OsPSTOL1 is prevalent in upland rice and enhances root growth and phosphate sufficiency in wheat

Improvement of phosphorus (P) uptake by crops is a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) PHOSPHORUS-STARVATION TOLERANCE 1 (OsPSTOL1) increases root growth and total P uptake. Here, a biogeographic survey of rice demonstrates OsPSTOL1 loss in a subset of japonica rice after the temperate-tropical split and frequent absence in paddy varieties of east Asia. OsPSTOL1 absence or loss-of-function alleles prevail in landraces from regions with fertilizer use and controlled irrigation, suggesting it is an adaptive genetic variant in low nutrient rainfed ecosystems. OsPSTOL1 is a truncated member of a family of multi-module kinases associated with microbial interactions. We demonstrate that ectopic expression of OsPSTOL1 in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) increases shoot and root growth under low P conditions, promotes root plasticity, and hastens induction of the low P response pathway. OsPSTOL1’s influence on adaptive root development in wheat validates its potential for broad utilization in crop improvement. Two independent transgenic lines ectopically ovexpressing OsPSTOL1 (PSTOL1.1 and PSTOL1.2) and their null segregants (Null) were grown under high (HP) and low (LP). phosphate conditions. Tissues from whole roots and crowns were sampled at 36 (E) and 50 (L) days after sowing (DAS).