Irrigation regimes modulate non-structural carbohydrate remobilization and improve grain filling in rice(Oryza sativa L.)by regulating starch metabolism

Recently developed ‘super’ rice cultivars with greater yield potentials often suffer from the problem of poor grain filling, especially in inferior spikelets. Here, we studied the activities of enzymes related to starch metabolism in rice stems and grains, and the microstructures related to carbohydrate accumulation and transportation to investigate the effects of different water regimes on grain filling. Two ‘super’ rice cultivars were grown under two irrigation regimes of well-watered(WW) and alternate wetting and moderate soil drying(AWMD). Compared with the WW treatment,the activities of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase(AGPase), starch synthase(StSase) and starch branching enzyme(SBE), and the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates(NSCs) in the stems before heading were significantly improved, and more starch granules were stored in the stems in the AWMD treatment. After heading, the activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, sucrose phosphate synthase(SPS) and sucrose synthase in the synthetic direction(SSs)were increased in the stems to promote the remobilization of NSCs for grain filling under AWMD. During grain filling, the enzymatic activities of sucrose synthase in the cleavage direction(SSc), AGPase, StSase and SBE in the inferior spikelets were increased, which promoted grain filling, especially for the inferior spikelets under AWMD.However, there were no significant differences in vascular microstructures. The grain yield and grain weight could be improved by 13.1 and 7.5%, respectively, by optimizing of the irrigation regime. We concluded that the low activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism is the key limitation for the poor grain filling, as opposed to the vascular microstructures, and AWMD can increase the amount of NSC accumulation in the stems before heading, improve the utilization rate of NSCs after heading, and increase the grain filling, especially in the inferior spikelets, by altering the activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism.

The auxin transporter OsAUX1 regulates tillering in rice(Oryza sativa)

Tillering is an important agronomic trait of rice(Oryza sativa)that affects the number of effective panicles,thereby affecting yields.The phytohormone auxin plays a key role in tillering.Here we identified the high tillering and semi-dwarf 1(htsd1)mutant with auxin-deficiency root characteristics,such as shortened lateral roots,reduced lateral root density,and enlarged root angles.htsd1 showed reduced sensitivity to auxin,but the external application of indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)inhibited its tillering.We identified the mutated gene in htsd1 as AUXIN1(OsAUX1,LOC_Os01g63770),which encodes an auxin influx transporter.The promoter sequence of OsAUX1 contains many SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE(SPL)binding sites,and we demonstrated that SPL7 binds to the OsAUX1 promoter.TEOSINTE BRANCHED1(OsTB1),a key gene that negatively regulates tillering,was significantly downregulated in htsd1.Tillering was enhanced in the OsTB1 knockout mutant,and the external application of IAA inhibited tiller elongation in this mutant.Overexpressing OsTB1 restored the multi-tiller phenotype of htsd1.These results suggest that SPL7 directly binds to the OsAUX1 promoter and regulates tillering in rice by altering OsTB1 expression to modulate auxin signaling.

The Magnaporthe oryzae effector Avr-PikD suppresses rice immunity by inhibiting an LSD1-like transcriptional activator

Avirulence effectors(Avrs),encoded by plant pathogens,can be recognized by plants harboring the corresponding resistance proteins,thereby initiating effector-triggered immunity(ETI).In susceptible plants,however,Avrs can function as effectors,facilitating infection via effector-triggered susceptibility(ETS).Mechanisms of Avr-mediated ETS remain largely unexplored.Here we report that the Magnaporthe oryzae effector Avr-PikD enters rice cells via the canonical cytoplasmic secretion pathway and suppresses rice basal defense.Avr-PikD interacts with an LSD1-like transcriptional activator AKIP30 of rice,and AKIP30 is also a positive regulator of rice immunity,whereas Avr-PikD impedes its nuclear localization and suppresses its transcriptional activity.In summary,M.oryzae delivers Avr-PikD into rice cells to facilitate ETS by inhibiting AKIP30-mediated transcriptional regulation of immune response against M.oryzae.

