Semidwarfing genes have greatly increased wheat yields globally, yet the widely used gibberellin (GA)-insensitive genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b have disadvantages for seedling emergence. Use of the GA-sensitive semidwarfing gene Rht13 avoids this pleiotropic effect. Here, we show that Rht13 encodes a nucleotide-binding site/leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) gene. A point mutation in the semidwarf Rht-B13b allele autoactivates the NB-LRR gene and causes a height reduction comparable with Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b in diverse genetic backgrounds. The autoactive Rht-B13b allele leads to transcriptional up-regulation of pathogenesis-related genes including class III peroxidases associated with cell wall remodeling. Rht13 represents a new class of reduced height (Rht) gene, unlike other Rht genes, which encode components of the GA signaling or metabolic pathways. This discovery opens avenues to use autoactive NB-LRR genes as semidwarfing genes in a range of crop species, and to apply Rht13 in wheat breeding programs using a perfect genetic marker.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food Canberra ACT 2601 Australia

Grain Research Laboratory Canadian Grain Commission Winnipeg MB R3C 3G8 Canada

Grains Research and Development Corporation Canberra ACT 2600 Australia

Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Olomouc 783 71 Czech Republic

Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK

John Innes Centre Norwich Research Park Norwich NR4 7UH UK

Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås 1432 Norway

Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia

University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK S7N 5A8 Canada

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