Peanut is an important oilseed and cash crop and is cultivated in more than 100 countries. Plant architecture refers to the morphological characteristics and spatial arrangement of a plant, which is a crucial comprehensive agronomic trait that directly determines planting density, light‑use efficiency and final yield. Lateral‑branch angle represents a core agronomic trait governing peanut plant architecture, and it affects peg‑penetration efficiency, planting‑density configuration, field‑management practices, suitability for mechanized harvesting, and aflatoxin prevention and control.
In a new study published in The Crop Journal , a research team from China identified AhPILS , a novel key gene controlling plant architecture in peanut. The researchers revealed that this gene modulates peanut plant architecture by regulating the asymmetric distribution of auxin at the base of lateral branches, providing valuable genetic resources for molecular improvement of peanut plant architecture.
Professor Chuanzhi Zhao, principal investigator of this work, explained the significance of the research: “ Plant architecture is of great importance for peanut. Breeding varieties with ideal plant architecture can improve photosynthetic efficiency, reduce seed consumption, increase lodging‑resistance and cut down the application of plant‑growth‑regulator agrochemicals, and facilitate mechanized peanut harvesting.”
Notably, ideal plant architecture combined with two stage harvesting can markedly mitigate aflatoxin contamination during harvest, thereby safeguarding the food safety of peanut and its derived products.
“ Mining additional loci and expanding the gene resources for plant‑architecture regulation are essential to create novel peanut materials with ideal architecture via biotechnology ,” adds Zhao. “ Although a quantitative‑trait locus controlling lateral‑branch angle has previously been reported on peanut chromosome 15, the molecular mechanism underlying peanut‑architecture regulation remains largely unclear .”
To dissect the molecular mechanism and identify novel loci for peanut plant‑architecture regulation, the researchers performed physical mutagenesis on a prostrate‑growth peanut variety. Through mutant‑library screening, an erect‑growth mutant designated eg06g was isolated. Genetic‑mapping results demonstrated that mutation in the AhPILS gene was responsible for the erect phenotype of eg06g .
“Our findings demonstrate that AhPILS ‑mediated polar auxin transport establishes an auxin concentration gradient at the base of lateral branches, regulates cell elongation, and ultimately triggers the growth transition of peanut lateral branches from prostrate to erect habit,” says Zhao. “This study lays a foundation for dissecting the regulatory mechanism of peanut branching development and provides new insights and precious genetic resources for breeding new peanut varieties with ideal plant architecture.”
Reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2026.07.014
Authors: Jiaowen Pan a b , Xun Zhang b , Guanghao Wang a , Conghui Yu a c , Xin Xing d , Xiaoyuan Chi e , Han Xia a c , Shuzhen Zhao a c , Yujie Zhou a , Mian Wang e , Xingjun Wang a c , Chuanzhi Zhao a c
Affiliations:
a Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources (Institute of Biotechnology), Shandong International Joint Laboratory of Agricultural Germplasm Resources Innovation, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, Shandong, China
b College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
c College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China
d Weihai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Weihai 264200, Shandong, China
e Shandong Peanut Research Institute, Shandong, Qingdao 266199, Shandong, China
About Professor Chuanzhi Zhao
Chuanzhi Zhao is a Professor at the Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources (Institute of Biotechnology), Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He received his doctoral degree from China Agricultural University. He currently serves as an editorial board member for BMC Plant Biology , Oil Crop Science , and Journal of Integrative Agriculture . His research interests cover peanut genetics and breeding, with a primary focus on seed‑coat color, edible quality, and other key agronomic traits.
The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 300 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
The Crop Journal
Experimental study
Not applicable
The peanut PIN-LIKES protein AhPILS regulates growth habit via gravitropism-dependent auxin redistribution
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests.