The WD40 domain-containing protein Ehd5 positively regulates flowering in rice (Oryza sativa)

Heading date (flowering time), which greatly influences regional and seasonal adaptability in rice (Oryza sativa), is regulated by many genes in different photoperiod pathways. Here, we characterized a heading date gene, Early heading date 5 (Ehd5), using a modified bulked segregant analysis method. The ehd5 mutant showed late flowering under both short-day and long-day conditions, as well as reduced yield, compared to the wild type. Ehd5, which encodes a WD40 domain-containing protein, is induced by light and follows a circadian rhythm expression pattern. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Ehd5 acts upstream of the flowering genes Early heading date 1 (Ehd1), RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1 (RFT1), and Heading date 3a (Hd3a). Functional analysis showed that Ehd5 directly interacts with Rice outermost cell-specific gene 4 (Roc4) and Grain number, plant height, and heading date 8 (Ghd8), which might affect the formation of Ghd7–Ghd8 complexes, resulting in increased expression of Ehd1, Hd3a, and RFT1. In a nutshell, these results demonstrate that Ehd5 functions as a positive regulator of rice flowering and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying heading date.