Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41580627›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2026

Q allele overexpression and alternative splicing can improve wheat yield by increasing thousand-kernel weight and grain number per spike.

Qingcheng Li, Yazhen Fan, Yang Li, Lu Lei, Shengling Zhang, Simin Xie, Lifen Lu, Xin Hu, Fengqi Lv, Zhenru Guo and 17 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

Qingcheng Li *State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Yazhen Fan *State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Yang LiTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Lu LeiTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Shengling ZhangTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Simin XieTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Lifen LuTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Xin HuTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Fengqi LvTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Zhenru GuoTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Xin ChenTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Linlin ZhouTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Yan WangTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Jing ZhuTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Li KongTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Xin YuanTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Jie DengTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Binjie XuTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Xinyou CaoCrop Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China.
Yunfeng JiangTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Guoyue ChenTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Qiang XuTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Qiantao JiangTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Yuming WeiTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Youliang ZhengTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
Qing ChenTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. qingchen83@sicau.edu.cn.
Pengfei QiTriticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. pengfeiqi@hotmail.com.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFD1200404Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province 2024ZYD0160
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThousand-kernel weight and grain number per spike are key determinants of grain yield. Q is one of the most important domestication genes in wheat. A missense mutation (C3129T) at the microRNA172-binding site of Q (Qc1 allele) significantly increases the thousand-kernel weight, but also results in extremely compact spikes, leading to decreases in grain number per spike and yield, which is unfavorable for breeding and wheat production.

resultsWe characterized a new Q allele (Qc1-Q1) obtained by treating the Q gene mutant line S-Cp1-1 (carrying Qc1) with ethyl methanesulfonate. A comparison with the domesticated Q allele widely distributed in modern common wheat cultivars revealed that Qc1-Q1 contains two missense mutations: C3129T (as in Qc1) and G542A in the splice site of the second intron. G542A results in alternative splicing, leading to the production of two protein forms. Moreover, it reverses the extremely compact spike phenotype due to C3129T. Field experiments indicated that Qc1-Q1 can increase wheat yield by simultaneously increasing the thousand-kernel weight and grain number per spike. Notably, the positive effect of Qc1-Q1 on yield did not negatively affect grain quality. Furthermore, we developed a specific marker on the basis of G542A to accelerate the application of Qc1-Q1 in wheat breeding programs.

conclusionIn this study, we developed a new approach to generating favorable Q alleles, while also producing germplasm potentially useful for breeding new wheat varieties with optimal grain production.

Indexed as

Alternative SplicingEdible GrainPlant ProteinsSeedsTriticumAllelesGenes, PlantPhenotypePlant ProteinsAlternative splicingQ geneQualityWheat breedingYield

Identifiers

PMID41580627
PMCPMC12910859

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.