The SDR1-OsDSK2a-EUI1 module orchestrates plant height and multi-stress resilience in rice

Complete authors：Gongwen Li; Ting Zou; Xu Zhang; Shangyu Yang; Nan Ma; Ji Wang; Xin Zhang; Linjuan Xiao; Ganrui Qian; Mujia Liu; Yun Chen; Kun Peng; Weiliang Yuan; Dan Zhou; Jinghua Jin; Jun Zhu; Qiming Deng; Shiquan Wang; Yueyang Liang; Ping Li; Shuangcheng Li

The Plant Cell, Vol. 38, Issue 6, Article number: koag119 (2026), June 2026 (IF=11.600).

Abstract

Optimal plant height is critical for yield performance and lodging resistance in rice. Here, we report the identification of semi-dwarf rice 1 (SDR1), encoding a RING-H2 type E3 ubiquitin ligase preferentially expressed in stem internodes. SDR1 directly targets the key gibberellin (GA)-deactivating enzyme ELONGATED UPPERMOST INTERNODE 1 (EUI1) for degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, thereby fine-tuning GA homeostasis. SDR1 collaborates with the UBL-UBA protein OsDSK2a for EUI1 turnover. Genetic disruption of SDR1 decreases endogenous GA levels, resulting in semi-dwarfism with enhanced lodging resistance and improved tolerance to salt and disease. Knockout of SDR1 in rice cultivar Zhonghua 11 simultaneously boosts lodging resistance and grain yield under high-density and high-fertility conditions. Our study reveals an SDR1–OsDSK2a–EUI1 module that fine-tunes rice plant architecture and multi-stress resilience via GA homeostasis regulation.