Rice tiller angle determines plant growth density and further contributes grain production. Although a few genes have been characterized to regulate tiller angle in rice, the molecular mechanism underlying the control of tiller angle via microRNA is poorly understood. Here, we report that rice tiller angle is controlled by OsmiR167a‐targeted auxin response factors OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25. In the overexpression of OsMIR167a plants, the expression of OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25 was severely repressed and displayed larger tiller angle as well as the osarf12/osarf17 and osarf12/ osarf25 plants. In addition, those plants showed compromised abnormal auxin distribution and less sensitive to gravity. We also demonstrate that OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25 function redundantly and might be involved in HSFA2D and LAZY1‐dependent asymmetric auxin distribution pathway to control rice tiller angle. Our results reveal that OsmiR167a represses its targets, OsARF12, OsARF17 and OsARF25, to control rice tiller angle by fine‐tuning auxin asymmetric distribution in shoots.

中文翻译：

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OsmiR167a 靶向的生长素响应因子通过微调水稻中生长素的分布来调节分蘖角度。

水稻分蘖角度决定植株生长密度，进而有助于粮食产量。尽管一些基因已被鉴定可调节水稻分蘖角度，但通过 microRNA 控制分蘖角度的分子机制仍知之甚少。在这里，我们报道水稻分蘖角度由 OsmiR167a 靶向的生长素响应因子OsARF12、OsARF17和 Os ARF25控制。在OsMIR167a植物的过表达中， OsARF12、OsARF17和Os ARF25的表达被严重抑制，并且与osarf12/osarf17和osarf12/osarf25植物一样表现出更大的分蘖角度。此外，这些植物表现出受损的异常生长素分布并且对重力不太敏感。我们还证明OsARF12、OsARF17和 Os ARF25功能冗余，可能参与HSFA2D和LAZY1依赖的不对称生长素分布途径来控制水稻分蘖角度。我们的结果表明，OsmiR167a 抑制其靶标OsARF12、OsARF17和 Os ARF25，通过微调芽中生长素的不对称分布来控制水稻分蘖角度。