UDP-glucosyltransferase regulates grain size and abiotic stress tolerance associated with metabolic flux redirection in rice

Grain size is an important component trait of grain yield, which is frequently threatened by abiotic stress. However, little is known about how grain yield and abiotic stress tolerance are regulated. Here, we characterize GSA1 , a quantitative trait locus (QTL) regulating grain size and abiotic stress tolerance associated with metabolic flux redirection. GSA1 encodes a UDP-glucosyltransferase, which exhibits glucosyltransferase activity toward flavonoids and monolignols. GSA1 regulates grain size by modulating cell proliferation and expansion, which are regulated by flavonoid-mediated auxin levels and related gene expression. GSA1 is required for the redirection of metabolic flux from lignin biosynthesis to flavonoid biosynthesis under abiotic stress and the accumulation of flavonoid glycosides, which protect rice against abiotic stress. GSA1 overexpression results in larger grains and enhanced abiotic stress tolerance. Our findings provide insights into the regulation of grain size and abiotic stress tolerance associated with metabolic flux redirection and a potential means to improve crops. Increasing grain yield needs to be put in the context of environmental stress. Here, the authors reveal that a UDP-glucosyltransferase is associated with regulation of rice grain size, abiotic stress tolerance, flavonoid-mediated auxin signaling, and redirection of carbon flux to flavonoid glycosides synthesis.

• Publication year

  2020

• Venue

  Nature Communications

• Publication date

  2020-05-26

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-16403-5PMID 32457405PMCID 7250897
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• TILLERING AND SMALL GRAIN 1 dominates the tryptophan aminotransferase family required for local auxin biosynthesis in rice.

  2020cited by this paper
• Determining factors, regulation system, and domestication of anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves.

  2019cited by this paper
• Molecular Networks of Seed Size Control in Plants.

  2019cited by this paper
• The Structure and Function of Major Plant Metabolite Modifications.

  2019cited by this paper
• Rice sulfoquinovosyltransferase SQD2.1 mediates flavonoid glycosylation and enhances tolerance to osmotic stress.

  2019cited by this paper
• Interactive Tree Of Life (iTOL) v4: recent updates and new developments

  2019cited by this paper
• Regulation of Lignin Biosynthesis and Its Role in Growth-Defense Tradeoffs

  2018cited by this paper
• The C–S–A gene system regulates hull pigmentation and reveals evolution of anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in rice

  2018cited by this paper
• G-protein βγ subunits determine grain size through interaction with MADS-domain transcription factors in rice

  2018cited by this paper
• Diterpenoid UDP-Glycosyltransferases from Chinese Sweet Tea and Ashitaba Complete the Biosynthesis of Rubusoside.

  2018cited by this paper
• GW5 acts in the brassinosteroid signalling pathway to regulate grain width and weight in rice

  2017cited by this paper
• Differentially evolved glucosyltransferases determine natural variation of rice flavone accumulation and UV-tolerance

  2017cited by this paper
• Glycosylation Is a Major Regulator of Phenylpropanoid Availability and Biological Activity in Plants

  2016cited by this paper
• OsSPL13 controls grain size in cultivated rice

  2016cited by this paper
• NARROW AND ROLLED LEAF 2 regulates leaf shape, male fertility, and seed size in rice.

  2016cited by this paper
• Rice SNP-seek database update: new SNPs, indels, and queries

  2016cited by this paper
• Regulation of OsGRF4 by OsmiR396 controls grain size and yield in rice

  2015cited by this paper
• Natural alleles of a proteasome α2 subunit gene contribute to thermotolerance and adaptation of African rice

  2015cited by this paper
• Copy number variation at the GL7 locus contributes to grain size diversity in rice

  2015cited by this paper
• Activation of Big Grain1 significantly improves grain size by regulating auxin transport in rice

  2015cited by this paper
• The cell biology of lignification in higher plants.

  2015cited by this paper
• A Robust CRISPR/Cas9 System for Convenient, High-Efficiency Multiplex Genome Editing in Monocot and Dicot Plants.

  2015cited by this paper
• Transcriptional control of flavonoid biosynthesis by MYB-bHLH-WDR complexes.

  2015cited by this paper
• COLD1 confers chilling tolerance in rice.

  2015cited by this paper
• A Rare Allele of GS2 Enhances Grain Size and Grain Yield in Rice.

  2015cited by this paper
• Integrated metabolomics for abiotic stress responses in plants.

