FRIZZY PANICLE defines a regulatory hub for simultaneously controlling spikelet formation and awn elongation in bread wheat.

Grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is largely determined by inflorescence architecture. Zang734 is an endemic Tibetan wheat variety that exhibited rare triple-spikelet (TRS) phenotype with significantly increased spikelet/floret number per spike. However, the molecular basis underlying this specific spike morphology is completely unknown. Through map-based cloning, the causal genes for TRS trait in Zang734 were isolated. Furthermore, by CRISPR/Cas9-based gene mutation, transcriptome sequencing and protein-protein interaction, the downstream signaling networks related to spikelet formation and awn elongation were defined. Results showed that the null mutation in WFZP-A together with deletion of WFZP-D lead to TRS trait in Zang734. More interestingly, WFZP plays dual roles in simultaneously repressing spikelet formation gene TaBA1 and activating awn development genes, basically through the recruitments of chromatin remodeling elements and Mediator complex. Our findings provide insights into the molecular bases by which WFZP suppresses spikelet formation but promotes awn elongation, and more importantly, define WFZP-D as a favorable gene for high-yield crop breeding.