Expression of Kranz-anatomy candidate genes from maize in rice

Most plants that use the more efficient C4 form of photosynthesis also exhibit Kranz anatomy, in which the PEPC and Rubisco carboxylases reside in distinct cells. Key genes that control the development of Kranz anatomy have been hard to find. In this report, Wang et al. analysed the effects of constitutively expressing in rice candidate Kranz-regulatory maize genes (36 encoding transcription factors, 14 encoding leucine-rich repeat receptor like kinases, and 10 encoding other putative regulatory functions). Most (47) of the genes tested showed no clear phenotypic effect. Others affected shoot and /or root growth, in some cases through what appear to be effects on hormone responses, whereas in others through changes in cell wall deposition. Future work includes refining the expression of some of these genes through cell-specific or inducible promoters. Sci. Reports 10.1038/s41598-017-04361-w