T-DNA insertion mutants of Arabidopsis DA1 orthologous genes displayed altered plant height and yield-related traits in rice (O. Sativa L.).

Background: The Arabidopsis DA1 gene is a key player in the regulation of organ and seed development. To extend our understanding of its functional counterparts in rice, this study investigates the roles of orthologous genes, namely DA1, HDR3, HDR3.1, and the DA2 ortholog GW2, through the analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants.

Interaction of and alleles increases amylose content and alters physico-chemical properties in rice ( L.).

Four near-isogenic lines (NILs) with different allele combinations of the () and () were developed by crossing the rice cultivars "Dodamssal" and "Hwayeong." The associations between sequence variations in and , and starch-related traits were investigated. These sequence variations led to changes in seed morphology, starch structure, starch crystallinity, amylopectin chain length distribution, digestibility, apparent amylose content (AAC), and resistant starch content (RS).

A Novel Embryo Phenotype Associated With Interspecific Hybrid Weakness in Rice Is Controlled by the MADS-Domain Transcription Factor .

A novel hybrid weakness gene, , associated with a dark tip embryo (DTE) trait, was observed in CR6078, an introgression line derived from a cross between the spp. "Hwayeong" (HY) and the wild relative . CR6078 seeds exhibit protruding embryos and flowers have altered inner floral organs.

Epicuticular Wax Rice Mutants Show Reduced Resistance to Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Plant structural traits can act as barriers for herbivore attachment, feeding, and oviposition. In particular, epicuticular waxes (EWs) on the aerial surfaces of many land plants offer protection from biotic and abiotic stresses. In rice (Oryza sativa L.

Natural variation in rice ascorbate peroxidase gene APX9 is associated with a yield-enhancing QTL cluster.

We previously identified a cluster of yield-related quantitative trait loci (QTLs) including plant height in CR4379, a near-isogenic line from a cross between Oryza sativa spp. japonica cultivar 'Hwaseong' and the wild relative Oryza rufipogon. Map-based cloning and transgenic approaches revealed that APX9, which encodes an l-ascorbate peroxidase 4, is associated with this cluster.

A RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, Controls Chlorophyll Content and Dark-Induced Senescence in Rice.

Leaf senescence is the final stage of plant development. Many internal and external factors affect the senescence process in rice ( L.).

Morphological and starch characteristics of the rice mutant variety Seolgaeng for dry-milled flour.

Producing good-quality, fine rice flour is more difficult than wheat flour because the rice grain is harder. The non-glutinous -type variety Seolgaeng, derived from N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) mutagenesis, and four other varieties, representing a range of amylose contents, were evaluated in this study. Dry-milled Seolgaeng rice flour exhibited an average particle size that is <70 μm, a more uniform particle-size proportion than other varieties.

Efficient Genome-Wide Detection and Cataloging of EMS-Induced Mutations Using Exome Capture and Next-Generation Sequencing.

Chemical mutagenesis efficiently generates phenotypic variation in otherwise homogeneous genetic backgrounds, enabling functional analysis of genes. Advances in mutation detection have brought the utility of induced mutant populations on par with those produced by insertional mutagenesis, but systematic cataloguing of mutations would further increase their utility. We examined the suitability of multiplexed global exome capture and sequencing coupled with custom-developed bioinformatics tools to identify mutations in well-characterized mutant populations of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Identification of SNPs in closely related Temperate Japonica rice cultivars using restriction enzyme-phased sequencing.

Very low polymorphism in the germplasm typically used by breeding programs poses a significant bottleneck with regards to molecular breeding and the exploitation of breeding materials for quantitative trait analyses. California rice cultivars, derived from a very small base of temperate japonica germplasm and having a relatively brief breeding history, are a good example. In this study, we employed a reduced representation sequencing approach called Restriction Enzyme Site Comparative Analysis (RESCAN) to simultaneously identify and genotype single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in forty-five rice cultivars representing the majority of the 100 year-old breeding history in California.

Generation of rice mutants by chemical mutagenesis.

Chemical mutagenesis of rice has been used extensively to generate useful genetic variation for the purpose of breeding improved varieties. More recently, advances in high-throughput genotyping platforms have enabled the efficient detection of point mutations generated by chemical agents. This in turn has renewed interest in using traditional chemical mutagenesis to generate mutant populations for gene discovery and functional characterization.

