Overexpression of ovate family protein 22 confers multiple morphological changes and represses gibberellin and brassinosteroid signalings in transgenic rice

•Overexpression of OsOFP22 affects morphological phenotypes in Oryza sativa.•OsOFP22 is a negative regulator involved in the gibberellin and brassinosteroid signaling pathways.•GA-regulated protein degradation of the rice DELLA protein SLR1 was impeded in OsOFP22 overexpression plants. OVATE family proteins (OFPs) are plant-specific transcription factors that regulate plant growth and development. OFPs interact with 3-aa loop extension (TALE) homeodomain proteins and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling components to modulate gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis and BR responses. Bioactive GAs are essential in regulating plant organogenesis and organ growth by promoting cell differentiation and elongation. DELLA proteins act as the central repressors of GA-regulated processes and are targeted to be degraded by the 26S proteasome in the presence of GA. We discovered that the rice OFP22 negatively regulates GA and BR signal transduction. OsOFP22 expression was rapidly up-regulated by exogenous GA and BR application, detected predominantly in the calli and spikelets. Overexpression of OsOFP22 conferred multiple morphological phenotypes, including reduced plant height, dark green leaves, and shortened and widened leaves, floral organs and grains. The GA-induced elongation of the second leaf sheath in the seedlings, and α-amylase activity in the endosperms were attenuated in transgenic lines overexpressing OsOFP22, while GA-biosynthesis gene transcripts and bioactive GA3 and GA4 contents were increased in the transgenic plants. OsOFP22 promotes the protein accumulation of SLR1, the single DELLA in rice protein. Furthermore, Overexpression of OsOFP22 suppresses BR response and the expression of BR-related genes. OsOFP22 is thus involved in the repression of GA and BR signal transduction and integrates GA with BR to regulate plant growth and development.