Development of SNP genotyping assays for heading date in rice.

Heading date (HD) is a crucial agronomic trait, controlled by multiple loci, that conditions a range of geographical and seasonal adaptations in rice ( L.). Therefore, information on the HD genotypes of cross parents is essential in marker-assisted breeding programs.

Development of 12 sets of chromosome segment substitution lines that enhance allele mining in Asian cultivated rice.

Many agronomic traits that are important in rice breeding are controlled by multiple genes. The extensive time and effort devoted so far to identifying and selecting such genes are still not enough to target multiple agronomic traits in practical breeding in Japan because of a lack of suitable plant materials in which to efficiently detect and validate beneficial alleles from diverse genetic resources. To facilitate the comprehensive analysis of genetic variation in agronomic traits among Asian cultivated rice, we developed 12 sets of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) with the background, 11 of them in the same genetic background, using donors representing the genetic diversity of Asian cultivated rice.

Duplication of a manganese/cadmium transporter gene reduces cadmium accumulation in rice grain.

Global contamination of soils with toxic cadmium (Cd) is a serious health threat. Here we found that a tandem duplication of a gene encoding a manganese/Cd transporter, OsNramp5, was responsible for low-Cd accumulation in Pokkali, an old rice cultivar. This duplication doubled the expression of OsNramp5 gene but did not alter its spatial expression pattern and cellular localization.

MORE PANICLES 3, a natural allele of OsTB1/FC1, impacts rice yield in paddy fields at elevated CO levels.

Improving crop yield potential through an enhanced response to rising atmospheric CO levels is an effective strategy for sustainable crop production in the face of climate change. Large-sized panicles (containing many spikelets per panicle) have been a recent ideal plant architecture (IPA) for high-yield rice breeding. However, few breeding programs have proposed an IPA under the projected climate change.

A MAPKKK gene from rice, RBG1res, confers resistance to Burkholderia glumae through negative regulation of ABA.

Burkholderia glumae causes bacterial seedling rot (BSR) of rice and is a threat to a consistent food supply. When previously screening for resistance against B. glumae in the resistant cultivar Nona Bokra (NB) versus the susceptible cultivar Koshihikari (KO), we detected a gene, Resistance to Burkholderia glumae 1 (RBG1), at a quantitative trait locus (QTL).

Genetic Elucidation for Response of Flowering Time to Ambient Temperatures in Asian Rice Cultivars.

Climate resilience of crops is critical for global food security. Understanding the genetic basis of plant responses to ambient environmental changes is key to developing resilient crops. To detect genetic factors that set flowering time according to seasonal temperature conditions, we evaluated differences of flowering time over years by using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) derived from rice cultivars "Koshihikari" × "Khao Nam Jen", each with different robustness of flowering time to environmental fluctuations.

Genomic Regions Involved in Differences in Eating and Cooking Quality Other than Wx and Alk Genes between indica and japonica Rice Cultivars.

Background: In temperate rice cultivation regions, japonica rice cultivars are grown preferentially because consumers deem them to have good eating quality, whereas indica rice cultivars have high grain yields and strong heat tolerance but are considered to have poor eating quality. To mitigate the effects of global warming on rice production, it is important to develop novel rice cultivars with both desirable eating quality and resilience to high temperatures. Eating quality and agronomic traits were evaluated in a reciprocal set of chromosome segment substitution lines derived from crosses between a japonica rice cultivar 'Koshihikari' and an indica rice cultivar 'Takanari'.

Evaluation of major rice cultivars for resistance to bacterial seedling rot caused by and identification of Japanese standard cultivars for resistance assessments.

causes bacterial seedling rot (BSR) and bacterial grain rot (BGR) in rice (), both of which are important diseases in Japan. We previously evaluated major Japanese cultivars for BGR resistance and selected standard cultivars for resistance assessments. Here, we assessed the BSR occurrence rate in cultivars from the World Rice Collection (WRC) and other sources and found wide variation in resistance.

Detection of heading date QTLs in advanced-backcross populations of an elite rice cultivar, IR64.

IR64 is one of the world's most popular rice cultivars. To collect genetic factors involved in controlling its heading date, we developed 70 reciprocal advanced-backcross populations with a total of 6284 individuals at the BCF generation from crosses between Koshihikari and IR64. We detected 29 QTLs associated with heading date on chromosomes 3, 5-8, 10, and 12.

Rapid DNA-genotyping system targeting ten loci for resistance to blast disease in rice.

The fungal pathogen causes blast, a severe disease of rice ( L.). Improving blast resistance is important in rice breeding programs.

Evaluation of major Japanese rice cultivars for resistance to bacterial grain rot caused by and identification of standard cultivars for resistance.

Bacterial grain rot (BGR), caused by the bacterial pathogen , is one of the most destructive rice () diseases in Japan; however, there are no BGR-resistant cultivars for use in Japan. We previously developed a cut-panicle inoculation method to assess the levels of BGR resistance in the World Rice Collection (WRC). Here, we evaluated major Japanese cultivars for BGR resistance and found that none showed "strong" or "medium to strong" resistance; most were categorized as "medium to weak".

Genetic dissection of pre-harvest sprouting resistance in an upland rice cultivar.

Seed dormancy is important in rice breeding because it confers resistance to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). To detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pre-harvest sprouting resistance, we used chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) derived from a cross between the Japanese upland rice cultivar 'Owarihatamochi' and the lowland rice cultivar 'Koshihikari'. In the CSSLs, several chromosomal regions were associated with PHS resistance.