Reference genome-independent assessment of mutation density using restriction enzyme-phased sequencing.

Background: The availability of low cost sequencing has spurred its application to discovery and typing of variation, including variation induced by mutagenesis. Mutation discovery is challenging as it requires a substantial amount of sequencing and analysis to detect very rare changes and distinguish them from noise. Also challenging are the cases when the organism of interest has not been sequenced or is highly divergent from the reference.

Identification of genes necessary for wild-type levels of seed phytic acid in Arabidopsis thaliana using a reverse genetics approach.

The majority of phosphorus (P) in seeds is found in phytic acid (InsP(6)) which accumulates as the mixed salt phytate. InsP(6) is generally considered to be an anti-nutrient and the development of low phytic acid (lpa) seed crops is of significant interest. We have employed a reverse genetics approach to examine the impact of disrupting genes involved in inositol phosphate metabolism on Arabidopsis seed InsP(6) levels.

Discovery of rare mutations in populations: TILLING by sequencing.

Discovery of rare mutations in populations requires methods, such as TILLING (for Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes), for processing and analyzing many individuals in parallel. Previous TILLING protocols employed enzymatic or physical discrimination of heteroduplexed from homoduplexed target DNA. Using mutant populations of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum durum), we developed a method based on Illumina sequencing of target genes amplified from multidimensionally pooled templates representing 768 individuals per experiment.

Cold sensitivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is strongly correlated with a naturally occurring I99V mutation in the multifunctional glutathione transferase isoenzyme GSTZ2.

GSTZs [Zeta class GSTs (glutathione transferases)] are multifunctional enzymes that belong to a highly conserved subfamily of soluble GSTs found in species ranging from fungi and plants to animals. GSTZs are known to function as MAAIs [MAA (maleylacetoacetate) isomerases], which play a role in tyrosine catabolism by catalysing the isomerization of MAA to FAA (fumarylacetoacetate). As tyrosine metabolism in plants differs from animals, the significance of GSTZ/MAAI is unclear.

Genetic analysis of two OsLpa1-like genes in Arabidopsis reveals that only one is required for wild-type seed phytic acid levels.

Phytic acid (inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate or InsP(6)) is the primary storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds. The rice OsLpa1 encodes a novel protein required for wild-type levels of seed InsP(6) and was identified from a low phytic acid (lpa) mutant exhibiting a 45-50% reduction in seed InsP(6). OsLpa1 is highly conserved in plants and Arabidopsis contains two OsLpa1-like genes, At3g45090 and At5g60760.

Discovery of chemically induced mutations in rice by TILLING.

Background: Rice is both a food source for a majority of the world's population and an important model system. Available functional genomics resources include targeted insertion mutagenesis and transgenic tools. While these can be powerful, a non-transgenic, unbiased targeted mutagenesis method that can generate a range of allele types would add considerably to the analysis of the rice genome.

Fine mapping of the rice low phytic acid (Lpa1) locus.

Phytic acid is the primary storage form of phosphorus (P) in cereal grains. In addition to being essential for normal seedling growth and development, phytic acid plays an important role in human and animal nutrition. The rice low phytic acid mutation lpa1 results in a 45% reduction in seed phytic acid with a molar equivalent increase in inorganic P.

Genetic structure and diversity in Oryza sativa L.

The population structure of domesticated species is influenced by the natural history of the populations of predomesticated ancestors, as well as by the breeding system and complexity of the breeding practices exercised by humans. Within Oryza sativa, there is an ancient and well-established divergence between the two major subspecies, indica and japonica, but finer levels of genetic structure are suggested by the breeding history. In this study, a sample of 234 accessions of rice was genotyped at 169 nuclear SSRs and two chloroplast loci.

Construction and characterization of a soybean yeast artificial chromosome library and identification of clones for the Rps6 region.

We report the construction and characterization of the first soybean yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) library using high-molecular weight DNA isolated from leaf nuclei of the cultivar Conrad 94 that carries Phytophthora resistance genes Rps1-k and Rps6. The quality of this library has been evaluated through analysis of 393 randomly selected YAC clones. The library consists of 36864 clones, of which approximately 19956 carry single soybean YACs with an average size of about 285 kb.