The transcription factor GATA10 regulates fertility conversion of a two-line hybrid tms5 mutant rice via the modulation of UbL40 expression

The thermosensitive genic male sterile 5 (tms5) mutation causes thermosensitive genic male sterility in rice (Oryza sativa) through loss of RNase Z(S1) function, which influences ubiquitin fusion ribosomal protein L40 (Ub(L40)) messenger RNA levels during male development. Here, we used ATAC-seq, combined with analysis of H3K9ac and H3K4me2, to identify changes in accessible chromatin during fertility conversion of the two-line hybrid rice Wuxiang S (WXS) derived from a mutant tms5 allele. Furthermore, RNA-seq and bioinformatic analyses identified specific transcription factors (TFs) in differentially accessible chromatin regions. Among these TFs, only GATA10 targeted Ub(L40). Osgata10 knockout mutations, which resulted in low expression of Ub(L40) and a tendency toward male fertility, confirmed that GATA10 regulated fertility conversion via the modulation of Ub(L40). Meanwhile, GATA10 acted as a mediator for interactions with ERF65, which revealed that transcriptional regulation is a complex process involving multiple complexes of TFs, namely TF modules. It appears that the ERF141/MADS7/MADS50/MYB modules affect metabolic processes that control anther and pollen development, especially cell wall formation. Our analysis revealed that these modules directly or indirectly affect metabolic pathway-related genes to coordinate plant growth with proper anther development, and furthermore, that GATA10 regulates fertility conversion via the modulation of Ub(L40) expression.