A magnetic equivalent circuit method that can consider differences and interactions of each branch magnetic circuit was proposed for the solution of the output torque of slotted-type equivalent couplers.Due to the slotted form of the conductor rotor,the branches composed of the air gap,conductor,and tooth slot corresponding to the permanent magnet in the magnetic circuit are not the same.The specific form of each branch is related to the relative position of the inner and outer rotors.Since the conductor rotor adopts the slot-ted-type form,the branch magnetic circuits consist of air gap,conductor and cogging under the permanent mag-net are different.The specific form of the magnetic circuit is related to the relative position of the inner and outer rotors.The magnetic equivalent circuit method was used to consider the influence of different branch magnetic circuits on the electromagnetic torque and it was solved as a whole taking into account the interaction between the branches,so as to improve the calculation accuracy of the output torque of slotted-type equivalent couplers.Finally,the proposed method was used to predict the output torque of the magnetic couplers under different slip rates,pole-arc/pole-pitch ratios and slotting ratios,and the theoretical verification was carried out by 3D finite element analysis and experiments.It is verified that the proposed method can meet the accuracy requirements of engineering applications.

In light of the problem of complex and diverse parameters and low optimization efficiency in the performance optimization of a solid disk permanent magnet eddy-current coupler,the dimensionless parameters of the disk permanent magnet eddy-current coupler were derived according to the dimensional analysis method.Six dimensionless parameters such as velocity parameter,magnetic density parameter,air gap parameter and di-mensionless number of main dimensions were obtained,which effectively reduced the workload of the analytical study;the correctness of dimensionless numbers was verified by the equation analysis method.The impact of each dimensionless number on the output torque of the permanent magnet eddy-current coupler was simulated by the 3D finite element.In order to improve the optimization efficiency,the structural optimization design was carried out by the response surface method to improve the utilization of permanent magnets,and the simulation results verified the effectiveness of the optimization.

为了减小磁力齿轮的齿槽转矩,削弱工作时的转矩波动,使磁力齿轮拥有更高的传动效率,应用于更多场合.在分析了磁力齿轮齿槽转矩的形成过程及波形变化趋势提出了一种侧边正弦形调磁极片结构.首先,对侧边正弦调磁极片中能影响齿槽转矩大小的结构参数进行设定;其次,模拟分析设定的调磁极片结构参数对齿槽转矩大小影响的具体趋势,得出调磁极片开槽率、调磁极片径向厚度和正弦曲线幅值对磁力齿轮齿槽转矩大小影响的曲线图,并将传统的扇形与侧边正弦形调磁极片进行对比.根据仿真模拟得到的最佳参数制作了样机,并通过实验验证了在一定输入转速和负载下,磁力齿轮应用侧边正弦形调磁极片相对于扇形调磁极片的输入转矩波动减小了14.67%,输出转矩波动减小了4.80%.实验结果表明,侧边正弦形调磁极片可有效减小齿槽转矩,削弱转矩波动,提高了磁力齿轮的传动效率和使用寿命.

Grain size is one of the most important agronomic traits controlling grain yield. Development of novel germplasm with large grains would be beneficial for crop improvement. We report the genetic identification and functional analysis of the LONG GRAIN 6 (LOG6) gene, which is identical to MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE 6 (OsMAPK6), affecting grain length of rice. Map-based cloning revealed that the long-grain phenotype of log6-D results from a glutamine (E) to lysine (K) mutation in the conserved TEY motif of OsMAPK6. In near-isogenic lines (NILs), the log6-D allele increased grain length and grain yield of Guichao 2 (GC2), Teqing (TQ), and 93–11. Sequence analysis revealed 10 OsMAPK6 haplotypes, with xian (indica) and geng (japonica) harboring different haplotypes. Our findings shed light on the function of MAPKs and offer a novel dominant allele for improving the grain yield of rice.

Tiller angle, an important component of plant architecture, greatly influences the grain yield of rice (Oryza sativaL.). Here, we identifiedTiller Angle Control 4(TAC4) as a novel regulator of rice tiller angle.TAC4encodes a plant-specific, highly conserved nuclear protein. The loss ofTAC4function leads to a significant increase in the tiller angle.TAC4can regulate rice shoot gravitropism by increasing the indole acetic acid content and affecting the auxin distribution. A sequence analysis revealed thatTAC4has undergone a bottleneck and become fixed inindicacultivars during domestication and improvement. Our findings facilitate an increased understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of tiller angle and also provide a potential gene resource for the improvement of rice plant architecture.

