Reducing expression of TaOTUB1s decreases tiller number in wheat

Tiller number is an important agronomic trait that affects crop yield. The roles of OTUB1 in regulating tiller numbers in rice have been reported. However, the roles of OTUB1 in wheat remain elusive. In this study, TaOTUB1s were identified in wheat. TaOTUB1 proteins were localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Compared with wild-type Fielder, TaOTUB1-RNAi transgenic wheat plants had fewer tillers. Similar to OTUB1 in rice, the yeast double hybrid indicated that the TaOTUB1-A protein could interact with TaSPL17 and TaUBC13 proteins. The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression levels of TaOTUB1s decreased while those of TaSPL17 significantly improved in TaOTUB1-RNAi lines. These findings suggested that TaOTUB1s influenced tiller number in wheat.