QTL mapping and improvement of pre-harvest sprouting resistance using japonica weedy rice.

The stability of cultivation and production in terms of crop yield has been threatened by climate change due to global warming. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a threat to crops, especially staple foods, including rice, because of reductions in yield and quality. To address the problem of precocious germination before harvest, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for PHS using F8 RILs populations derived from japonica weedy rice in Korea. QTL analysis revealed that two stable QTLs, qPH7 and qPH2, associated with PHS resistance were identified on chromosomes 7 and 2, respectively, explaining approximately 38% of the phenotypic variation. The QTL effect in the tested lines significantly decreased the degree of PHS, based on the number of QTLs included. Through fine mapping for main QTL qPH7, the region for the PHS was found to be anchored within 23.575-23.785 Mbp on chromosome 7 using 13 cleaved amplified sequence (CAPS) markers. Among 15 open reading frames (ORFs) within the detected region, one ORF, Os07g0584366, exhibited upregulated expression in the resistant donor, which was approximately nine times higher than that of susceptible japonica cultivars under PHS-inducing conditions. Japonica lines with QTLs related to PHS resistance were developed to improve the characteristics of PHS and design practical PCR-based DNA markers for marker-assisted backcrosses of many other PHS-susceptible japonica cultivars.

Application of a Novel Quantitative Trait Locus Combination to Improve Grain Shape without Yield Loss in Rice (Oryza sativa L. spp. japonica).

Grain shape is one of the key factors deciding the yield product and the market value as appearance quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The grain shape of japonica cultivars in Korea is quite monotonous because the selection pressure of rice breeding programs works in consideration of consumer preference. In this study, we identified QTLs associated with grain shape to improve the variety of grain shapes in Korean cultivars. QTL analysis revealed that eight QTLs related to five tested traits were detected on chromosomes 2, 5, and 10. Among them, three QTLs-qGL2 (33.9% of PEV for grain length), qGW5 (64.42% for grain width), and qGT10 (49.2% for grain thickness)-were regarded as the main effect QTLs. Using the three QTLs, an ideal QTL combination (qGL2P + qGW5P + qGT10B) could be constructed on the basis of the accumulated QTL effect without yield loss caused by the change in grain shape in the population. In addition, three promising lines with a slender grain type were selected as a breeding resource with a japonica genetic background based on the QTL combination. The application of QTLs detected in this study could improve the grain shape of japonica cultivars without any linkage drag or yield loss.

Characterization and QTL Mapping of a Major Field Resistance Locus for Bacterial Blight in Rice.

Bacterial blight (BB) disease, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is among the major factors that can cause rice yields to decrease. To address BB disease, researchers have been looking for ways to change pesticides and cultivation methods, but developing resistant cultivars is the most effective method. However, the resistance and genetic factors of cultivars may be destroyed due to the emergence of new Xoo species caused by recent and rapid climate changes. Therefore, breeders need to identify resistance genes that can be sustained during unpredictable climate changes and utilized for breeding. Here, qBBR11, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for resistance to BB disease, was detected in KJ (Korea Japonica varieties) 11_067 to KJ11_068 on chromosome 11 in a population derived by crossing JJ (Jeonju) 623 and HR(High resistant)27,195, which possess similar genetic backgrounds but different degrees of resistance to BB disease. qBBR11 was reduced from 18.49-18.69 Mbp of chromosome 11 to 200 kbp segment franked. In this region, 16 candidate genes were detected, and we identified 24 moderate-impact variations and four high-impact variations. In particular, high-impact variations were detected in Os11g0517800 which encode the domain region of GCN2 which is the eIF-2-alpha kinase associated with the resistance of abiotic/biotic stress in rice. In JJ623, which is moderately resistant to BB disease, a stop codon was created due to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Therefore, compared with HR27195, JJ623 has weaker resistance to BB disease, though the two have similar genetic backgrounds. The results suggest that variation in the qBBR11 region regulates an important role in improving resistance to BB diseases, and qBBR11 is useful in providing an important resource for marker-assisted selection to improve mechanisms of resistance to BB disease.

Identification of QTL Combinations that Cause Spikelet Sterility in Rice Derived from Interspecific Crosses.

BACKGROUND: The exploitation of useful genes through interspecific and intersubspecific crosses has been an important strategy for the genetic improvement of rice. Postzygotic reproductive isolation routinely occurs to hinder the growth of pollen or embryo sacs during the reproductive development of the wide crosses. RESULT: In this study, we investigated the genetic relationship between the hybrid breakdown of the population and transferred resistance genes derived from wide crosses using a near-isogenic population composed of 225 lines. Five loci (qSS12, qSS8, qSS11, ePS6-1, and ePS6-2) associated with spikelet fertility (SF) were identified by QTL and epistatic analysis, and two out of five epistasis interactions were found between the three QTLs (qSS12, qSS8 and qSS11) and background marker loci (ePS6-1 and ePS6-2) on chromosome 6. The results of the QTL combinations suggested a genetic model that explains most of the interactions between spikelet fertility and the detected loci with positive or negative effects. Moreover, the major-effect QTLs, qSS12 and qSS8, which exhibited additive gene effects, were narrowed down to 82- and 200-kb regions on chromosomes 12 and 8, respectively. Of the 13 ORFs present in the target regions, Os12g0589400 and Os12g0589898 for qSS12 and OS8g0298700 for qSS8 induced significantly different expression levels of the candidate genes in rice at the young panicle stage. CONCLUSION: The results will be useful for obtaining a further understanding of the mechanism causing the hybrid breakdown of a wide cross and will provide new information for developing rice cultivars with wide compatibility.

Improving the Glossiness of Cooked Rice, an Important Component of Visual Rice Grain Quality.

BACKGROUND: Rice is one of the few cereals consumed as a whole grain, and therefore the appearance of the final milled product, both before and after cooking, strongly influences the consumer's perception of product quality. Matching consumer preference for rice grain quality is a key component of rice variety development programs, as the quality drives demand, which in turn drives variety adoption, market price, and profitability. The quality of cooked rice is normally evaluated indirectly, through measurement of key elements driving quality as well as more directly by sensory evaluation, but remains a complex trait conditioned by the genetic complexity of factors driving quality, changes wrought by environment, and the complexity of consumer preferences. RESULT: In this study, we evaluated 17 traits, including the taste value obtained by glossiness of cooked rice (TV), to explain rice eating quality by statistical methods and identified QTLs associated with TV. To explain the correlation among traits, exploratory factor analysis was performed for 2 years. The overall eating quality (OE) was correlated with TV and protein content loading at the same factor (PA1) in 2017, and there was a relationship between the OE (PA1) and the TV (PA2) in 2018 (PA1:PA2, r = 0.3). In QTL analysis using 174 RILs, three QTLs for TV derived from Wandoaengmi6 were detected on chromosomes 4, 6, and 9. The QTL qTV9 delimited within Id9007180 and 9,851,330 on chromosome 9 was detected in both years, explaining approximately 17% of the variation, on average. Through the use of fine mapping, qTV9 was delimited to an approximately 34-Kbp segment flanked by the DNA markers CTV9_9 and CTV9_13, and nine ORFs were listed in the target region as candidate genes associated with TV. In the evaluation of qTV9's effect on OE, the lines with qTV9 showed a significant increase in correlation coefficiency compared to the negative lines. These data will apply to functional analysis on the glossiness and the MAS breeding program to improve the eating quality of japonica as a donor line. CONCLUSION: In this paper we report a number of QTL associated with changes in glossiness of cooked rice, and these may have utility in the development of MAS in breeding programs with a specific focus on cooked grain quality.