The modification of plant architecture is a crucial target in rice domestication and modern genetic improvement.Although several genes regulating rice plant architecture have been characterized,the molecular mechanisms underlying rice plant architecture domestication remain largely unclear.Here we show that the inclined tiller growth in wild rice is controlled by a single dominant gene,TILLER INCLINED GROWTH 1 (TIG1),which is located on chromosome 8 and encodes a TCP transcriptional activator.TIG1 is primarily expressed in the adaxial side of the tiller base,promotes cell elongation,and enlarges the tiller angle in wild rice.Variations in the TIG1 promoter of indica cultivars (tig1 allele) resulted in decreased expression of TIG1 in the adaxial side of tiller base and reduced cell length and tiller angle,leading to the transition from inclined tiller growth in wild rice to erect tiller growth during rice domestication.TIG1 positively regulates the expression of EXPA3,EXPB5,and SAUR39 to promote cell elongation and increase the tiller angle.Selective sweep analysis revealed that the tig1 allele was selected in indica cultivars by human beings.The cloning and characterization of TIG1 supports a new scenario of plant architecture evolution in rice.

Inflorescence branching is a key agronomic trait determining rice yield. The primary branch of the ancestral wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) bears few grains, due to minimal secondary branching. By contrast, Oryza sativa cultivars have been selected to produce large panicles with more secondary branches. Here we showed that the CONTROL OF SECONDARY BRANCH 1 (COS1) gene, which is identical to FRIZZY PANICLE (FZP), plays an important role in the key transition from few secondary branches in wild rice to more secondary branches in domesticated rice cultivars. A 4-bp tandem repeat deletion approximately 2.7 kb upstream of FZP may affect the binding activities of auxin response factors to the FZP promoter, decrease the expression level of FZP and significantly enhance the number of secondary branches and grain yield in cultivated rice. Functional analyses showed that NARROW LEAF 1 (NAL1), a trypsin-like serine and cysteine protease, interacted with FZP and promoted its degradation. Consistently, downregulating FZP expression or upregulating NAL1 expression in the commercial cultivar Zhonghua 17 increased the number of secondary branches per panicle, grain number per panicle and grain yield per plant. Our findings not only provide insights into the molecular mechanism of increasing grain number and yield during rice domestication, but also offer favorable genes for improving the grain yield of rice.

During rice domestication and improvement, increasing grain yield to meet human needs was the primary objective. Rice grain yield is a quantitative trait determined by multiple genes, but the molecular basis for increased grain yield is still unclear. Here, we show that NUMBER OF GRAINS 1 (NOG1), which encodes an enoyl-CoA hydratase/isomerase, increases the grain yield of rice by enhancing grain number per panicle without a negative effect on the number of panicles per plant or grain weight. NOG1 can significantly increase the grain yield of commercial high-yield varieties: introduction of NOG1 increases the grain yield by 25.8% in the NOG1-deficient rice cultivar Zhonghua 17, and overexpression of NOG1 can further increase the grain yield by 19.5% in the NOG1-containing variety Teqing. Interestingly, NOG1 plays a prominent role in increasing grain number, but does not change heading date or seed-setting rate. Our findings suggest that NOG1 could be used to increase rice production.

Grain number is an important factor in determining grain production of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The molecular genetic basis for grain number is complex. Discovering new genes involved in regulating rice grain number increases our knowledge regarding its molecular mechanisms and aids breeding programs. Here, we identified GRAINS NUMBER 2 (GN2), a novel gene that is responsible for rice grain number, from "Yuanjiang" common wild rice (O. rufipogon Griff.). Transgenic plants overexpressing GN2 showed less grain number, reduced plant height, and later heading date than control plants. Interestingly, GN2 arose through the insertion of a 1094-bp sequence from LOC_ Os02g45150 into the third exon of LOC_Os02g56630, and the inserted sequence recruited its nearby sequence to generate the chimeric GN2. The gene structure and expression pattern of GN2 were distinct from those of LOC_Os02g45150 and LOC_ Os02g56630. Sequence analysis showed that GN2 may be generated in the natural population of Yuanjiang common wild rice. In this study, we identified a novel functional chimeric gene and also provided information regarding the molecular mechanisms regulating rice grain number.

Cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) was domesticated from wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), which typically displays fewer grains per panicle and longer grains than cultivated rice. In addition, wild rice has long awns, whereas cultivated rice has short awns or lacks them altogether. These changes represent critical events in rice domestication. Here, we identified a major gene, GRAIN NUMBER, GRAIN LENGTH AND AWN DEVELOPMENT1 (GAD1), that regulates those critical changes during rice domestication. GAD1 is located on chromosome 8 and is predicted to encode a small secretary signal peptide belonging to the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-LIKE family. A frame-shift insertion in gad1 destroyed the conserved cysteine residues of the peptide, resulting in a loss of function, and causing the increased number of grains per panicle, shorter grains, and awnless phenotype characteristic of cultivated rice. Our findings provide a useful paradigm for revealing functions of peptide signal molecules in plant development and helps elucidate the molecular basis of rice domestication.

41 Grain number is an important factor in determining grain production of rice (Oryza 42 sativa L.). The molecular genetic basis for grain number is complex. Discovering 43 new genes involved in regulating rice grain number increases our knowledge 44 regarding its molecular mechanisms and aids breeding programs. Here, we 45 identified GRAINS NUMBER 2 (GN2), a novel gene that is responsible for rice grain 46 number, from ‘Yuanjiang’ common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.). Transgenic 47 plants over-expressing GN2 showed less grain number, reduced plant height, and 48 later heading date than control plants. Interestingly, GN2 arose through the 49 insertion of a 1,094-bp sequence from LOC_Os02g45150 into the third exon of 50 LOC_Os02g56630, and the inserted sequence recruited its nearby sequence to 51 generate the chimeric GN2. The gene structure and expression pattern of GN2 were 52 distinct from those of LOC_Os02g45150 and LOC_Os02g56630. A sequence analysis 53 showed that GN2 may be generated in the natural population of ‘Yuanjiang’ 54 common wild rice. In this study, we identified a novel functional chimeric gene and 55 also provided information regarding the molecular mechanisms regulating rice 56 grain number. 57

Leaf senescence plays an important role in crop developmental processes that dramatically affect crop yield and grain quality. The genetic regulation of leaf senescence is complex, involving many metabolic and signaling pathways. Here, we identified a rapid leaf senescence 3 (rls3) mutant that displayed accelerated leaf senescence, shorter plant height and panicle length, and lower seed set rate than the wild type. Map-based cloning revealed that RLS3 encodes a protein with AAA+ domain, localizing it to chloroplasts. Sequence analysis found that the rls3 gene had a single-nucleotide substitution (G→A) at the splice site of the 10th intron/11th exon, resulting in the cleavage of the first nucleotide in 11th exon and premature termination of RLS3 protein translation. Using transmission electron microscope, the chloroplasts of the rls3 mutant were observed to degrade much faster than those of the wild type. The investigation of the leaf senescence process under dark incubation conditions further revealed that the rls3 mutant displayed rapid leaf senescence. Thus, the RLS3 gene plays key roles in sustaining the normal growth of rice, while loss of function in RLS3 leads to rapid leaf senescence. The identification of RLS3 will be helpful to elucidate the mechanisms involved in leaf senescence in rice.

Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), the wild relative of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), flaunts long, barbed awns, which are necessary for efficient propagation and dissemination of seeds. By contrast, O. sativa cultivars have been selected to be awnless or to harbor short, barbless awns, which facilitate seed processing and storage. The transition from long, barbed awns to short, barbless awns was a crucial event in rice domestication. Here, we show that the presence of long, barbed awns in wild rice is controlled by a major gene on chromosome 4, LONG AND BARBED AWN1 (LABA1), which encodes a cytokinin-activating enzyme. A frame-shift deletion in LABA1 of cultivated rice reduces the cytokinin concentration in awn primordia, disrupting barb formation and awn elongation. Sequencing analysis demonstrated low nucleotide diversity and a selective sweep encompassing an ∼800-kb region around the derived laba1 allele in cultivated rice. Haplotype analysis revealed that the laba1 allele originated in the japonica subspecies and moved into the indica gene pool via introgression, suggesting that humans selected for this locus in early rice domestication. Identification of LABA1 provides new insights into rice domestication and also sheds light on the molecular mechanism underlying awn development.

