Effects of CRISPR/Cas9 generated drooping leaf (dl) alleles on midrib and carpel formations in Oryza sativa Nipponbare.

edited lines showed that while dl-51S allele (a 3 bp deletion and a serine deletion at position 51) reduces midrib sizes and produces normal carpels, the dl-50LS allele (a 6 bp deletion and a leucine-serine deletion at position 50-51) causes the lack of midribs and abnormal stigma. This result indicates that the 51-serine is important for midrib formation and the 50-leucine is essential for midrib and carpel development. These dl mutant alleles contribute to the DL gene functional analysis and to gain insights into possible modifications of leaf architecture of rice and other grass species.