Transcriptome profiling of two super hybrid rice provides insights into the genetic basis of heterosis.

Background: Heterosis is a phenomenon that hybrids show superior performance over their parents. The successful utilization of heterosis has greatly improved rice productivity, but the molecular basis of heterosis remains largely unclear.

Results: Here, the transcriptomes of young panicles and leaves of the two widely grown two-line super hybrid rice varieties (Jing-Liang-You-Hua-Zhan (JLYHZ) and Long-Liang-You-Hua-Zhan (LLYHZ)) and their parents were analyzed by RNA-seq.

Validating a segment on chromosome 7 of japonica for establishing low-cadmium accumulating indica rice variety.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of rice is a serious food safety issue that has recently been gaining significant public attention. Therefore, reduction of Cd accumulation in rice grains is an important objective of rice breeding. The use of favourable alleles of Cd accumulating genes using marker-assisted selection (MAS) is theoretically feasible.

The rice "fruit-weight 2.2-like" gene family member OsFWL4 is involved in the translocation of cadmium from roots to shoots.

Heterogeneous expression of the rice genes "fruit-weight 2.2-like" (OsFWL) affects Cd resistance in yeast, and OsFWL4 mediates the translocation of Cd from roots to shoots. Cadmium (Cd) induces chronic and toxic effects in humans.

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of "fruit-weight 2.2-like" gene family in rice.

Tomato fruit-weight 2.2 (FW2.2) was reported to control up to 30 % fruit weight.