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Amino acid transporter OsLAT1 negatively regulates tillering and yield by affecting amino acids and polyamines in rice

Yu Fan1, 2*, Guo Yang1*, Cheng Liu1, Weiting Huang1, Quanzhi Zhao1, Chang Zheng1, Zhongming Fang1#

1 Guizhou Key Laboratory of High Quality, High Efficiency, and Yield Enhancement in Grain and Oil Crops, College of Agricultural Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

2 Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Food and Biological engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China

 Highlights 

OsLAT1 exerts a negative influence on rice tillering and grain yield.

OsLAT1 modulates rice growth by regulating the transport of amino acids and polyamines.

OsLAT1 exhibits concentration-dependent effects on bud outgrowth and biomass accumulation.

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摘要  

L 型氨基酸转运蛋白(LAT)家族可介导细胞内氨基酸与多胺的转运过程,但水稻中 LAT 转运蛋白的生物学功能仍缺乏系统解析。本研究发现,OsLAT1表达量与水稻分蘖数呈显著负相关。OsLAT1主要在水稻叶片、基部组织及穗部表达。亚细胞定位试验证实,OsLAT1蛋白定位于内质网;天冬氨酸、亮氨酸、亚精胺与精胺可显著诱导该基因表达。水培试验结果显示低、中浓度精氨酸与丝氨酸可部分促进OsLAT1过表达植株的侧芽萌发与生物量积累,高浓度下该促进效应显著减弱;与此同时,OsLAT1可促进亚精胺、精胺的转运,进而调控腋芽伸长与水稻植株生长。本研究阐明了氨基酸转运蛋白调控水稻株型的分子机制,为水稻高产遗传改良提供了潜在靶标基因。



Abstract  

The L-type amino acid transporter (LAT) family facilitates the cellular transport of amino acids and polyamines. However, the functions of LAT transporters in rice remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, we identified a significant negative association between OsLAT1 transcript levels and tiller number in rice. Transcriptional analysis revealed that OsLAT1 is predominantly expressed in leaves, basal tissues, and panicles. Subcellular localization assays showed that the OsLAT1 protein is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and is strongly induced by Asp), Leu, spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm). Furthermore, under hydroponic conditions, moderate concentrations of arginine (Arg) and serine (Ser) partially promoted bud outgrowth and biomass in OsLAT1-overexpressing plants, whereas these effects diminished at higher Arg/Ser concentrations. In contrast, OsLAT1 facilitated the transport of spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), thereby promoting axillary bud elongation and rice growth. These findings provide insights into amino acid transporter-mediated regulation of rice plant architecture and offer potential targets for yield improvement. 

Keywords:  rice       OsLAT1                    amino acid transporter              polyamine              tillering              grain yield  
Online: 27 April 2026  
Fund: 

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32572249/32501912), the Sichuan Provincial Natural Science Foundation Youth Project, China (25QNJJ4500), the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects, China (Qiankehepingtairencai-YQK [2023] 002, qiankehejichu-ZK (2022) Key 008), the Guizhou Key Laboratory of High Quality, High Efficiency, and Yield Enhancement in Grain and Oil Crops, China (Qiankehepingtai ZSYS (2025) 037), the Key Laboratory of Functional Agriculture of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education, China (Qianjiaoji (2023)007), the Chengdu Longquanyi District Science and Technology Plan Project, China (2025LQRD0038), the Key Research and Development Project of Ganzi Science and Technology Plan, China (25kjjh0048), and the Provincial Finance Agricultural High Quality Development Fund in 2025, China (Chengdu Finance Agricultural Development [2025] No. 56).

About author:  #Correspondence Zhongming Fang, E-mail: zmfang@gzu.edu.cn *These authors contributed equally to this work.

Cite this article: 

Yu Fan, Guo Yang, Cheng Liu, Weiting Huang, Quanzhi Zhao, Chang Zheng, Zhongming Fang. 2026. Amino acid transporter OsLAT1 negatively regulates tillering and yield by affecting amino acids and polyamines in rice. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2026.04.036

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