Regulation of plant height in rice by the Polycomb group genes OsEMF2b, OsFIE2 and OsCLF

An ideal plant height is essential for crop yield. Some Polycomb group (PcG) genes mutants exhibit a dwarf phenotype in rice. To determine how PcG genes regulate plant height, we investigated the phenotypes of the emf2b mutant and OsEMF2b, OsFIE2 and OsCLF RNAi transgenic plants; they all exhibited dwarf phenotype. Further analyses indicated that stem elongation at jointing stage was seriously inhibited in emf2b and RNAi transgenic plants. Reduced cell expansion and cell division of stem caused significant reduction of stem length during mature period of OsEMF2b, OsFIE2 and OsCLF RNAi transgenic plants. Transcription analysis revealed that cell division, cell expansion and plant hormones related genes differentially expressed between emf2b and WT. In addition, PcG genes mutants weakened GA signal and GA concentration and leaded to suppresseion of plant height. Analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that 109 up-regulated and 19 down-regulated genes were identified in both emf2b and fie2. H3K27me3-modified sites were observed in 95 of the 109 up-regulated genes, and some of them were up-regulated in OsFIE2, OsCLF and OsEMF2b RNAi transgenic plants, and their H3K27me3 levels were reduced in emf2b. Moreover, OsEMF2b interacted with OsCLF. Therefore, we speculated that these PcG genes, OsFIE2, OsCLF and OsEMF2b, may work as a PRC2 to regulate rice height.