Enhanced Ultraviolet-B Radiation Suppresses Magnaporthe oryzae Infection and Alleviates Its Damage to the Photosynthesis of Rice Leaves

In the present study,an indoor potting experiment was conducted to study the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation and Magnaporthe oryzae on the growth,stomatal structure,photosynthesis,and endogenous hormone contents of a traditional rice cultivar Baijiaolaojing in the Yuanyang terraces of Yunnan Province.In addition,the relationships between these parameters and disease indices were analyzed.We aimed to clarify the response of the photosynthetic physiology of rice under the combined stress of UV-B radiation and M.oryzae.Compared with the M.oryzae infection treatment,all the treatments,including M.oryzae infection before(MBR),simultaneously with(MSR),and after(MAR)UV-B radiation significantly increased the rice height and biomass by 4%–11%and 30%–111%,respectively,and the stomatal structure and carotenoids content of leaves,while decreasing the contents of chlorophyll a and b,by 21%–41%and 63%–73%,respectively.Both the MSR and MBR treatments significantly increased the photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of rice leaves.The MAR treatment weakened chlorophyll fluorescence parameters,including the actual photosystem II(PS II)photochemical efficiency,electron transport rate,photochemical quenching,and nonphotochemical quenching by 40%,39%,43%,and 24%,respectively.Moreover,the treatments of MAR,MSR,and MBR decreased the phytohormones content and the M.oryzae disease index by 27%–62%in rice leaves.Thus,the enhanced UV-B radiation contributed to suppressing the M.oryzae infection and alleviating its damage to the photosynthesis of rice leaves.This study is valuable for the control of rice blast fungus and offers important insights into plant pathology.

Gene expression profiles in early leaf of rice(Oryza sativa)and foxtail millet(Setaria italica)

Plant anatomy is patterned early during leaf development which suggests studying the spatial–temporal transcriptomes of primordia will help identify critical regulative and functional genes.We successfully isolated the leaf primordia tissues from the C3grass rice and the C4grass foxtail millet by laser capture microdissection(LCM)and studied the gene expression throughout leaf developmental stages.Our data analysis uncovered the conserved expression patterns of certain gene clusters both in rice and foxtail millet during leaf development.We revealed genes and transcription factors involved in vein formation,stomatal development,and suberin accumulation.We identified 79 candidate genes associated with functional regulation of C4anatomy formation.Screening phenotype of the candidate genes revealed that knock-out of a putative polar auxin transport related gene NAL1 resulted significantly reduced veinal space in rice leaf.Our present work provides a foundation for future analyses of genes with novel functions in grasses and their role in leaf development,in particular the role in leaves with a contrasting C3vs.C4biosynthetic pathway.

Genetic Variability and Phenotypic Correlations Study among Grain Quality Traits and Mineral Elements Concentrations in Colored and Non-Colored Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Twenty-four rice genotypes were examined to assess genetic variability,heritability,and correlations for seven-grain quality traits,eight nutritional elements,and protein.ANOVA revealed significant differences for the quality traits studied.For every trait under study,the phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the correspon-dence genotypic coefficient of variation.Heritability in a broad sense varied from 29.75%for grain length to 98.31%for the elongation trait.Hulling percentage recovery had a highly significant positive correlation with milling and head rice percentage.Consequently,milling percentage had a highly positive correlation with head rice percentage.In amylose percentage,all the genotypes belonged to low amylose except the Hassawi-1 variety,which had intermediate amylose content.Mineral nutrition contents of magnesium(Mg),sodium(Na),potas-sium(K),calcium(Ca),copper(Cu),manganese(Mn),zinc(Zn),iron(Fe),or protein percentage gave different variations for 24 rice genotypes under all the nutritional elements.Among the 24 genotypes,ten rice genotypes–HighNutrient-1,HighNutrient-2,HighNutrient-9,HighNutrient-8,HighNutrient-3,Hassawi-2,HighNutrient-7,HighNutrient-6,Hassawi-1,and HighNutrient-4–had the highest heist value for all nutritional and protein con-tents,and could be used as a donor to improving new varieties.There was a positive and significant correlation between magnesium Mg,K,Zn and Fe.Consequently,K had a positive correlation with zinc Zn,Fe,and protein percentage.Clustering analysis was divided into two groups:thefirst group included all genotypes rich in nutri-ents,while the remaining genotypes with low nutritional content were included in the second group.

