OsMADS5 interacts with OsSPL14/17 to inhibit rice root elongation by restricting cell proliferation of root meristem under ammonium supply

SUMMARY Nitrogen (N) is a vital major nutrient for rice ( Oryza sativa ). Rice responds to different applications of N by altering its root morphology, including root elongation. Although ammonium () is the primary source of N for rice, is toxic to rice roots and inhibits root elongation. However, the precise molecular mechanism that ‐inhibited root elongation of rice is not well understood. Here, we identified a rice T‐DNA insert mutant of OsMADS5 with a longer seminal root (SR) under sufficient N conditions. Reverse‐transcription quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of OsMADS5 was increased under compared with supply. Under conditions, knocking out OsMADS5 ( cas9 ) produced a longer SR, phenocopying osmads5 , while there was no significant difference in SR length between wild‐type and cas9 under supply. Moreover, OsMADS5 ‐overexpression plants displayed the opposite SR phenotype. Further study demonstrated that enhancement of OsMADS5 by supply inhibited rice SR elongation, likely by reducing root meristem activity of root tip, with the involvement of OsCYCB1;1 . We also found that OsMADS5 interacted with OsSPL14 and OsSPL17 (OsSPL14/17) to repress their transcriptional activation by attenuating DNA binding ability. Moreover, loss of OsSPL14/17 function in osmads5 eliminated its stimulative effect on SR elongation under conditions, implying OsSPL14/17 may function downstream of OsMADS5 to mediate rice SR elongation under supply. Overall, our results indicate the existence of a novel modulatory pathway in which enhancement of OsMADS5 by supply represses the transcriptional activities of OsSPL14/17 to restrict SR elongation of rice.