  2015cited by this paper
• Control of grain size and rice yield by GL2-mediated brassinosteroid responses

  2015cited by this paper
• The OsSPL16-GW7 regulatory module determines grain shape and simultaneously improves rice yield and grain quality

  2015cited by this paper
• Overexpression of the PP2A regulatory subunit Tap46 leads to enhanced plant growth through stimulation of the TOR signalling pathway

  2014cited by this paper
• Rare allele of a previously unidentified histone H4 acetyltransferase enhances grain weight, yield, and plant biomass in rice

  2014cited by this paper
• The miR156-SPL9-DFR pathway coordinates the relationship between development and abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

  2014cited by this paper
• Molecular genetic dissection of quantitative trait loci regulating rice grain size.

  2014cited by this paper
• The genome sequence of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and evidence for independent domestication

  2014cited by this paper
• Enhancement of oxidative and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by overaccumulation of antioxidant flavonoids

  2013cited by this paper
• Loss of function of the IAA-glucose hydrolase gene TGW6 enhances rice grain weight and increases yield

  2013cited by this paper
• Control of grain size, shape and quality by OsSPL16 in rice

  2012cited by this paper
• Rare allele of OsPPKL1 associated with grain length causes extra-large grain and a significant yield increase in rice

  2012cited by this paper
• A map of rice genome variation reveals the origin of cultivated rice

  2012cited by this paper
• The novel quantitative trait locus GL3.1 controls rice grain size and yield by regulating Cyclin-T1;3

  2012cited by this paper
• Natural variation in GS5 plays an important role in regulating grain size and yield in rice

  2011cited by this paper
• The Phenylpropanoid Pathway in Arabidopsis

  2011cited by this paper
• Sequence analysis Advance Access publication June 7, 2011 The variant call format and VCFtools

  2010cited by this paper
• Linking differential domain functions of the GS3 protein to natural variation of grain size in rice

  2010cited by this paper
• Genetic and molecular bases of rice yield.

  2010cited by this paper
• Substrate specificity of plant UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases predicted from crystal structures and homology modeling.

  2009cited by this paper
• Substrate Specificity of Plant UDP‐Dependent Glycosyltransferases Predicted from Crystal Structures and Homology Modeling

  2009cited by this paper
• Environmental regulation of leaf colour in red 35S:PAP1 Arabidopsis thaliana.

  2009cited by this paper
• Fine mapping of Spr3, a locus for spreading panicle from African cultivated rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.).

  2008cited by this paper
• A QTL for rice grain width and weight encodes a previously unknown RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase

  2007cited by this paper
• Flavonoids and auxin transport: modulators or regulators?

  2007cited by this paper
• A rice quantitative trait locus for salt tolerance encodes a sodium transporter

  2005cited by this paper
• The effect of coumarin derivatives on the immunological system of man

  2005cited by this paper
• A PINOID-Dependent Binary Switch in Apical-Basal PIN Polar Targeting Directs Auxin Efflux

  2004cited by this paper
• Variation in Expression and Protein Localization of the PIN Family of Auxin Efflux Facilitator Proteins in Flavonoid Mutants with Altered Auxin Transport in Arabidopsis thaliana

  2004cited by this paper
• Rice flavonoid pathway genes, OsDfr and OsAns, are induced by dehydration, high salt and ABA, and contain stress responsive promoter elements that interact with the transcription activator, OSC1-MYB

  2004cited by this paper
• PlantCARE, a database of plant cis-acting regulatory elements and a portal to tools for in silico analysis of promoter sequences

  2002cited by this paper
• Higher plant glycosyltransferases

  2001cited by this paper
• Influence of the testa on seed dormancy, germination, and longevity in Arabidopsis.

  2000cited by this paper
• Regulation of auxin transport by aminopeptidases and endogenous flavonoids

  2000cited by this paper
• Structure and distribution of lignin in primary and secondary cell walls of maize coleoptiles analyzed by chemical and immunological probes

  1997cited by this paper
• Collapsed xylem phenotype of Arabidopsis identifies mutants deficient in cellulose deposition in the secondary cell wall.

  1997cited by this paper
• Stress-Induced Phenylpropanoid Metabolism.

  1995cited by this paper
• Efficient transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium and sequence analysis of the boundaries of the T-DNA.

  1994cited by this paper
• Mapping mendelian factors underlying quantitative traits using RFLP linkage maps.

  1989cited by this paper
• Differential effect of amitriptyline and bupropion on primary and secondary depression: a pilot study.

  1988cited by this paper
• MAPMAKER: an interactive computer package for constructing primary genetic linkage maps of experimental and natural populations.