Effects of Paclobutrazol Seed Priming on Seedlings Quality,Physiological and Bakanae Disease Index Characteristics of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)is one of the most important cereal crops in the world.Bakanae disease is a significant rice disease widely distributed in rice-growing regions worldwide.Therefore,the present investigation aimed to assess the optimal concentrations of paclobutrazol(PBZ)as a treatment for rice grains(cv.Sakha 108)to control bakanae disease,also evaluating its impact on grain germination,seedling growth parameters as well as disease index.Paclobutrazol concentrations had no significant impact on seed germination,regardless of whether the seeds were incubated with Fusarium fujikuroi or not.Application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with fungal pathogens,negatively impacted the rice seedlings’height.Paclobutrazol at 25,50 and 100 mg/L,combined with the fungal pathogen positively impacted root length.Paclobutrazol at 3 and 6 mg/L mitigated the adverse impact on chlorophyll pigments content in infected seedlings.The highest proline contents were achieved by 100 mg/L PBZ alone or in combination with fungal pathogens.It has been observed that the application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with a fungal pathogen,leads to the enhancement of catalase,peroxidase,and polyphenol oxidase activities.The median lethal concentration of PBZ was 0.874 mg/L;applying low concentrations of paclobutrazol effectively increased the percentage of fungal growth suppression.Application of PBZ,at higher concentrations(50 and 100 mg/L),decreased infection percentage and disease severity index(DSI)significantly.These findings suggest that PBZ can be an effective treatment for controlling bakanae disease and enhancing resistance in rice plants.

Analysis of Intraspecies Diversity of Rice Reveals Variation Patterns of Oryza sativa Basic Leucine Zippers

The basic leucine zipper(bZIP)is an important class of transcription factors in plants,playing a critical role in plant growth and development and responses to biotic and abiotic stress.Due to gene presence/absence variations,it is limited to identify bZIP genes based on the reference genome.Therefore,we performed the bZIP gene family analysis in the rice pan-genome.By employing a rice pan-genome,ninety-four OsbZIPs(72 core genes and 22 variable genes)were identified and divided into 11 groups in a phylogenetic tree.Based upon Ka/Ks values in 33 accessions,OsbZIPs were subjected to different selection pressures during domestication.The analysis of the effects of structural variations(SVs)on gene expression,gene structure,and conserved domains showed that SVs could significantly alter the expression levels of certain OsbZIPs,leading to gene truncation and the emergence of numerous atypical genes.Thirty-four differentially expressed OsbZIPs were identified by analyzing RNA-seq data of the Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo)infection susceptible(IR24)and resistant(IRBB67)lines under high temperature,and by counting the number of differentially expressed OsbZIPs in different subgroups.These Osb-ZIPs were found to respond to Xoo infection at an early stage and may not be involved in the mechanism of Xa4 and Xa7 resistance to Xoo.The multiple variation patterns of OsbZIP genes provide new insights into the OsbZIP genes in rice.These results provide new resources and offer new directions for functional studies of OsbZIPs.

Effects ofγ-aminobutyric Acid on Nitrogen Metabolism in Roots and Leaves of Cold-stressed Rice(Oryza sativa L.)During Early Vegetative Growth

