The TaWAK2-TaNAL1-TaDST pathway regulates leaf width via cytokinin signaling in wheat.

Abstract

Leaves play a crucial role in photosynthesis and respiration, ultimately affecting the final grain yield of crops, including wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat leaf development remain largely unknown. Here, we isolated a narrow-leaf gene, <i>TaWAK2-A</i>, through a map-based cloning strategy. <i>TaWAK2-A</i> encodes a wall-associated kinase (WAK), for which a single Ala-to-Val amino acid substitution reduces the protein stability, leading to a narrow-leaf phenotype in wheat. Further investigation suggests that TaWAK2 directly interacts with and phosphorylates TaNAL1, a trypsin-like serine/cysteine protease. The phosphorylated TaNAL1 is then involved in the degradation of the zinc finger transcription factor TaDST, which acts as a repressor of leaf expansion by activating the expression of the cytokinin oxidase gene <i>TaCKX9</i> and triggering in vivo cytokinin degradation. Therefore, our findings elucidate a signaling cascade involving TaWAK2-TaNAL1-TaDST that sheds light on the regulation of wheat leaf development.