Jiawu Zhou

Molecular mapping of a pollen killer gene S29(t) in Oryza glaberrima and co-linear analysis with S22 in O. glumaepatula

Two species in genus Oryza, O. glaberrima and O. glumaepatula, are valuable and potential sources of useful genes of interest for rice improvement. However, the hybrid sterility between O. sativa and these two species is a main reproduction barrier when transferring the favorable traits/genes to mbox{O. sativa.} To overcome it, the nature of hybrid sterility should be understood further. The objective in the report is to map a new hybrid sterility gene as a Mendelian factor from O. glaberrima and analyze the co-linear of hybrid sterility S loci mbox{between} mbox{O. glaberrima} and mbox{O. glumaepatula} via comparative mapping approach. A BC2F2 population, derived from a single semi-sterility plant of BC2F1 of WAB56-104/ WAB450-11-1-2-P41-HB (WAB450-6) //WAB56-104///WAB56-104 was employed to map this pollen killer in O. glaberrima since WAB450-6 is a progeny of interspecific hybrid between O. sativa and O. glaberrima. A new pollen killer locus, S29(t) in O. glaberrima, was identified and mapped to interval between SSR marker RM7033 (1.1 cM) and RM7562 (1.3 cM) on rice chromosome 2. Comparative mapping indicated that S29(t) closely corresponded to S22 which is also a pollen killer gene in O. glumaepatula and is tightly linked with RFLP marker S910 on the short arm of rice chromosome 2. The good co-linear between S29(t) and S22 implied that there might exist common (orthologous) hybrid sterility loci controlled the reproduction barrier among AA genome species of genus Oryza, which will contribute significantly to our understanding of speciation and operation of hybrid sterility between O. sativa and its AA genome relatives.

Mapping three new interspecific hybrid sterile loci between Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima

Hybrid sterility hinders the transfer of useful traits between Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima. In order to further understand the nature of interspecific hybrid sterility between these two species, a strategy of multi-donors was used to elucidate the range of interspecific hybrid sterility in this study. Fifty-nine accessions of O. glaberrima were used as female parents for hybridization with japonica cultivar Dianjingyou 1, after several backcrossings using Dianjingyou 1 as the recurrent parent and 135 BC6F1 sterile plants were selected for genotyping and deducing hybrid sterility QTLs. BC6F1 plants containing heterozygous target markers were selected and used to raise BC7F1 mapping populations for QTL confirmation and as a result, one locus for gamete elimination on chromosome 1 and two loci for pollen sterility on chromosome 4 and 12, which were distinguished from previous reports, were confirmed and designated as S37(t), S38(t) and S39(t), respectively. These results will be valuable for understanding the range of interspecific hybrid sterility, cloning these genes and improving rice breeding through gene introgression.

A new gene controlling hybrid sterility between Oryza sativa and Oryza longistaminata

Oryza longistaminata is an excellent gene pool to improve Asian cultivated rice Oryza sativa. However, hybrid sterility between O. longistaminata and O. sativa hinders application of desirable genes in rice production. In order to further understand the nature of interspecific hybrid sterility between these two species, near isogenic lines (NILs) were raised with RD23, an indica cultivar from Thailand, as background and an accession of O. longistaminata as donor. Using two NIL/RD23 F2 populations, a new pollen sterility gene, denoted as HYBRID STERILITY 44(t) or S44(t) in abbreviation, was mapped between simple sequence repeat markers RM5814 and RM20695 on the long arm of rice chromosome 6. The genetic pattern of S44(t) follows one-locus allelic interaction model. The interaction between S44(t)-sativa and S44(t)-longistaminata leads to partial abortion of male gametes carrying the allele of S44(t)-sativa in the heterozygotes, but the spikelet fertility is not affected by S44(t).

Inheritance and mapping of male sterility restoration gene in upland japonica restorer lines