Cold stress adversely affects rice growth,particularly at the early vegetative growth stage.In higher plants,nitrogen metabolism plays a central role in amino acid metabolism,plant defense mechanisms and productivity.This report investigated the effects of cold stress and supplementalγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)under cold stress on nitrogen metabolism in rice seedlings.Cold stress resulted in a greater increase in the transformation to NH_(4)^(+)by nitrate reductase(NR)in roots,it further resulted in lower levels of NO_(3)^(-)content in roots,weakened glutamine glutamate(GOGAT/GS)pathway and elevated glutamate dehydrogenase(GDH)pathway of rice seedlings.Whereas,compared with cold stress,supplementation of GABA(2.5 mmol·L^(-1))could increase relative water content(79.43%)and biomass(34.15%)of rice seedlings.GABA could act as an amplifier of stress signal conduction/transduction to increase NR activity and promote NO_(3)^(-)assimilation in leaves.In addition,GABA elicited the Ca^(2+)signaling pathway which could promote the GDH pathway and GABA shunt,increase the activities of GS and GDH,and the expression of OsGAD2 and OsGDH family.The GABA might increase the ratio of the Glu family and avoid NH4+toxicity in order to raise the concentration of organic compounds and alleviate the harmful consequences of cold stress.Based on these observations,this study proposed that GABA mediated cold tolerance in rice seedlings by activating Ca^(2+)burst and subsequent crosstalk among Ca^(2+)signaling,GDH pathway and GABA shunt.

Novel QTLs from Wild Rice Oryza longistaminata Confer Strong Tolerance to High Temperature at Seedling Stage

Global warming poses a threat to rice production.Breeding heat-tolerant rice is an effective and economical approach to address this challenge.African rice is a valuable genetic resource for developing heat-tolerant crops due to its intricate mechanism for adapting to high temperatures.Oryza longistaminata,a widely distributed wild rice species in Africa,may harbor an even richer gene pool for heat tolerance,which remains untapped.In this study,we identified three heat tolerance QTLs from O.longistaminata at the seedling stage,including novel heat tolerance loci qTT4 and qTT5.Our findings demonstrated that the O.longistaminata alleles for these two QTLs can enhance the heat tolerance of rice seedlings.Remarkably,qTT5 was mapped to a region spanning approximately 287.2 kb,which contains 46 expressing genes.Through the analysis of Gene Ontology and expression differences under heat induction,we identified four candidate genes.Our results lay the foundation for discovering heat tolerance genes underlying O.longistaminata and developing new genetic resources for heat-tolerant rice breeding.

GL9 from Oryza glumaepatula controls grain size and chalkiness in rice

Grain size is a key factor influencing grain yield and appearance quality in rice.We identified twelve quantitative trait loci(QTL)for grain length(GL),nine for grain width(GW),and nine for 1000-kernel weight(TKW)using GLU-SSSLs,which are single-segment substitution lines with Oryza glumaepatula as donor parent and Huajingxian 74(HJX74)as recipient parent.Among the QTL,qGL1-2,qGL1-4,qGL9-2,qGW2-2,qGW9-1 and qTKW9-2 contributed to high grain yield.GL9 was identified as a candidate gene for qGL9-2 by map-based cloning and sequencing,and is a novel allele of GS9.The kernel of NIL-gl9was slenderer and longer than that of HJX74,and the TKW and grain yield per plant of NIL-gl9 were higher than those of HJX74.The proportion of grain chalkiness of NIL-gl9 was much lower than that of HJX74.Thus,gl9 increased grain yield and appearance quality simultaneously.Three pyramid lines,NIL-gs3/gl9,NIL-GW7/gl9 and NIL-gw8/gl9,were developed and the kernel of each was longer than that of the corresponding recipient parent lines.The gl9 allele may be beneficial for breeding rice varieties with high grain yield and good appearance quality.

