Huazhong Agricultural University team identifies key boron transporter genes to combat yield loss in rapeseed

Adequate boron (B) supply is essential for optimal growth and yield formation in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). With boron-deficient soils affecting croplands worldwide, developing varieties with enhanced boron-use efficiency represents a sustainable strategy to safeguard productivity. Central to this effort is the identification of genes that regulate boron homeostasis. 

In a study published in The Crop Journal on 9 April 2026, a research team led by Dr. Sheliang Wang at Huazhong Agricultural University reports the discovery and comprehensive characterization of BnaC3.BOR1, a pivotal boron transporter gene in B. napus.

"Our findings advance our mechanistic understanding of low-boron adaptation in B. napus and provide a high-value genetic target for marker-assisted breeding and the development of boron-efficient rapeseed cultivars," notes Wang.

The team found that BnaC3.BOR1 is highly expressed in root stele cells, stems, and floral organs. Notably, the gene shows spatially asymmetric expression within the stem, with significantly higher transcript levels on the side adjacent to the petiole. "This heterogeneous expression pattern strongly suggests that BnaC3.BOR1 plays a precise role in regulating boron distribution and tissue-level homeostasis," says Dan Zou, co-first author of the study.

To confirm the gene's transport function, the researchers heterologously expressed BnaC3.BOR1 in yeast, resulting in markedly elevated intracellular boron concentrations. They further demonstrated in vivo transport activity through functional complementation assays: expression of BnaC3.BOR1 fully restored wild-type growth phenotypes in Arabidopsis bor1 mutants under boron-limiting conditions.

The team then validated the gene's physiological role in planta using a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing system. "We found that null mutants exhibited heightened sensitivity to boron deprivation, manifesting as stunted root elongation, reduced shoot biomass, and substantially diminished boron accumulation in shoots," adds Zou. "When grown in low-boron soils, mutant plants developed severe morphological defects—including epidermal cracking at the stem base near petiole attachment sites, aberrant vascular development, and localized boron depletion in compromised stem tissues." Notably, during reproduction, impaired floral organ development and critically low boron concentrations led to significant yield loss.

"Our findings not only confirmed that BnaC3.BOR1 expression in roots and flowers reflects the functional conservation of boron transporter genes across species, but also resolved a long-standing question: which gene controls stem cracking caused by boron-deficiency stress," says co-first author Dr. Ling Liu.

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Contact the author:

Sheliang Wang

Email address: sheliangwang2017@mail.hzau.edu.cn

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