Comparison of QTL for Grain Number per Panicle in Three Populations Sharing 3 Parents and Fine Mapping of Gnlc

Complex traits, such as yield components, are inherited in a quantitative manner and typically controlled by quantitative trait loci （QTL）. Grain number per panicle （GN） is an important component of yield in rice and has been studied for QTL mapping in our lab （Yu et al., 1997; Xing et al., 2002）. Further discovery of QTL for GN and fine mapping will provide rich of gene resources for high yield breeding by marker assistant selection. Gene cloning is helpful to understand the biological mechanism underlying GN and instruct the application of gene engineering in rice yield breeding. In recent years, near-isogenic lines （NILs） for grain number have been reported for gene fine mapping （Tian et al., 2006; Zhang et al., 2006） and gene cloning （Ashikari et al., 2005）. However, so far, this kind of research is insufficiency for systematically elucidating the genetic bases and regulatory mechanism involved in GN. In this study, we compare the locations and genetic effects of QTL for GN detected in three sets of recombinant inbred line populations （RILs） sharing three parents, and fine map a new major QTL, Gnlc, commonly detected in the 3 populations.     

Validation of Molecular Markers and Haplotype Diversity at the SalTol Locus on Chromosome 1 of Rice

Rice （Oryza sativa L.） is the most important economic activity on earth as it is second largest single use of the land for food production and also consumed by the half of the world＇s population. Salinity is the one of the most common abiotic problem in rice growing areas of the world. Millions of hectares in the tropics, arid and semi arid region could be potential rice growing areas but either left idle or cropped with very low yielding varieties due to the lack of suitable salt tolerant high yielding modem varieties.     

Characterization of Leaf Photosynthetic Properties for No-Tillage Rice

A study was conducted to determine the influence of no-tillage cultivation on leaf photosynthesis of rice plants under field conditions. Experiments with the treatments, no-tillage and conventional tillage were carried out at three locations (Jiaxing, Hangzhou, and Xiaoshan, Zhejiang Province, China) for two years (2005 and 2006). Grain yield was constant in Jiaxing, but slightly higher in Hangzhou and Xiaoshan under no-tillage cultivation than that under conventional cultivation. In comparison with the conventional cultivation, no-tillage cultivation showed less biomass accumulation before heading and higher capacity of matter production during grain filling. A significantly higher leaf net photosynthetic rate was observed for the plants under no-tillage than for those under conventional tillage. The fluorescence parameter (Fv/Fm) in leaf did not show any difference between the two cultivations. The effect of cultivation management on transpiration rate (Tr) and SPAD value of rice leaf was dependent on the location and year.     

“合为贵”的五彩米

<正>按时下的行情,普通水稻的收购价是每500克0.8元,而安徽省凤台县顾桥镇农民最高的卖到了3元钱,这是什么稻子呢?莫非是一个新品种?记者发现当地农民有的种绿米、有的种是黑稻,除了种绿稻黑稻,还     

Natural Homologous Triploidization and DNA Methylation in SARII-628, a Twin-seedling Line of Rice （Oryza sativa）

A total of five pairs of diploid-triploid twin-seedlings (a diploid seedling and a triploid seedling emerged from a grain) were selected out from 4500 pairs of seedlings from SARII-628, a twin-seedling rice line. SSR analysis indicated that no difference between the diploid seedling and corresponding triploid seedling in a twin-seedling was found at the 310 loci, indicating that there was no obvious change in DNA primary structure. A modified AFLP technique ‘MSAP (methylation-sensitive AFLP)’ was used to analyze methylation mutation. Although no methylation mutation was noted among the five diploids, 29 methylation mutation loci were found from the corresponding triploids. This suggested that methylation mutation happened rapidly on M0 generation after natural homologous triploidization. The mutations were classified into 10 types, including 3 increased types, 3 decreased types and 4 undecided types of methylation-degrees. The bands of 22 loci were sequenced and then those sequences were searched through website. The result showed that the methylation mutation involved into the whole rice genome and the 12 pairs of chromosomes. The mutation trend was site-related and there were different mutation loci for different triploids, which foretold that SARII-628 would have different evolution fates after natural homologous triploidization.     

