Mutation of the OsGlyRS3 gene affects heading date in rice

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases play a critical role in protein synthesis by catalyzing the covalent attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs. However, the role of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in plants remains poorly understood. In this study, a rice ( ) glycyl-tRNA synthetase 3, OsGlyRS3, was found to impact heading date in rice. Flowering in , a mutant line containing a T-DNA insertion in , was advanced by approximately 2 weeks compared to wild type. Expression analysis of flowering regulator genes showed that transcript levels of ( ( ), and were elevated in . These data indicate that the loss of OsGlyRS3 activity induces the expression of flowering-activating genes, resulting in early flowering.