and grain development. The stability and inheritance of these traits shows the feasibility of genetic improvement of cereal crops by modulation of GA catabolism and bioactive GA content.

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Figure 1: Pathways of GA biosynthesis.
Figure 2: Phenotype of d18 mutant.
Figure 3: Phenotype of Act:OsGA2ox1 transgenic rice.
Figure 4: Phenotype of D18:OsGA2ox1 transgenic rice.
Figure 5: Endogenous GA content.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported, in part, by the Rice Genome Project from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (IP-1010 to T.S.), by a grant-in-aid for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (11306003 to S.I.) and by a grant from the Program for Promotion of Basic Research Activities for Innovation of Biosciences of Japan (to M.M. and H.T.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Field Production Science Center, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Midoricyo, Nishi-Tokyo, 188-0002, Japan

    Tomoaki Sakamoto

  2. National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8602, Japan

    Yoichi Morinaka, Toshiaki Kayano & Hiroshi Tanaka

  3. BioResource Center, RIKEN Tsukuba Institute, 3-1-1 Koyadai, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan

    Kanako Ishiyama & Masatomo Kobayashi

  4. Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Furocyo, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan

    Hironori Itoh & Makoto Matsuoka

  5. Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Shuichi Iwahori

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  1. Tomoaki Sakamoto
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  2. Yoichi Morinaka
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Correspondence to Tomoaki Sakamoto or Hiroshi Tanaka.

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Sakamoto, T., Morinaka, Y., Ishiyama, K. et al. Genetic manipulation of gibberellin metabolism in transgenic rice. Nat Biotechnol 21, 909–913 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt847

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