ISSR Analysis on Genetic Diversity of the 34 Populations of Oryza meyeriana Distributing in Yunnan Province,China

The genetic diversity of the 34 populations of wild rice Oryza meyeriana Baill. distributed in Yunnan Province, China was analyzed using 13 inter-simple sequence repeat （ISSR） markers. A total of 168 bands were amplified, of which 135 polymorphic bands were discovered and the percentage of polymorphic bands （PPB） was 80.36%. A genetic diversity was revealed as Nei＇s gene diversity （H） = 0.2666 and Shannon information index （I） = 0.4028 at population level. The 34 populations were divided into different groups based on administrative regions, latitude and longitudes, river areas, altitudes of their origins, and their indexes such as Na （number of alleles）, Ne （effective number of alleles）, H, I and PPB were calculated. Richer genetic diversity was found in the wild rice populations distributed in Simao Prefecture than that in Lingcang Prefecture or Xishuangbanna Prefecture whereas the least genetic diversity was in Baoshan Prefecture or Dehong Prefecture. Rich genetic diversity was also discovered in the wild rice populations originated from higher than 710 m altitude around the middle and lower reaches of the Lancang River belonging to the Pacific Ocean drainage system. The 34 populations could be classified into two groups, one group covered the wild rice distributing in Simao Prefecture only while the other group covered ones in Lingcang, Xishuangbanna and Dehong Prefectures. The issue on how to effectively conserve the wild rice germplasm was discussed.     

Accurate Measurement of Pasting Temperature by the Rapid Visco-Analyser： a Case Study Using Rice Flour

Pasting properties are among the most important characteristics of starch, determining its applications in food processing and other industries. Pasting temperature derived from the Rapid Visco-analyser (RVA) (Newport Scientific), in most cases, is overestimated by the Thermocline for Windows software program. Here, two methods facilitating accurate measurement of pasting temperature by RVA were described. One is to change parameter setting to ‘screen’ the true point where the pasting viscosity begins to increase, the other is to manually record the time (T1) when the pasting viscosity begins to increase and calculate the pasting temperature with the formula of (45/3.8)×(T1–1)+50 for rice flour. The latter method gave a manually determined pasting temperature which was significantly correlated with the gelatinization temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry.     

Construction and Testing of a Primary Microsatellite Database of Major Rice Varieties in China

Sixty-three major inbred varieties and parental lines of major F1 hybrids used in the commercial rice production in China were assayed with rice microsatellites screened in a previous study and additional microsatellites on four chromosomes. A set of 24 markers was selected and proposed for its application in the variety identification of rice, which are distributed on all the 12 rice chromosomes with 2 markers on each chromosome. The 63 major varieties and parental lines, as well as 41 major F1 hybrids, were genotyped with the markers. Alleles detected in each line at each marker locus were verified. By matching marker genotypes of corresponding F1, maternal and paternal lines of hybrid rice, high reliability of the maternal lines was verified, data on the paternal lines were modified, and a false hybrid was removed. A database containing genotype data of 103 major rice varieties and parental lines at the 24 marker loci was constructed and analyzed.     

Effects of Nitrogen Application Time on Caryopsis Development and Grain Quality of Rice Variety Yangdao 6

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of different nitrogen application time(during the tillering or the booting stages)with the same nitrogen rates on the caryopsis development and grain quality of rice variety Yangdao 6.The increased nitrogen fertilizer(urea),especially applied during the booting stage,could evidently increase the milled rice rate,head rice rate and protein content in rice grains compared with the control(no nitrogen application),and decrease chalky grain rate and amylose content.Moreover,the increased nitrogen fertilizer significantly affected the caryopsis development and enhanced the grain weight when nitrogen applied during the tillering and the booting stages,especially during the booting stage.During caryopsis development the increased nitrogen fertilizer applied during the tillering and booting stages could obviously decrease the total starch and amylose contents,but not obviously for the amylopectin content in rice grain.Increased topdressing of nitrogen fertilizer,especially applied during the booting stage,had significant effect on the development and structures of amyloplasts and proteinoplasts.That is,it could change the distribution,number and shape of amyloplasts and proteinoplasts in the endosperm cells especially in grain abdomen.Compared with the control the arrangements of amyloplasts and proteinoplasts were closer,with more numbers,higher density and less interspaces each ohter.Furthermore,most amyloplasts showed polyhedron under the increased nitrogen fertilizer level.     

Discovery of and Preliminary studies on a Rapid-Leafing Rice Genotype at the Vegetative Growth Stage

The leafing rates of fourteen rice varieties were measured in a sowing-time experiment, and a rapid leafing genotype at the vegetative growth stage was discovered in an indica variety Yanhui 559. The leaf number on the main culm of Yanhui 559 was always 4-5 leaves more than that of Lemont, and the leafing rate of Yanhui 559 was significantly higher than that of Lemont based on similar growth durations from sowing to heading. Furthermore, the difference of the leafing rate was significant at the vegetative growth stage, but not distinctive at the panicle initiation stage. Genetic analysis of the leafing rates in the two backcross populations of Yanhui 559 and Lemont showed that major and quantitative genes controlled the expression of rapid leafing character. Based on results of investigation for some plants with similar growth durations in the backcrossing populations, the rapid leafing genotypes exhibited earlier tillering and more tiller numbers per plant, and its yield components including the number of panicles per plant and number of grains per panicle were superior to those of the slow leafing genotypes. Further research and application feasibility of the rapid leafing genotype in breeding were discussed.