Identification and characterization of the chalkiness endosperm gene CHALK-H in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Chalkiness is one of the most important agronomic traits in rice breeding,which directly affects the quality of rice seed.In this study,we identified a chalkiness endosperm mutant,chalk-h,from N-methyl-N-nitrosourea(MNU)-induced japonica rice cultivar Hwacheong(HC).Compared with wild type(WT)-HC,chalk-h showed severe chalkiness in the endosperm,yellowish green leaves,as well as reduced plant height.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis showed that starch grains in the chalk-h mutant were irregular in size and loosely arranged,with large gaps between granules,forming ovoid or orbicular shapes.MutMap analysis revealed that the phenotype of chalk-h is controlled by a single recessive gene LOC_Os11g39670 encoding seryl-tRNA synthetase,which is renamed as CHALK-H.A point mutation occurs in chalk-h on the sixth exon(at nucleotide 791)of CHALK-H,in which adenine(A)is replaced by thymidine(T),resulting in an amino acid codon change from glutamine(Glu)to valine(Val).The chalk-h mutant exhibited a heat-sensitive phenotype from the 3-leaf stage,including yellow-green leaves and reduced pigment content.The transcriptional expression of starch synthesis-related genes was down-regulated in the chalk-h mutants compared to WT-HC at different grain-filling stages.With an increase in temperature,the expression of photosynthesis-related genes was down-regulated in the chalk-h mutant compared to WT-HC.Overexpression of CHALK-H rescued the phenotype of chalk-h,with endosperm and leaf color similar to those of WT-HC.Our findings reveal that CHALK-H is a causative gene controlling chalkiness and leaf color of the chalk-h mutant.CHALK-H is the same gene locus as TSCD11,which was reported to be involved in chloroplast development under high temperature.We suggest that CHALK-H/TSCD11 plays important roles not only in chloroplast development,but also in photosynthesis and starch synthesis during rice growth and development,so it has great application potential in rice breeding for high quality and yield.

DDG1 and G Protein α Subunit RGA1 Interaction Regulates Plant Height and Senescence in Rice(Oryza sativa)

Many studies have already shown that dwarfism and moderate delayed leaf senescence positively impact rice yield,but the underlying molecular mechanism of dwarfism and leaf senescence remains largely unknown.Here,using map-based cloning,we identified an allele of DEP2,DDG1,which controls plant height and leaf senescence in rice.The ddg1 mutant displayed dwarfism,short panicles,and delayed leaf senescence.Compared with the wild-type,ddg1 was insensitive to exogenous gibberellins(GA)and brassinolide(BR).DDG1 is expressed in various organs,especially in stems and panicles.Yeast two-hybrid assay,bimolecular fluorescent complementation and luciferase complementation image assay showed that DDG1 interacts with theα-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein.Disruption of RGA1 resulted in dwarfism,short panicles,and darker-green leaves.Furthermore,we found that ddg1 and the RGA1 mutant was more sensitive to salt treatment,suggesting that DDG1 and RGA1 are involved in regulating salt stress response in rice.Our results show that DDG1/DEP2 regulates plant height and leaf senescence through interacting with RGA1.

Resequencing-based QTL mapping for yield and resistance traits reveals great potential of Oryza longistaminata in rice breeding

As a natural genetic reservoir, wild rice contains many favorable alleles and mutations conferring high yield and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there are few reports describing favorable genes or QTL from the AA genome wild rice O. longistaminata, which is characterized by tall and robust habit and long tassels and anthers and shows high potential for use in cultivated rice improvement. We constructed a stable BC_(2)F_(20) backcross inbred line(BIL) population of 152 lines from the cross of 9311 × O.longistaminat. Some BILs showed large panicles, large seeds, and strong resistance to rice false smut, bacterial leaf blight, rice blast spot, and brown planthopper. Genomic resequencing showed that the 152 BILs covered about 99.6% of the O. longistaminata genome. QTL mapping with 2432 bin markers revealed 13QTL associated with seven yield traits and eight with resistance to brown planthopper and to four diseases. Of these QTL, 12 for grain yield and 11 for pest and disease resistance are novel in Oryza species.A large-panicle NIL1880 line containing QTL qPB8.1 showed a nearly 50% increase in spikelet number and27.5% in grain yield compared to the recurrent parent 9311. These findings support the potential value of O. longistaminata for cultivated rice improvement.

Bound lipase:an important form of lipase in rice bran (Oryza sativa)

