The promoted lateral root 1 (plr1) mutation is involved in reduced basal shoot starch accumulation and increased root sugars for enhanced lateral root growth in rice

Lateral roots (LRs) are indispensable for plant growth, adaptability and productivity. We previously reported a rice mutant, exhibiting a high density of thick and long LRs (L-type LRs) with long parental roots and herein referred to as promoted lateral root1 (plr1). In this study, we describe that the mutant exhibited decreased basal shoot starch accumulation, suggesting that carbohydrates might regulate the mutant root phenotype. Further analysis revealed that plr1 mutation gene regulated reduced starch accumulation resulting in increased root sugars for the regulation of promoted LR development. This was supported by the exogenous glucose application that promoted L-type LRs. Moreover, nitrogen (N) application was found to reduce basal shoot starch accumulation in both plr1 mutant and wild-type seedlings, which was due to the repressed expression of starch biosynthesis genes. However, unlike the wild-type that responded to N treatment only at seedling stage, the plr1 mutant regulated LR development under low to increasing N levels, both at seedling and higher growth stages. These results suggest that plr1 mutation gene is involved in reduced basal shoot starch accumulation and increased root sugar level for the promotion of L-type LR development, and thus would be very useful in improving rice root architecture.