  1987cited by this paper

• A Gradient of Freezing Tolerance in Qingke Reveals Specific Metabolic and Antioxidant Adaptations in Tolerant Varieties.

  2026cites this paper
• Dissecting the differential performance of contrasting stay-green and stem reserve mobilization wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes – Validation of GWAS analysis

  2026cites this paper
• Transcriptome Insight Into the Identification of Novel Luteolin 7-O-Glucosyltransferase From Lonicerae Japonicae Flos Under Salt Stress.

  2026cites this paper
• Integrating Iso-seq and RNA-seq analyses to unveil bidirectional movement of mRNAs in oil-Camellia heterografting

  2026cites this paper
• Molecular mechanism of SmERF B3-4 in regulating lignin biosynthesis by modulating Sm4CL11 in Salix matsudana.

  2026cites this paper
• Flavonoid metabolism is involved in regulating the growth of winter wheat upon rehydration

  2026cites this paper
• Flavonoids in Plant Salt Stress Responses: Biosynthesis, Regulation, Functions, and Signaling Networks

  2026cites this paper
• Phenylpropanoid-specific glycosyltransferases from mango and their potential role in defense.

  2026cites this paper
• Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling elucidates the tissue-specific biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoids in Machilus nanmu

  2026cites this paper
• Joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome reveals some genes and metabolomic variations involved in postharvest stress response of Vitis vinifera to Aspergillus westerdijkiae

  2026cites this paper
• Decrypting molecular mechanism of heat stress tolerance in rice to tackle climate change challenges through recent approaches.

  2026cites this paper
• Pangenome-driven discovery and comparative genomics of glycosyltransferase genes in Camellia sinensis

  2026cites this paper
• A novel QTL discovered for grain protein content without grain weight penalty in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

  2026cites this paper
• Rice glycosyltransferase UGT706F1 functions in heat tolerance through glycosylating flavonoids under the regulation of transcription factor MYB61.

  2025cites this paper
• GLGW10 controls grain size associated with the lignin content in rice.

  2025cites this paper
• Phthalate esters decreased nutritional value of rice grains via redirecting glycolytic carbon flow from grain quality formation toward antioxidative defense.

  2025cites this paper
• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations of GS3 and GW5 positively regulate grain size and grain width in rice (Oryza sativa Indica)

  2025cites this paper
• Integrated morphophysiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data uncover the molecular mechanism of environmental adaptation of Zanthoxylum armatum with different latitudinal gradients

  2025cites this paper
• Diversification of flavonoid accumulation among ecotypes of Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. in response to drought stress

  2025cites this paper
• Genetic Improvement of rice Grain size Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System

  2025influential citation
• Molecular modelling and gene expression analysis to probe the GT-γ trihelix transcription factors in Solanum tuberosum under drought stress

  2025cites this paper
• A high temperature responsive UDP-glucosyltransferase gene OsUGT72F1 enhances heat tolerance in rice and Arabidopsis

  2025cites this paper
• Construction of a non-coding RNA-mediated metabolic regulatory network to explore metabolic variation in tomato breeding.

  2025cites this paper
• Mechanisms of flavonoids in quinoa’s response to flooding stress in grain filling stage

  2025cites this paper
• The Glycosylation Status of Small Molecules Impacts Different Aspects of Plant Immunity

  2025cites this paper
• RhNIRF1-mediated ubiquitination of RhNAC31 affects drought tolerance by regulating stress-related genes in Rosa hybrida.

  2025cites this paper
• Identification of key modules and genes in response to high-temperature stress in Platostoma palustre based on WGCNA

  2025cites this paper
• A SlMYB78‐regulated bifunctional gene cluster for phenolamide and salicylic acid biosynthesis during tomato domestication, reducing disease resistance

  2025cites this paper
• Transcription factor CbbHLH147 improves alkali stress tolerance of Cinnamomun bodinieri by regulating flavonoid metabolism.

  2025cites this paper
• The transcription factor MYB44 suppresses starch synthesis to negatively regulate grain weight and yield in wheat and rice.

  2025cites this paper
• The Interaction Among Rhizosphere Soil Nutrients, Metabolites, and Microbes Determines the Productivity of Perennial Cultivated Grassland in Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

  2025cites this paper
• Functional analysis of a GWAS pleiotropic hotspot suggests an auxin biosynthesis gene (AhPDS1), regulating pod development in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

  2025cites this paper
• Glycosyltransferases: Pioneering Roles in Agriculture and Medicine.

