Sun Zong-xiu

Somaclonal genetics of rice, Oryza sativa L.

SummaryThe inheritance and variations of some traits of more than 2,000 somatic cell derived plants of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were investigated in the second and third generations (T2 and T3) of regenerated plants (somaclones). The percentages of multiploids occurring in somaclones ranged from 0–13.3 in nine varieties (or hybrids) of ‘Hsien’ (indica) group, but no multiploid was found in nine varieties (or hybrid) of ‘Keng’ (japonica) group. A dwarf mutant with the height of only 20 cm was isolated in the T2 of ‘Tai-Zhong-Yu 39’. Genetic analysis indicated that it was controlled by a single recessive gene. The frequencies of chlorophyll mutations probably controlled by cytoplasmic genes decreased gradually with the advance of generations. The variations of five quantitative traits — plant height, grain weight, etc. — in 950 T2 pedigree lines of four varieties were also studied. Only 24.4% of the lines were normal in all the traits studied. Variation frequencies of different traits were from 11.5% to 39.5%. And there was an obvious tendency for the plant height to become shorter, number of productive tillers to increase and 1,000 grain weight to be lighter, whatever the variety studied. Traits were uniform within each of more than 90% of all T2 lines studied. What is more interesting, variations phenotyped in T2 proved to breed true. Causes of somaclonal variations are discussed, as well as their potentials in breeding.

Enhancing rice resistance to fungal pathogens by transformation with cell wall degrading enzyme genes from Trichoderma atroviride

Three genes encoding for fungal cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs),ech42, nag70 andglu78 from the biocontrol fungusTrichoderma atroviride were inserted into the binary vector pCAMBIA1305.2 singly and in all possible combinations and transformed to rice plants. More than 1800 independently regenerated plantlets in seven different populations (for each of the three genes and each of the four gene combinations) were obtained. Theech42 gene encoding for an endochitinase increased resistance to sheath blight caused byRhizoctonia solani, while the exochitinase-encoding gene,nag70, had lesser effect. The expression level of endochitinase but exochitinase was correlated with disease resistance. Nevertheless, exochitinase enhanced the effect of endochitinase on disease resistance when the two genes co-expressed in transgenics. Resistance toMagnaporthe grisea was found in all kinds of regenerated plants including that with singlegluc78. A few lines expressing eitherech42 ornag70 gene were immune to the disease. Transgenic plants are being tested to further evaluate disease resistance at field level. This is the first report of multiple of expression of genes encoding CWDEs fromTrichoderma atroviride that result in resistance to blast and sheath blight in rice.

Transgene expression in Chinese sweetgum driven by the salt induced expressed promoter

Conventional breeding of Chinese sweetgum is constrained by its long-reproductive cycle, which includes long-juvenile periods, and by its complex reproductive characteristics, including self-incompatibility and a high degree of heterozygosis. Like other tree species, sweetgum has undergone relatively little domestication; the methodology described here in illustrates the possibility of transforming Liquidambar formosana L. obtained from leafy explants using Agrobacter tumefaciens. PCR and Southern blotting show that foreign gene had integrated to genomic DNA. The results indicated that superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities increased with the stress time in all treated plants and these activities of the transgenic plant were stably higher than those of the control. RT-PCR showed that BADH expressed strongly induced by NaCl. The present study showed that the Rd29A promoter is able to direct osmotant gene expression when plant was exposed to salt, cold, and drought stress, with the advantage that expression was absent or undetectable in natural grow phase.

Determination of critical temperatures and panicle development stage for fertility change of thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line ‘5460S’

SummaryThe effect of a 1–5 day low temperature treatment applied at different stages during panicle development on the male sterility of 5460S, a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line (TGMSR), was studied. Before and after the period of low temperature treatments the plants were continuously grown under 14.75 h daylength and 29.6° C average temperature (max. 33° C/min. 29° C) in growth chambers in order to avoid any other possible influences on the male sterility. The results indicate that the plant responses to low temperature was dependant on the developmental stage of the young panicle. The stages from formation of pollen mother cell to late uninucleate of pollen grains were the most sensitive to temperature. It is concluded that the critical temperature for the fertility change from male sterile to partially fertile in ‘5460S’ is about 28.5° C in the sensitive panicle development stages under the condition studied.

Preliminary study on a gravity-insensitive rice mutant.

A gravity-insensitive mutant was isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghua 11) transformed byAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The mutant’s shoot growth (prostrate growth) was insensitive to gravity; whereas root growth displayed a normal positive gravitropism. Histological observation of root caps and leaf sheaths indicated that there was no significant difference in the number and size of amyloplasts in cells of the mutant and cells of the wild type.

The Effect of Thermo-Photo Period for Donor Plant Growth on Anther Culture of Indica Rice

Donor plants of rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp.indica. C.V. Si-Xi-Zhan) were grown in 9 phytotrons with a 3 thermoperiods (average temperature 29.7°C, 25.7°C or 23.5°C) ×3 photoperiods (14.75h, 14.00h or 13.25h) design. It was found that the callus initiation rate was higher if plants grew under mid or short photoperiod and mid or low temperature. The highest one was 42.24% under the condition of 25.7°C/14.00 h. The frequency of green plantlet regeneration was more that 20% under the conditions of 23.5°C or 25.7°C/13.25 h. The ratio of green plantlet to albino was also higher under short photoperiod condition. The suitable season for indica anther culture was discussed.