Integrated genetic mapping and transcriptome analysis reveal the BnaA03.IAA7 protein regulates plant architecture and gibberellin signaling in Brassica napus L.

key messageA novel mutation in the BnaA03.IAA7 protein reduces plant height and enhances gibberellin signaling in Brassica napus L. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an excellent and important source for vegetable oil production, but its production is severely affected by lodging. Lodging hinders mechanization and decreases yield, and an ideal solution is semidwarf breeding. Limited by germplasm resources, semidwarf breeding developed slowly in rapeseed. In the current study, a mutant called sdA03 was isolated from EMS-mutagenized lines of Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11). The inheritance analysis showed that phenotypes of sdA03 were controlled by a single semidominant gene. Genetic mapping, RNA-seq and candidate gene analysis identified BnaA03.IAA7 as a candidate gene, and a function test confirmed that the mutated BnaA03.iaa7 regulates plant architecture in a dose-dependent manner. Yeast two-hybrid and transient expression experiments illustrated the P87L substitution in the GWPPV/I degron motif of BnaA03.iaa7 impaired the interaction between BnaA03.IAA7 and TIR1 proteins, and BnaA03.iaa7 prevented ARF from activating the auxin signaling pathway.The gibberellin (GA) content was higher in sdA03 hypocotyls than in those of ZS11. Further expression analysis showed more active gibberellin signaling in hypocotyl and richer expression of GA synthetic genes in root and cotyledon of sdA03 seedlings. Finally, a marker was developed based on the SNP found in BnaA03.iaa7 and used in molecular breeding. The study enriched our understanding of the architectural regulation of rapeseed and provided germplasm resources for breeding.