Robust increase of leaf size by Arabidopsis thaliana GRF3-like transcription factors under different growth conditions

BELTRAMINO MATIAS; ERCOLI MARIA F; DEBERNARDI JUAN M; GOLDY CAMILA; ROJAS ARANTXA; NOTA MARIA F; ALVAREZ MARÍA E; VERCRUYSSEN LIEBSBETH; INZÉ DIRK; PALATNIK JAVIER F ; RODRIGUEZ RAMIRO E

Scientific Reports

Nature

Año: 2018 vol. 8 p. 13447 - 13447

n increase in crop yield, especially under sub optimal conditions, is essential to reassure food security to meet the increasing global demand. Several genetic modifications have been shown to increase organ size, which in turn might boost crop yield. Still, only in a few cases their performance has been evaluated under stress conditions. MicroRNA (miRNA) miR396 post-transcriptionally represses transcription factors belonging to the GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (GRF) family. The GRFs promote organ growth in several plants including crop grains. This study describes the role of the microRNA (miRNA) miR396 regulatory network in the control of organ size in plants grown under normal and stress conditions. Specifically, we show that both Arabidopsis thaliana At-GRF2 and At-GRF3 genes resistant to the miR396 activity (rGRF2 and rGRF3) increased plant organ growth, but only rGRF3 can increase leaf size without causing detrimental morphological defects. Furthermore, At-rGRF3 can increase leaf si