OsFTIP7 determines auxin-mediated anther dehiscence in rice

Anther dehiscence determines successful sexual reproduction of flowering plants through timely release of pollen grains for pollination and fertilization. Downregulation of auxin levels during pollen mitosis is essential for promoting anther dehiscence along with pollen maturation. How this key transition of auxin levels is regulated in male organs remains elusive. Here, we report that the rice FT-INTERACTING PROTEIN 7 is highly expressed in anthers before pollen mitotic divisions and facilitates nuclear translocation of a homeodomain transcription factor, Oryza sativa homeobox 1, which directly suppresses a predominant auxin biosynthetic gene, OsYUCCA4, during the late development of anthers. This confers a key switch of auxin levels between meiosis of microspore mother cells and pollen mitotic divisions, thus controlling the timing of anther dehiscence during rice anthesis. Our findings shed light on the mechanism of hormonal control of anther dehiscence, and provide a new avenue for creating hormone-sensitive male sterile lines for hybrid plant breeding.