Enhancing Wheat Regeneration and Genetic Transformation through Overexpression of TaLAX1

In the realm of genetically transformed crops, the process of plant regeneration holds utmost significance. However, the low regeneration efficiency observed in several wheat varieties currently restricts the application of genetic transformation for gene function analysis and improved crop production. This research delves into the exploration of TaLAX PANICLE1 (TaLAX1) overexpression, which remarkably enhances regeneration efficiency, thereby boosting genetic transformation and genome editing in wheat. Particularly noteworthy is the substantial increase in regeneration efficiency of common wheat varieties, previously regarded as recalcitrant to genetic transformation. Furthermore, our study identifies heightened expression of TaGROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (TaGRF) genes, alongside their co-factor, TaGRF-INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (TaGIF1), enhanced cytokinin accumulation and auxin response, which may play a pivotal role in the improved regeneration and transformation observed in TaLAX1-overexpressing wheat plants. Remarkably, the overexpression of TaLAX1 homologs also exhibits a significant increase in regeneration efficiency for maize and soybean, suggesting that both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous crops can benefit from this enhancement. Through our findings, we shed light on a gene that enhances wheat genetic transformation and elucidate molecular mechanisms that potentially underlie wheat regeneration.