Several upland Japonica breeding lines, WAB450-11-1-3-P40-HB (Abbreviated as WAB450-11), WAB450-11-1-2-P61-HB (WAB450-13), WAB450-l-B-P-91-HB (WAB450-14), IRAT216, IRAT359, and IRAT104, possessing restoring ability for the Dian 1 type cms (cms-D) line Dianyu 1A were recently identified at Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, P. R. China. In this study, the inheritance of restoring ability in these lines was characterized through the production of backcross populations to the male-sterile and maintainer Dianyu 1 lines. Each of the restorer lines was used to pollinate Dianyu 1A to form a F1 hybrid which was then backcrossed (1) with Dianyu 1B producing a BC1F1 population and (2) to the female parent Dianyu 1A producing a BC5F2 population. The lines were also crossed with the japonica restorer line C57, carrying the restorer gene Rf1 that was introgressed from indica, to form F1 hybrids, these hybrids were then testcrossed with Dianyu 1A to study the allelic relationship of their restorer genes to Rf1. The inheritance in these testcross populations indicated that the complete restoring ability of WAB450-11, WAB450-13, WAB450-14, IRAT216, IRAT359, and the partial restoring ability of IRAT104 were controlled by dominant genes, and the gene in WAB450-13, WAB450-14, and IRAT216 was allelic or identical to Rf1. When 136 SSR markers were used to score 143 BC1F1 individuals from Dianyu 1A/WAB450-13//Dianyu 1B, the japonica Rf1 allele was found to be located between RM171 and RM6100 on the long arm of chromosome 10, an interval corresponding to that known for the indica Rf1 allele. The distance between RM171 and Rf1 is 2.8 cM, and that between Rf1 and RM6100 is 4.9 cM. Similar linkage results were obtained from mapping 89 individuals of the corresponding BC5F2 population (Dianyu 1A/6/Dianyu 1A/WAB450-13).

Cytoplasm affects grain weight and filled-grain ratio in indica rice.

BackgroundCytoplasmic effects on agronomic traits -involving cytoplasmic and nuclear genomes of either different species or different cultivars - are well documented in wheat but have seldom been demonstrated in rice (Oryza sativa L.). To detect cytoplasmic effects, we introgressed the nuclear genomes of three indica cultivars - Guichao 2, Jiangchengkugu, and Dianrui 449 - into the cytoplasms of six indica cultivars - Dijiaowujian, Shenglixian, Zhuzhan, Nantehao, Aizizhan, and Peta. These 18 nuclear substitution lines were evaluated during the winter season of 2005 in Sanya, Hainan, China, and during the summer season of 2006 in Kunming, Yunnan, China. The effects of 6 cytoplasm sources, 3 nucleus sources, 2 locations and their interactions were estimated for plant height, panicle length, panicle number per plant, spikelet number per panicle, grain weight, filled-grain ratio, and yield per plot.ResultsFor five of the seven traits, analysis of variance showed that there were no significant cytoplasmic effects or interactions involving cytoplasmic effects. The effect of cytoplasm on 1000-grain weight was highly significant. Mean 1000-grain weight over the two locations in four of the six cytoplasms clustered close to the overall mean, whereas plants with Nantehao cytoplasm had a high, and those with Peta cytoplasm a low mean grain weight. There was a highly significant three-way interaction affecting filled-grain ratio. At Sanya, cytoplasms varied in very narrow ranges within nuclear backgrounds. Strong cytoplasmic effects were observed only at Kunming and in only two of the three nuclear backgrounds; in the Jianchenkugu nuclear background, there was no evidence of strong cytoplasmic effects at either location. In the Dianrui 449 and Guichao 2 nuclear background evaluated at Kunming, filled-grain ratios of the six cytoplasms showed striking rank shiftsConclusionsWe detected cytoplasmic variation for two agronomically important traits in indica rice. The cytoplasm source had a significant effect on grain weight across the two experimental locations. There was also a significant cytoplasmic effect on filled-grain ratio, but only in two of three nuclear background and at one of the two locations. The results extend our previous findings with japonica rice, suggesting that the selection of appropriate cytoplasmic germplasm is broadly important in rice breeding, and that cytoplasmic effects on some traits, such as filled-grain ratio, cannot be generalized; effects should be evaluated in the nuclear backgrounds of interest and at multiple locations.

Mapping QTLs for hybrid sterility in three AA genome wild species of Oryza.

In order to know the genetic nature of hybrid sterility further, three populations, a BC4F2 population derived from Oryza nivara crossed with Yundao 1, a BC4F2 population derived from O. rufipogon crossed with Yundao 1, and a BC10F1 population derived from a cross between O. barthii and Dianjingyou 1 were developed, respectively. Three hybrid sterility QTLs, qHS-6a, qHS-6b, and qHS-6c, detected from those three populations, were mapped into the region between RM190 and RM510, RM190 and RM3414, RM190 and RM587 on chromosome 6, respectively. These QTLs showed collinearity, and explained 88.24%, 61.52%, 44.46% of the phenotypic variance in pollen fertility and 80.60%, 35.20%, 29.01% of the phenotypic variance in spikelet fertility, respectively. In all three crosses, the gametes carrying Yundao 1 or Dianjingyou 1 alleles were eliminated by gametes carrying the wild species alleles. Comparison of the location and the mode of gene action of three QTLs correspond to the S1 locus indicates a common and conserved hybrid sterility locus in AA genome specie playing an important role in reproductive barriers in Oryza. Fine mapping of these QTLs would lead to understand the micro-collinearity and evolutionary relationship among Oryza species.