Genomic adaptation of flowering-time genes during the expansion of rice cultivation area.

The diversification of flowering time in response to natural environments is critical for the spread of crops to diverse geographic regions. In contrast with recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of photoperiodic flowering in rice (Oryza sativa), little is known about how flowering-time diversification is structured within rice subspecies. By analyzing genome sequencing data and a set of 429 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) originating from 10 diverse rice accessions with wide distributions, we revealed diverse effects of allelic variations for common flowering-time quantitative trait loci in the recipient's background.

Fine Mapping of and , Quantitative Trait Loci Increasing Root Length in Rice.

The volume that the root system can occupy is associated with the efficiency of water and nutrient uptake from soil. Genetic improvement of root length, which is a limiting factor for root distribution, is necessary for increasing crop production. In this report, we describe identification of two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for maximal root length, () on chromosome 2 and on chromosome 6, in cultivated rice ( L.

Quantitative trait loci analysis of grain appearance in L. 'Emi-no-kizuna'.

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was conducted on grain appearance in Emi-no-kizuna, a rice cultivar that has superior and stable appearance of the brown rice grain and high tolerance to high temperature stress, by using F lines derived from Emi-no-kizuna and Tomohonami. The investigation was performed 2013 and 2015. In summer 2013 the air temperature was higher and the larger differences in grain appearance were observed.

Quantitative trait loci analysis of blast resistance in L. 'Hokuriku 193'.

To investigate the genetic background responsible for blast resistance in L. 'Hokuriku 193', QTL analysis was conducted using the F lines from the cross [ms-bo] Nekken 2 × Hokuriku 193 that were artificially infected with rice blast fungus (). QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 4, 6 and 12 that correlated with greater blast resistance in the Hokuriku 193-type lines.

Precise estimation of genomic regions controlling lodging resistance using a set of reciprocal chromosome segment substitution lines in rice.

Severe lodging has occurred in many improved rice varieties after the recent strong typhoons in East and Southeast Asian countries. The indica variety Takanari possesses strong culm characteristics due to its large section modulus, which indicates culm thickness, whereas the japonica variety Koshihikari is subject to substantial bending stress due to its thick cortical fibre tissue. To detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for lodging resistance and to eliminate the effects of genetic background, we used reciprocal chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) derived from a cross between Koshihikari and Takanari.

QTLs for Resistance to Major Rice Diseases Exacerbated by Global Warming: Brown Spot, Bacterial Seedling Rot, and Bacterial Grain Rot.

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), damage from diseases such as brown spot, caused by Bipolaris oryzae, and bacterial seedling rot and bacterial grain rot, caused by Burkholderia glumae, has increased under global warming because the optimal temperature ranges for growth of these pathogens are relatively high (around 30 °C). Therefore, the need for cultivars carrying genes for resistance to these diseases is increasing to ensure sustainable rice production.

Advanced backcross QTL analysis reveals complicated genetic control of rice grain shape in a japonica × indica cross.

Grain shape is an important trait for improving rice yield. A number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for this trait have been identified by using primary F2 mapping populations and recombinant inbred lines, in which QTLs with a small effect are harder to detect than they would be in advanced generations. In this study, we developed two advanced mapping populations (chromosome segment substitution lines [CSSLs] and BC4F2 lines consisting of more than 2000 individuals) in the genetic backgrounds of two improved cultivars: a japonica cultivar (Koshihikari) with short, round grains, and an indica cultivar (IR64) with long, slender grains.

Natural Variation in the Flag Leaf Morphology of Rice Due to a Mutation of the NARROW LEAF 1 Gene in Oryza sativa L.

We investigated the natural variations in the flag leaf morphology of rice. We conducted a principal component analysis based on nine flag leaf morphology traits using 103 accessions from the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences Core Collection. The first component explained 39% of total variance, and the variable with highest loading was the width of the flag leaf (WFL).

Genome-wide indel markers shared by diverse Asian rice cultivars compared to Japanese rice cultivar 'Koshihikari'.

Insertion-deletion (indel) polymorphisms, such as simple sequence repeats, have been widely used as DNA markers to identify QTLs and genes and to facilitate rice breeding. Recently, next-generation sequencing has produced deep sequences that allow genome-wide detection of indels. These polymorphisms can potentially be used to develop high-accuracy polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based markers.

Genetic architecture of variation in heading date among Asian rice accessions.

Background: Heading date, a crucial factor determining regional and seasonal adaptation in rice (Oryza sativa L.), has been a major selection target in breeding programs. Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular regulation of heading date in rice during last two decades, the previously isolated genes and identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) cannot fully explain the natural variation for heading date in diverse rice accessions.

QTLs underlying natural variation of root growth angle among rice cultivars with the same functional allele of DEEPER ROOTING 1.

Background: The functional allele of the rice gene DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) increases the root growth angle (RGA). However, wide natural variation in RGA is observed among rice cultivars with the functional DRO1 allele. To elucidate genetic factors related to such variation, we quantitatively measured RGA using the basket method and analyzed quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for RGA in three F2 mapping populations derived from crosses between the large RGA-type cultivar Kinandang Patong and each of three accessions with varying RGA: Momiroman has small RGA and was used to produce the MoK-F2 population; Yumeaoba has intermediate RGA (YuK-F2 population); Tachisugata has large RGA (TaK-F2 population).