OsKAT1 is a short Shaker potassium channel involved in root-to-shoot potassium translocation and contributes to rice grain yield

S Shunying Yang (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) T Thanh-Hao Nguyen (Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro) C Cécile Fizames (Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro) J Junlin Li (Shandong Institute of Sericulture) S Sheliang Wang (National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University) A Aurore Vernet (FranceCentre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes Méditerranéennes et Tropicales Institut) E Emmanuel Guiderdoni (FranceCentre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes Méditerranéennes et Tropicales Institut) S Shaofei Wang Y Yixiu Guo (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) W Weiwei Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering) T Tianqi Wei (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Y Yanan Huang (Westlake University , , 600 Dunyu Road , ,) D Dongli Hao (Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen)) J Jiajin Wang (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) H Hervé Sentenac (Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro) A Anne-Aliénor Véry (Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro) R Ren Fang Shen (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Y Yanhua Su (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Shaker potassium channels play essential roles in K + uptake and distribution in plants. Studies on Shaker channels in Arabidopsis have provided a paradigmatic framework, but the rice genome encodes an additional member, OsKAT1, whose function remians poorly defined. OsKAT1-type channels are characterized by an innately short cytosolic C terminus, forming a unique clade of monocot-specific short Shakers that is prevalent in Poaceae species. In rice, OsKAT1 is predominantly expressed in the root stele. Disruption of OsKAT1 (KO mutation) leads to a significant reduction in K + secretion into the xylem sap delivered to the shoot. Patch-clamp experiments on root stele protoplasts of WT and KO plants indicate that OsKAT1 functions as an inward channel. Functional analyses in Xenopus oocytes reveal that despite activating at weakly negative voltages, OsKAT1 is intrinsically incapable of mediating substantial outward currents—a property attributed to its truncated C terminus. Together with outward K + channel activity, this feature enables stelar cells to remain significantly permeable to K + around the K + equilibrium potential. When expressed in Arabidopsis , OsKAT1 contributes to K + transport in the xylem sap, but only in wild-type plants that express SKOR, a Shaker channel specialized for this role. These results demonstrate that OsKAT1 constitutes a component of K + translocation to shoots and shed light on the energization and regulation underlying this function. Moreover, OsKAT1 is shown to improve rice adaptation to environmental conditions and enhance grain yield under field conditions through its facilitating root-to-shoot ion translocation.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 123, Issue 5
Published February 03, 2026
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (18)

S

Shunying Yang

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

T

Thanh-Hao Nguyen

Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro

C

Cécile Fizames

Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro

J

Junlin Li

Shandong Institute of Sericulture

S

Sheliang Wang

National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University

A

Aurore Vernet

FranceCentre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes Méditerranéennes et Tropicales Institut

E

Emmanuel Guiderdoni

FranceCentre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes Méditerranéennes et Tropicales Institut

S

Shaofei Wang

Y

Yixiu Guo

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

W

Weiwei Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

T

Tianqi Wei

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Y

Yanan Huang

Westlake University , , 600 Dunyu Road , ,

D

Dongli Hao

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen)

J

Jiajin Wang

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

H

Hervé Sentenac

Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro

A

Anne-Aliénor Véry

Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (Unité Mixte de Recherche 386), Institut Agro

R

Ren Fang Shen

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Y

Yanhua Su

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences