The ERECTA family of genes (ERfs) is known to do several functions in
Arabidopsis, including cell proliferation and growth, stomatal patterning,
and response to stresses. This puts them as a potential candidate for crop
improvement. However, their morphological impact in crops is limited. The
team of Yanchun Zhang from Nanjing University in China used the CRIPR-Cas9
system to study the morphological impact of ERfs on rice.

Loss-of-function mutants of OsER1 and OsER2 developed through CRISPR
displayed shortened plant stature and reduced panicle size, suggesting they
also possibly function in cell proliferation and growth in rice.
Furthermore, the team also found clues that hint at rice ERfs playing more
unique functional roles.

Through evolutionary prediction, the team also found that the ER family is
present across different species, suggesting that most of their functions
may also be observed in other plant species. Further investigations on these
functions are key to using ERfs in crop development.



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