Revision of the relationship between anther morphology and pollen sterility by cold stress at the booting stage in rice.

Background And Aims: Cold stress in rice (Oryza sativa) plants at the reproductive stage prevents normal anther development and causes pollen sterility. Tapetum hypertrophy in anthers has been associated with pollen sterility in response to cold at the booting stage. Here, we re-examined whether the relationships between anther abnormality and pollen sterility caused by cold stress at the booting stage in rice can be explained by a monovalent factor such as tapetum hypertrophy.

Diploid Male Gametes Circumvent Hybrid Sterility Between Asian and African Rice Species.

In F hybrids of (Asian rice) and (African rice), heterozygosity leads to a complete gamete abortion because of allelic conflict at each of the 13 () loci. We systematically produced 19 plants from the F hybrids of both the rice species by the anther culture (AC) method. Five of the 19 interspecific hybrid plants were partially fertile and able to produce seeds.

Genetic Properties Responsible for the Transgressive Segregation of Days to Heading in Rice.

Transgressive segregation produces hybrid progeny phenotypes that exceed the parental phenotypes. Unlike heterosis, extreme phenotypes caused by transgressive segregation are heritably stable. We examined transgressive phenotypes of flowering time in rice, and revealed transgressive segregation in F populations derived from a cross between parents with similar (proximal) days to heading (DTH).

Identification of quantitative trait loci for rice grain quality and yield-related traits in two closely related L. subsp. cultivars grown near the northernmost limit for rice paddy cultivation.

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with eating quality, grain appearance quality and yield-related traits were mapped in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from closely related rice ( L. subsp. ) cultivars, Yukihikari (good eating quality) and Joiku462 (superior eating quality and high grain appearance quality).

Development of genome-wide PCR-based markers from insertion, deletion and single nucleotide polymorphisms for closely related Japanese rice cultivars and identification of QTLs for the appearance of cooked rice and polished rice.

Appearance of rice grain is an important property, affecting its acceptance by consumers. Moreover, appearance is a complex characteristic involving many components, including glossiness and whiteness. The genetic bases for the glossiness of cooked rice and the whiteness of polished rice (WPR) were determined using 133 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two closely related cultivars from Hokkaido, Joiku462, with high glossiness and whiteness, and Yukihikari, an ancestor of Joiku462 with low glossiness and whiteness.

Ethylene-dependent aerenchyma formation in adventitious roots is regulated differently in rice and maize.

In roots of gramineous plants, lysigenous aerenchyma is created by the death and lysis of cortical cells. Rice (Oryza sativa) constitutively forms aerenchyma under aerobic conditions, and its formation is further induced under oxygen-deficient conditions. However, maize (Zea mays) develops aerenchyma only under oxygen-deficient conditions.

Rice Stomatal Closure Requires Guard Cell Plasma Membrane ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter RCN1/OsABCG5.

Water stress is one of the major environmental stresses that affect agricultural production worldwide. Water loss from plants occurs primarily through stomatal pores. Here, we report that an Oryza sativa half-size ATP-binding cassette (ABC) subfamily G protein, RCN1/OsABCG5, is involved in stomatal closure mediated by phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in guard cells.

Ethylene Biosynthesis Is Promoted by Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids during Lysigenous Aerenchyma Formation in Rice Roots.

In rice (Oryza sativa) roots, lysigenous aerenchyma, which is created by programmed cell death and lysis of cortical cells, is constitutively formed under aerobic conditions, and its formation is further induced under oxygen-deficient conditions. Ethylene is involved in the induction of aerenchyma formation. reduced culm number1 (rcn1) is a rice mutant in which the gene encoding the ATP-binding cassette transporter RCN1/OsABCG5 is defective.

The rice RCN11 gene encodes β1,2-xylosyltransferase and is required for plant responses to abiotic stresses and phytohormones.

Seed germination rates and plant development and growth under abiotic stress are important aspects of crop productivity. Here, our characterization of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant reduced culm number11 (rcn11) showed that RCN11 controls growth of plants exposed to abnormal temperature, salinity and drought conditions.

RCN1/OsABCG5, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, is required for hypodermal suberization of roots in rice (Oryza sativa).

Suberin is a complex polymer composed of aliphatic and phenolic compounds. It is a constituent of apoplastic plant interfaces. In many plant species, including rice (Oryza sativa), the hypodermis in the outer part of roots forms a suberized cell wall (the Casparian strip and/or suberin lamellae), which inhibits the flow of water and ions and protects against pathogens.