Grain size is an important yield-related trait in rice. Intensive artificial selection for grain size during domestication is evidenced by the larger grains of most of today's cultivars compared with their wild relatives. However, the molecular genetic control of rice grain size is still not well characterized. Here, we report the identification and cloning of Grain Size 6 (GS6), which plays an important role in reducing grain size in rice. A premature stop at the +348 position in the coding sequence (CDS) of GS6 increased grain width and weight significantly. Alignment of the CDS regions of GS6 in 90 rice materials revealed three GS6 alleles. Most japonica varieties (95%) harbor the Type I haplotype, and 62.9% of indica varieties harbor the Type II haplotype. Association analysis revealed that the Type I haplotype tends to increase the width and weight of grains more than either of the Type II or Type III haplotypes. Further investigation of genetic diversity and the evolutionary mechanisms of GS6 showed that the GS6 gene was strongly selected in japonica cultivars. In addition, a "ggc" repeat region identified in the region that encodes the GRAS domain of GS6 played an important historic role in the domestication of grain size in rice. Knowledge of the function of GS6 might aid efforts to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control grain development and evolution in rice plants, and could facilitate the genetic improvement of rice yield.

Flowering at suitable time is very important for plants to adapt to complicated environments and produce their seeds successfully for reproduction. In rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) photoperiod regulation is one of the important factors for controlling heading date. Common wild rice, the ancestor of cultivated rice, exhibits a late heading date and a more sensitive photoperiodic response than cultivated rice. Here, through map-based cloning, we identified a major quantitative trait loci (QTL) LHD1 (Late Heading Date 1), an allele of DTH8/Ghd8, which controls the late heading date of wild rice and encodes a putative HAP3/NF-YB/CBF-A subunit of the CCAAT-box-binding transcription factor. Sequence analysis revealed that several variants in the coding region of LHD1 were correlated with a late heading date, and a further complementary study successfully rescued the phenotype. These results suggest that a functional site for LHD1 could be among those variants present in the coding region. We also found that LHD1 could down-regulate the expression of several floral transition activators such as Ehd1, Hd3a and RFT1 under long-day conditions, but not under short-day conditions. This indicates that LHD1 may delay flowering by repressing the expression of Ehd1, Hd3a and RFT1 under long-day conditions.

The developmental regulation of grasses lemma and palea and their relationship to the floral organs in dicots had been variously explicated and extensively debated. Here, we characterized a triangular hull mutant th1-1 from EMS-mutagenized Oryza sativa ssp. indica cv. 93-11. The th1-1 mutant exhibited obviously triangular hull with tortuous and slender lemma/palea. Using a map-based cloning strategy, the TH1 gene was narrowed down to a 60-kb region on the long arm of chromosome 2. Sequence verification revealed that the th1-1 mutant harbored 1-bp deletion in exon 2 of LOC_Os02g56610 which resulted in a frame-shift mutation. The RNA-interference transgenic plants of LOC_Os02g56610 displayed a similar phenotype to the th1 mutant. Consequently, LOC_Os02g56610 was identified as the TH1 gene which encoded 248 amino acids and contained a DUF640 domain. RT-PCR analysis and GUS staining showed that the transcripts of TH1 mainly accumulated in young inflorescence, lemma and palea of spikelet. These results suggested that TH1 was an important gene controlling the lemma and palea development in rice.

The transition from the prostrate growth of ancestral wild rice (O. rufipogon Griff.) to the erect growth of Oryza sativa cultivars was one of the most critical events in rice domestication. This evolutionary step importantly improved plant architecture and increased grain yield. Here we find that prostrate growth of wild rice from Yuanjiang County in China is controlled by a semi-dominant gene, PROG1 (PROSTRATE GROWTH 1), on chromosome 7 that encodes a single Cys(2)-His(2) zinc-finger protein. prog1 variants identified in O. sativa disrupt the prog1 function and inactivate prog1 expression, leading to erect growth, greater grain number and higher grain yield in cultivated rice. Sequence comparison shows that 182 varieties of cultivated rice, including 87 indica and 95 japonica cultivars from 17 countries, carry identical mutations in the prog1 coding region that may have become fixed during rice domestication.