  2025cites this paper
• Characterization of Grain Structure Using Micro-CT and Identification of Related Candidate Genes by QTL Mapping in Foxtail Millet

  2025cites this paper
• Establishment of Physalis grisea genetic transformation system and overexpression of AtPAP1 enhances drought stress.

  2025cites this paper
• The proteome-scale study of iron-binding proteins of bread wheat.

  2025cites this paper
• Grain shape in rice: a Genome-wide association study of the effector genes

  2025cites this paper
• Diclofop-methyl resistance conferred by LrGSTU181 overexpression in Lolium rigidum.

  2025cites this paper
• Plant metabolomics: applications and challenges in the era of multi-omics big data

  2025cites this paper
• Stable genetic loci orchestrate redox networks and grain traits in polyploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under combined salinity and drought stress

  2025cites this paper
• Genome-wide association mapping for grain and forage quality traits in a subtropical oat germplasm collection adapted to highland regions of Eastern Africa

  2025cites this paper
• The hidden role of amino acids and secondary metabolites in plant drought tolerance.

  2025cites this paper
• Metabolic, transcriptional, and hormonal responses of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer to nitrogen deficiency

  2025cites this paper
• OsLC1, a transaldolase, regulates cell patterning and leaf morphology through modulation of secondary metabolism

  2025cites this paper
• Molecular signatures that translate across omics layers and crops under high aluminium and low phosphorus stress facilitate the identification of reliable molecular targets for genotyping in lentil

  2025cites this paper
• Phosphorus deficiency suppresses the trans-zeatin riboside accumulation by up-regulating CeIPT5, promoting root elongation and phosphorus absorption efficiency of Casuarina equisetifolia.

  2025cites this paper
• PoUGT84A1-mediated accumulation of flavonoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in Paeonia ostii seeds: insights into metabolic interplay.

  2025cites this paper
• Transcriptional regulation of polyphyllin biosynthesis of Paris polyphylla in response to soil moisture stress

  2025cites this paper
• Reducing heat stress damage in cereal crops through agronomic management and breeding strategies

  2025cites this paper
• Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals the mechanism of cross-adaptation in Krascheninnikovia arborescens to combined drought and cold stress.

  2025cites this paper
• Functional characterization of NLG14 provides novel insights into the synergistic improvement of grain length, grain quality and salt tolerance in rice.

  2025cites this paper
• Quercetin enhances tomato seed germination via phenylpropanoid-dependent regulation of ROS, hormone signaling, and starch hydrolysis.

  2025cites this paper
• Functional analysis of tomato SlPP2C-A gene Subfamily, highlighting SlPP2C7's role in regulating saline-alkali stress tolerance

  2025cites this paper
• Association mapping and candidate gene identification for drought tolerance in sorghum

  2025cites this paper
• Multi-omics-Based Construction of ncRNA-Gene-Metabolite Networks Provides New Insights Into Metabolic Regulation Under Salt Stress in Rice

  2025cites this paper
• Effect of combined ultra-high pressure gallic acid cochromism on the stability of Aronia melanocarpa anthocyanins in juice systems

  2025cites this paper
• Rice glycosyltransferase DUGT2 enhances drought and salt tolerances through glycosylating a broad-spectrum of flavonoids under bZIP16 regulation.

  2025cites this paper
• Flavonoid‐Lignin Crosstalk: Engineering Metabolic Flux for Optimised Plant Growth and Stress Resilience

  2025cites this paper
• Advances in the Preparation and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides From Medicinal Plants With Different Molecular Weights: A Review

  2025cites this paper
• Species‐Specific Epigenetic Signature Associates With Heat Stress Tolerance in the Perennial Tree Species Populus

  2025cites this paper
• Rice glycosyltransferase OsDUGT1 is involved in heat stress tolerance by glycosylating flavonoids and regulating flavonoid metabolism

  2025cites this paper
• Genome-wide association study to identify candidate genes for submergence tolerance during rice seed germination

  2025cites this paper
• Integrative genome and transcriptome analysis identifies smoke-responsive glycosyltransferases in grapevine berries.

