植物种子大小的分子通路研究进展

doi:10.12190/j.issn.2096-1197.2026.02.03

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 植物种子大小是作物产量的核心决定要素,其发育受母体与合子组织遗传信息协同调控。目前已鉴定出泛素-蛋白酶体、MAPK（丝裂原活化蛋白激酶）信号、转录因子调控、G（鸟苷三磷酸）蛋白信号、IKU、植物激素等多条核心通路。文章综述了拟南芥、水稻等模式植物种子大小的分子调控通路研究进展,并围绕母体组织与合子组织两大类调控通路的核心因子功能、作用机制及通路关联进行阐述,展望了植物种子大小分子通路的未来研究方向,旨在为进一步完善种子大小调控分子机制提供新思路。

关键词: 种子大小, 母体组织, 合子组织, 调控通路

Abstract: Plant seed size is a core determinant of crop yield,and its development is coordinately regulated by genetic information from both maternal and zygotic tissues. To date,several core pathways have been identified,including ubiquitin-proteasome,MAPK（mitogen-activated protein kinase） signaling,transcription factor regulatory pathway,G（guanosine triphosphate） protein signaling,IKU,and plant hormone. This paper reviews the research progress on molecular regulatory pathways of seed size in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa,elaborates on the functions,action mechanisms,and pathway interactions of key factors in the two major categories of regulatory pathways：maternal and zygotic tissues,and discusses the future research directions of molecular pathways of plant seed size,aiming to provide new insights for further refining the molecular mechanisms of seed size regulation.

Key words: Seed size, Maternal tissue, Zygotic tissue, Regulatory pathway

中图分类号:

S330.2

李艳, 孙雪雨, 王梦扬, 赵红星. 植物种子大小的分子通路研究进展[J]. 北方农业学报, 2026, 54(2): 25-35.

LI Yan, SUN Xueyu, WANG Mengyang, ZHAO Hongxing. Research progress on molecular pathways of plant seed size[J]. Journal of Northern Agriculture, 2026, 54(2): 25-35.

