What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to explore how SERL1 stabilizes OsALDH2B1 to improve rice's response to alkaline stress and enhance grain size.

March 7, 2026

A leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinase SERL1 phosphorylates and stabilizes OsALDH2B1 to promote alkaline tolerance and grain size in rice.

Key Points

This research aims to explore how SERL1 stabilizes OsALDH2B1 to improve rice's response to alkaline stress and enhance grain size.
Examined the role of SERL1 and OsALDH2B1 under alkali stress in rice plants.
Utilized mutations and CRISPR to assess gene functions on grain size and tolerance.
Measured changes in phosphorylated OsALDH2B1 and its effects on GS3 and catalase genes.
OsALDH2B1 phosphorylation by SERL1 prevents its degradation, enhancing alkaline tolerance.
Over-expressing OsALDH2B1 resulted in larger grain sizes and higher yields under alkaline conditions.
Mutants lacking OsALDH2B1 or SERL1 showed hypersensitivity to alkaline stress, confirming their roles in resilience.

Abstract

Enhancing crop resilience to guarantee stable, high yields under adverse conditions has long been a central goal of rice breeding, but it remains challenging because of inherent trade-offs. Here, we show that the transcriptional activity of the aldehyde-dehydrogenase OsALDH2B1 simultaneously increases grain length and alkaline tolerance. Upon alkali stress, the plasma-membrane leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinase SERL1 phosphorylates OsALDH2B1 at Thr-481, thereby blocking its 26S-proteasome-mediated degradation. Stabilized OsALDH2B1 directly represses GS3, a negative regulator of both grain size and alkaline tolerance, and activates all three catalase genes, leading to reduced hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2) accumulation. OsALDH2B1 over-expression enlarged grains and raised grain yield under field alkalinity, whereas osaldh2b1 mutants were hypersensitive. CRISPR knockouts of SERL1 or the catalase genes phenocopied these defects, confirming that the SERL1-OsALDH2B1 module constitutes an integrated signaling axis that links membrane perception to nuclear reprogramming through GS3 repression and catalase activation. This dual-purpose circuit provides an immediate, breeder-friendly target for high-yield, alkaline-resilient rice.

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