  2025cites this paper
• Understanding the genetic basis of heat stress tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through genome‐wide association studies

  2025cites this paper
• Deciphering cadmium tolerance-lipid augmentation nexus in microalga using de novo transcriptomics profiling

  2025cites this paper
• Joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome on the accumulation mechanism of flavonoids in quinoa seedlings under flooding stress

  2025cites this paper
• Carrier‐Free Nanocapsule with Dual‐Target Capacity for Synergistically Restoring Inflammatory Microenvironment and Microbiota Dysbiosis in Colitis

  2025cites this paper
• Natural variation in the promoter of TaHY5 enhances anthocyanin biosynthesis via upregulated transcription of TaF3H and TaANS in purple grain wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

  2025cites this paper
• Comparative multi-omics reveals phenylpropanoid pathway activation in resistant poplar species challenged by Cytospora chrysosperma

  2025cites this paper
• Genome-Wide Identification of the UGT Gene Family in Poplar Populus euphratica and Functional Analysis of PeUGT110 Under Drought Stress

  2025cites this paper
• Combined effects of climate stressors and soil arsenic contamination on metabolic profiles and productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

  2025cites this paper
• Identification of an adaptor protein 2σ gene for OsTGW12 to determine grain weight and potentiate quality breeding in rice

  2025cites this paper
• MaUGT79 confers drought tolerance by regulating scopolin biosynthesis in plants.

  2025cites this paper
• Pro-197-his/ser mutation and the metabolic gene DsUGT84A1, synergistically confer resistance to tribenuron-methyl in Descurainia sophia.

  2025cites this paper
• The Regulation of ROS and Phytohormones in Balancing Crop Yield and Salt Tolerance

  2025cites this paper
• De novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis of Cnidium officinale under high-temperature conditions

  2025cites this paper
• Understanding the microRNA-mediated regulation of plant-microbe interaction and scope for regulation of abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants

  2025cites this paper
• Reassociation of specialist herbivores with an invasive plant selects for reduced allocation to soil mutualists

  2025cites this paper
• Rice at risk: How double burden of climate change and arsenic threaten food security and human health in vulnerable nations.

  2025cites this paper
• Impact of Exogenous Sugars on the Potency of Selected Secondary Metabolites in Non-Starchy Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus L.)

  2025cites this paper
• Prioritization of candidate genes regulating the dwarfness in rice by integration of whole-genome and transcriptome analyses

  2025cites this paper
• Multi‐omics analysis identified the GmUGT88A1 gene, which coordinately regulates soybean resistance to cyst nematode and isoflavone content

  2025influential citation
• Emerging strategies to improve heat stress tolerance in crops

  2025cites this paper
• Buckwheat UDP‐Glycosyltransferase FtUGT71K6 and FtUGT71K7 Tandem Repeats Contribute to Drought Tolerance by Regulating Epicatechin Synthesis

  2025cites this paper
• Bioengineering for robust tolerance against cold and drought stresses via co-overexpressing three Cu-miRNAs in major food crops.

  2024cites this paper
• The ZmHSF08-ZmUGT92A1 module regulates heat tolerance by altering reactive oxygen species levels in maize

  2024cites this paper
• Engineered enzymes for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other high-value products

  2024cites this paper
• Genome-wide association studies of photosynthetic and agronomic traits in cowpea collection

  2024cites this paper
• Regulation of exogenous sugars on the biosynthesis of key secondary metabolites in Cyclocarya paliurus.

  2024cites this paper
• GL5.2, a Quantitative Trait Locus for Rice Grain Shape, Encodes a RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligase

  2024cites this paper
• Enhanced degradation of exogenetic citrinin by glycosyltransferases in the oleaginous yeast Saitozyma podzolica zwy-2-3.

  2024cites this paper
• Investigation of the potential regulation of the UDP-glycosyltransferase genes on rice grain size and abiotic stress response.

  2024cites this paper
• Comparative transcriptomics of seed nourishing tissues: uncovering conserved and divergent pathways in seed plants

  2024cites this paper
• Dehydration-responsive cytoskeleton proteome of rice reveals reprograming of key molecular pathways to mediate metabolic adaptation and cell survival.

  2024cites this paper
• Candidate gene analysis of rice grain shape based on genome-wide association study

  2024cites this paper
• Genome wide association studies for flowering time, shelling percentage, harvest index and related traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

  2024cites this paper
• Transcriptome analysis provides new insights into the berry size in ‘Summer Black’ grapes under a two-crop-a-year cultivation system

  2024cites this paper
• Combined BSA-Seq and RNA-Seq to Identify Potential Genes Regulating Fruit Size in Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria L.)

  2024cites this paper
• The pan-tandem repeat map highlights multiallelic variants underlying gene expression and agronomic traits in rice

  2024cites this paper
• Involvement of isopropylmalate dehydratase in chloroplast development and acylsugar accumulation in tobacco

  2024cites this paper