参考文献

[1] LI N,LI Y H.Signaling pathways of seed size control in plants[J].Current Opinion in Plant Biology,2016,33:23-32.
[2] HAUGHN G,CHAUDHURY A.Genetic analysis of seed coat development in Arabidopsis[J].Trends in Plant Science,2005,10(10):472-477.
[3] LI N,XU R,LI Y H.Molecular networks of seed size control in plants[J].Annual Review of Plant Biology,2019,70:435-463.
[4] LI Y H,ZHENG L Y,CORKE F,et al.Control of final seed and organ size by the DA1 gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana[J].Genes and Development,2008,22(10):1331-1336.
[5] DISCH S,ANASTASIOU E,SHARMA V K,et al.The E3 ubiquitin ligase BIG BROTHER controls Arabidopsis organ size in a dosage-dependent manner[J].Current Biology,2006,16(3):272-279.
[6] XIA T,LI N,DUMENIL J,et al.The ubiquitin receptor DA1 interacts with the E3 ubiquitin ligase DA2 to regulate seed and organ size in Arabidopsis[J].The Plant Cell,2013,25(9):3347-3359.
[7] DONG H,DUMENIL J,LU F H,et al.Ubiquitylation activates a peptidase that promotes cleavage and destabilization of its activating E3 ligases and diverse growth regulatory proteins to limit cell proliferation in Arabidopsis[J].Genes and Development,2017,31(2):197-208.
[8] SONG X J,HUANG W,SHI M,et al.A QTL for rice grain width and weight encodes a previously unknown RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase[J].Nature Genetics,2007,39(5):623-630.
[9] BEDNAREK J,BOULAFLOUS A,GIROUSSE C,et al.Down-regulation of the TaGW2 gene by RNA interference results in decreased grain size and weight in wheat[J].Journal of Experimental Botany,2012,63(16):5945-5955.
[10] DU L,LI N,CHEN L L,et al.The ubiquitin receptor DA1 regulates seed and organ size by modulating the stability of the ubiquitin-specific protease UBP15/SOD2 in Arabidopsis[J].The Plant Cell,2014,26(2):665-677.
[11] PEDLEY K F,MARTIN G B.Role of mitogen-activated protein kinases in plant immunity[J].Current Opinion in Plant Biology,2005,8(5):541-547.
[12] ZHANG M M,WU H J,SU J B,et al.Maternal control of embryogenesis by MPK6 and its upstream MKK4/MKK5 in Arabidopsis[J].The Plant Journal,2017,92(6):1005-1019.
[13] WU X D,CAI X B,ZHANG B W,et al.ERECTA regulates seed size independently of its intracellular domain via MAPK-DA1-UBP15 signaling[J].The Plant Cell,2022,34(10):3773-3789.
[14] DUAN P G,RAO Y C,ZENG D L,et al.SMALL GRAIN 1,which encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4,influences grain size in rice[J].The Plant Journal,2014,77(4):547-557.
[15] LIU S Y,HUA L,DONG S J,et al.OsMAPK6,a mitogen-activated protein kinase,influences rice grain size and biomass production[J].The Plant Journal,2015,84(4):672-681.
[16] GUO T,CHEN K,DONG N Q,et al.GRAIN SIZE AND NUMBER1 negatively regulates the OsMKKK10-OsMKK4-OsMPK6 cascade to coordinate the trade-off between grain number per panicle and grain size in rice[J].The Plant Cell,2018,30(4):871-888.
[17] JOFUKU K D,OMIDYAR P K,GEE Z,et al.Control of seed mass and seed yield by the floral homeotic gene APETALA2[J].Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,2005,102(8):3117-3122.
[18] AYA K,HOBO T,SATO-IZAWA K,et al.A novel AP2-type transcription factor,SMALL ORGAN SIZE1,controls organ size downstream of an auxin signaling pathway[J].Plant and Cell Physiology,2014,55(5):897-912.
[19] KLUCHER K M,CHOW H,REISER L,et al.The AINTEGUMENTA gene of Arabidopsis required for ovule and female gametophyte development is related to the floral homeotic gene APETALA2[J].The Plant Cell,1996,8(2):137-153.
[20] ZHANG Y Y,DU L,XU R,et al.Transcription factors SOD7/NGAL2 and DPA4/NGAL3 act redundantly to regulate seed size by directly repressing KLU expression in Arabidopsis thaliana[J].The Plant Cell,2015,27(3):620-632.
[21] LI Y J,HUANG K,ZHANG L M,et al.A molecular framework for the GS2-SUG1 module-mediated control of grain size and weight in rice[J].Nature Communications,2025,16(1):3944.
[22] SYROVATKINA V,ALEGRE K O,DEY R,et al.Regulation,signaling,and physiological functions of G-proteins[J].Journal of Molecular Biology,2016,428(19):3850-3868.
[23] CHAKRAVORTY D,TRUSOV Y,ZHANG W,et al.An atypical heterotrimeric G-protein γ-subunit is involved in guard cell K+-channel regulation and morphological development in Arabidopsis thaliana[J].The Plant Journal,2011,67(5):840-851.
[24] ROY CHOUDHURY S,RIESSELMAN A J,PANDEY S.Constitutive or seed-specific overexpression of Arabidopsis G-protein γ subunit 3(AGG3) results in increased seed and oil production and improved stress tolerance in Camelina sativa[J].Plant Biotechnology Journal,2014,12(1):49-59.
[25] SUN S Y,WANG L,MAO H L,et al.A G-protein pathway determines grain size in rice[J].Nature Communications,2018,9(1):851.
[26] MIAO J,YANG Z F,ZHANG D P,et al.Mutation of RGG2,which encodes a type B heterotrimeric G protein γ subunit,increases grain size and yield production in rice[J].Plant Biotechnology Journal,2019,17(3):650-664.
[27] WANG Y Y,LYU Y,YU H P,et al.GR5 acts in the G protein pathway to regulate grain size in rice[J].Plant Communications,2024,5(1):100673.
[28] YANG X,LU J,SHI W J,et al.RGA1 regulates grain size,rice quality and seed germination in the small and round grain mutant srg5[J].BMC Plant Biology,2024,24(1):167.
[29] LI Y J,YU Y,LIU X Y,et al.The Arabidopsis maternal effect embryo arrest45 protein modulates maternal auxin biosynthesis and controls seed size by inducing aintegumenta[J].The Plant Cell,2021,33(6):1907-1926.
[30] QIU R H,YANG J,HOU J Q,et al.Brassinosteroid signaling mediated by the OsIAA7-OsGSK2-OsBZR1 module regulates seed size in rice[J].The Plant Cell, 2025,37(7):koaf165.
[31] SCHRUFF M C,SPIELMAN M,TIWARI S,et al.The auxin response factor 2 gene of Arabidopsis links auxin signalling,cell division,and the size of seeds and other organs[J].Development,2006,133(2):251-261.
[32] JIANG W B,HUANG H Y,HU Y W,et al.Brassinosteroid regulates seed size and shape in Arabidopsis[J].Plant Physiology,2013,162(4):1965-1977.
[33] ZU S H,JIANG Y T,CHANG J H,et al.Interaction of brassinosteroid and cytokinin promotes ovule initiation and increases seed number per silique in Arabidopsis[J].Journal of Integrative Plant Biology,2022,64(3):702-716.
[34] HU S,YANG H T,GAO H,et al.Control of seed size by jasmonate[J].Science China Life Sciences,2021,64(8):1215-1226.
[35] ZHANG J P,YAO J,HE K R,et al.Jasmonate signaling coordinates with the SOD7-KLU pathway to regulate seed size in Arabidopsis thaliana[J].The Plant Cell,2025,37(8):koaf178.
[36] BERGER F,GRINI P E,SCHNITTGER A.Endosperm:an integrator of seed growth and development[J].Current Opinion in Plant Biology,2006,9(6):664-670.
[37] WANG A H,GARCIA D,ZHANG H Y,et al.The VQ motif protein IKU1 regulates endosperm growth and seed size in Arabidopsis[J].The Plant Journal,2010,63(4):670-679.
[38] LUO M,DENNIS E S,BERGER F,et al.MINISEED3(MINI₃),a WRKY family gene,and HAIKU2(IKU2),a leucine-rich repeat(LRR) KINASE gene,are regulators of seed size in Arabidopsis[J].Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,2005,102(48):17531-17536.
[39] ZHOU Y,ZHANG X J,KANG X J,et al.SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 associates with MINISEED3 and HAIKU2 promoters in vivo to regulate Arabidopsis seed development[J].The Plant Cell,2009,21(1):106-117.
[40] CHENG Z J,ZHAO X Y,SHAO X X,et al.Abscisic acid regulates early seed development in Arabidopsis by abi5-mediated transcription of short hypocotyl under blue1[J].The Plant Cell,2014,26(3):1053-1068.
[41] XU X Y,ZHIGUO E,ZHANG D P,et al.OsYUC11-mediated auxin biosynthesis is essential for endosperm development of rice[J].Plant Physiology,2021,185(3):934-950.
[42] CAO J S,LI G J,QU D J,et al.Into the seed:auxin controls seed development and grain yield[J].International Journal of Molecular Sciences,2020,21(5):1662.
[43] LI J,NIE X,TAN J L H,et al.Integration of epigenetic and genetic controls of seed size by cytokinin in Arabidopsis[J].Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,2013,110(38):15479-15484.