Molecular Mapping of Sterility QTLs qSS-3, qSS-6a and qSS-7 as Single Mendelian Factors via NIL strategy

Hybrid sterility between Oryza glaberrima and O. sativa seriously hampers the introgression of favorable genes from each other. In order to further understand this issue, identification and isolation of hybrid sterility QTLs as single Mendelian factors are an effective strategy. A genetic map was constructed using a BC1F1 population derived from a cross between an O. sativa japonica cultivar and an O. glaberrima accession. Four main-effect QTLs for pollen sterility were detected in the BC1F1. Five BC8F1 advanced backcross populations were developed via successive backcrosses based on phenotype and molecular selections. The BC8F1 populations showed bimodal distribution for pollen fertility and could be classified into semi-sterile and fertile types, fitting single Mendilian factor inheritance ratios. Three QTLs detected in the BC1F1 corresponding to qSS-3, qSS-6a and qSS-7 were mapped on chromosomes 6, 3 and 7, respectively, as single Mendilian factors.

Fine mapping of Pi57(t) conferring broad spectrum resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae in introgression line IL-E1454 derived from Oryza longistaminata

Wild species of the genus Oryza are excellent gene pools for improvement of agronomic traits of Asian cultivated rice. The blast resistance gene Pi57(t) in the introgression line IL-E1454 derived from Oryza longistaminata was previously mapped on rice chromosome 12. Inoculation with 322 Magnaporthe oryzae isolates collected from 6 countries indicated that Pi57(t) conferred broad spectrum resistance against M. oryzae. Two mapping populations consisting of 29070 and 10375 F2 plants derived from the crosses of resistant donor IL-E1454 with susceptible parents RD23 and Lijiangxintuanheigu respectively, were used for fine mapping of Pi57(t) locus. Based on genotyping and phenotyping results of recombinants screened from the two crosses, Pi57(t) was finally mapped to a 51.7-kb region flanked by two molecular markers (STS57-320 and STS57-372) on the short arm and close to the centromere of chromosome 12. Six candidate resistance genes were predicted in the target region according to the reference sequence of Nipponbare. These results could facilitate both marker-assisted selection for disease-resistant breeding and gene cloning.

Mapping of S56 (t) responsible for interspecific hybrid sterility between Oryza sativa and Oryza glumaepatula

Oryza glumaepatula originates from South America continent and contains many valuable traits, such as tolerance to abiotic stress, high yield and good cooking qualities. However, hybrid sterility severely hindered the utilization of favorable genes of O. glumaepatula by interspecific hybridization. In order to further understand the nature of hybrid sterility between O. sativa and O. glumaepatula, a near isogenic line (NIL) was developed using a japonica variety Dianjingyou 1 as the recurrent parent and an accession of O. glumaepatula as the donor parent. A novel gene S56(t) for pollen sterility was mapped into the region between RM20797 and RM1093 on the short arm of chromosome 7, the physical distance between the two markers was about 469 kb. The genetic behavior of S56(t) followed one-locus allelic interaction model, the male gametes carrying the alleles of O. sativa in the heterozygotes were aborted completely. These results would help us clone S56(t) gene and understand the role of S56(t) in interspecific sterility.

Seed Length Controlled by Same Locus in Four Different AA Genome Species of Genus Oryza

Abstract To broaden the genetic basis and overcome the yield plateau in Asian cultivated rice, the exploitation and utilization of favorable alleles from rice species with the AA genome has become important and urgent in modern breeding programs. Four different interspecific populations were used to detect quantitative trait locus (QTL) for seed length, including a BC 4 F 2 population derived from Oryza glumaepatula crossed with Dianjingyou 1 (a japonica cultivar), a BC 4 F 2 population derived from O. nivara crossed with Dianjingyou 1, a BC 7 F 1 population derived from a cross between O. longistaminata and RD23 (an indica cultivar), and a BC 8 F 1 population derived from a cross between O. glaberrima and Dianjingyou 1. The QTLs for seed length in four different populations were termed as SL-3a, SL-3b, SL-3c and SL-3d , respectively. They had good collinearity and accounted for 49% to 60% of the phenotypic variations. Sequencing data indicated that four QTLs were different alleles of GS3 which were responsible for the seed length variation between O. sativa and its four AA genome relatives. These results will be valuable for confirming the evolution of GS3 and also be helpful for rice breeding.