Rice RCN1/OsABCG5 mutation alters accumulation of essential and nonessential minerals and causes a high Na/K ratio, resulting in a salt-sensitive phenotype.

Mineral balance and salt stress are major factors affecting plant growth and yield. Here, we characterized the effects of rice (Oryza sativa L.) reduced culm number1 (rcn1), encoding a G subfamily ABC transporter (OsABCG5) involved in accumulation of essential and nonessential minerals, the Na/K ratio, and salt tolerance.

Strigolactone and cytokinin act antagonistically in regulating rice mesocotyl elongation in darkness.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a group of phytohormones that control plant growth and development including shoot branching. Previous studies of the phenotypes of SL-related rice (Oryza sativa) dwarf (d) mutants demonstrated that SLs inhibit mesocotyl elongation by controlling cell division. Here, we found that the expression of cytokinin (CK)-responsive type-A RESPONSE REGULATOR (RR) genes was higher in d10-1 and d14-1 mutants than in the wild type.

The rice REDUCED CULM NUMBER11 gene controls vegetative growth under low-temperature conditions in paddy fields independent of RCN1/OsABCG5.

Low temperature tolerance during vegetative growth is an important objective in rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeding programs. We isolated a novel reduced culm number mutant, designated reduced culm number11 (rcn11), by screening under low-temperature condition in a paddy fields.

Multiple and independent origins of short seeded alleles of GS3 in rice.

GRAIN SIZE 3 (GS3) is a cloned gene that is related to seed length. Here we report the discovery of new deletion alleles at the GS3 locus, each of which confer short seed. We selected ten short seeded cultivars from a collection of 282 diverse cultivars.

Genome-wide analysis and expression profiling of half-size ABC protein subgroup G in rice in response to abiotic stress and phytohormone treatments.

The roles of the proteins encoded by half-size adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter subgroup G (ABCG) genes in abiotic stress responses are starting to be established in the dicot model Arabidopsis thaliana. In the monocot model rice, the functions of most half-size ABCG proteins in abiotic stress responses are unknown. Rcn1/OsABCG5 is an essential transporter for growth and development under abiotic stress, but its molecular function remains largely unclear.

Strigolactones negatively regulate mesocotyl elongation in rice during germination and growth in darkness.

Strigolactones (SLs) are newly discovered plant hormones that regulate plant growth and development including shoot branching. They also stimulate symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Rice has at least three genes that are involved in SL synthesis (D10, D17/HTD1 and D27) and at least two genes that are involved in SL signaling (D3) and SL signaling or downstream metabolism (D14/D88/HTD2).

Rice shoot branching requires an ATP-binding cassette subfamily G protein.

* Shoot branching is important for the establishment of plant architecture and productivity. * Here, characterization of rice (Oryza sativa) reduced culm number 1 (rcn1) mutants revealed that Rcn1 positively controls shoot branching by promoting the outgrowth of lateral shoots. Molecular studies revealed that Rcn1 encodes a novel member of ATP-binding cassette protein subfamily G (ABCG subfamily), also known as the white-brown complex (WBC) subfamily, and is designated OsABCG5.

Rice tillering dwarf mutant dwarf3 has increased leaf longevity during darkness-induced senescence or hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death.

Senescence or cell death in plant leaves is known to be inducible by darkness or H(2)O(2). When the Arabidopsis gene MAX2/ORE9 is disrupted, leaf senescence or cell death in response to the above stimuli is delayed. Because the rice (Oryza sativa L.

Genetic interaction between 2 tillering genes, reduced culm number 1 (rcn1) and tillering dwarf gene d3, in rice.

Mutant genes, reduced culm number 1 (rcn1) and bunketsuwaito tillering dwarf (d3), affect tiller number in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in opposite directions. The d3 mutant was reported to increase tiller number and reduce plant stature.

The Rc and Rd genes are involved in proanthocyanidin synthesis in rice pericarp.

Different colors, such as purple, brown, red and white, occur in the pericarp of rice. Here, two genes affecting proanthocyanidin synthesis in red- and brown-colored rice were elucidated. Genetic segregation analysis suggested that the Rd and A loci are identical, and both encode dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR).

Suppression of tiller bud activity in tillering dwarf mutants of rice.

In this study, we analyzed five tillering dwarf mutants that exhibit reduction of plant stature and an increase in tiller numbers. We show that, in the mutants, axillary meristems are normally established but the suppression of tiller bud activity is weakened. The phenotypes of tillering dwarf mutants suggest that they play roles in the control of tiller bud dormancy to suppress bud activity.