Rice bran residue possessed a steady lipase activity((26.68 ± 3.69)%)after its endogenous lipase was extracted continuously by phosphate buffer solution(PBS)for 24 h. T herefore, the aim of this research was to explore whether there exist any bound lipases in rice bran(Oryza sativa). Three physical treatments(grinding, homogenizing and ultrasound crush)and 6 enzymatic treatments(cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase, complex cellulase, glucoamylase and α-amylase)were applied to rice bran in order to investigate this bound lipase. The relative catalytic activities of extraction supernatant and residue for pectinase group were(437.63 ± 22.54)% and(159.26 ± 2.12)%, respectively, which were significantly higher(P < 0.05)than other groups. This phenomenon demonstrated that lipase was the most likely to combine with pectin. Molecular simulation proved that pectin could combine with two rice bran lipases(lipase 315 and lipase 308)and cover the catalytic centers so as to prevent the lipases from encountering the substrate and inhibiting their catalytic activities. During combination, pectin could make the lipases more compact and reduce the solvent accessible surface area of lipases, which would make the lipases inactive to molecular interaction. In summary, part of rice bran lipase was proved to exist in bound form and combined with the pectin.

Conventional Breeding and Molecular Markers for Blast Disease Resistance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Monogenic lines,which carried 23 genes for blast resistance were tested and used donors to transfer resistance genes by crossing method.The results under blast nursery revealed that 9 genes from 23 genes were susceptible to highly susceptible under the three locations(Sakha,Gemmeza,and Zarzoura in Egypt);Pia,Pik,Pik-p,Piz-t,Pita,Pi b,Pi,Pi 19 and Pi 20.While,the genes Pii,Pik-s,Pik-h,Pi z,Piz-5,Pi sh,Pi 3,Pi 1,Pi 5,Pi 7,Pi 9,Pi 12,Pikm and Pita-2 were highly resistant at the same locations.Clustering analysis confirmed the results,which divided into two groups;the first one included all the susceptible genes,while the second one included the resistance genes.In the greenhouse test,the reaction pattern of five races produced 100%resistance under artificial inoculation with eight genes showing complete resistance to all isolates.The completely resistant genes:Pii,Pik-s,Piz,Piz-5(=bi2)(t),Pita(=Pi4)(t),Pita,Pi b and Pi1 as well as clustering analysis confirmed the results.In the F1 crosses,the results showed all the 25 crosses were resistant for leaf blast disease under field conditions.While,the results in F2 population showed seven crosses with segregation ratio of 15(R):1(S),two cross gave segregated ratio of 3 R:1 S and one gave 13:3.For the identification of blast resistance genes in the parental lines,the marker K3959,linked to Pik-s gene and the variety IRBLKS-F5 carry this gene,which was from the monogenic line.The results showed that four genotypes;Sakha 105,Sakha 103,Sakha 106 and IRBLKS-F5 were carrying Pik-s gene,while was absent in the Sakha 101,Sakha 104,IRBL5-M,IRBL9-W,IRBLTACP1 and IRBL9-W(R)genotypes.As for Pi 5 gene,the results showed that it was present in Sakha 103 and Sakha 104 varieties and absent in the rest of the genotypes.In addition,Pita-Pita-2 gene was found in the three Egyptian genotypes(Sakha 105,Sakha 101 and Sakha 104)plus IRBLTACP1 monogenetic.In F2 generation,six populations were used to study the inheritance of blast resistance and specific primers to confirm the ratio and identify the resistance genes.However,the ratios in molecular markers were the same of the ratio under field evaluation in the most population studies.These findings would facilitate in breeding programs for gene pyramiding and gene accumulation to produce durable resistance for blast using those genotypes.

OsSPL10 controls trichome development by interacting with OsWOX3B at both transcription and protein levels in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Plant trichomes are a specialized cellular tissue that functions in resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.In rice,three transcription-factor genes:OsWOX3B,HL6,and OsSPL10,have been found to control trichome development.Although studies have shown interactions between the three genes,their full relationship in trichome development is unclear.We found that the expression levels of OsWOX3B and HL6 were both reduced in OsSPL10-knockout plants but increased in OsSPL10-overexpression plants,suggesting that OsSPL10 positively regulates their expression.Physical interaction between OsSPL10 and OsWOX3B was found both in vivo and in vitro and attenuated their abilities to bind to the promoter of HL6 to activate its transcription.This mechanism may regulate trichome length by adjusting the expression of HL6.A rice gene network regulating trichome development is proposed.

ORYZA SATIVA SPOTTED-LEAF 41(OsSPL41) Negatively Regulates Plant Immunity in Rice

Identification of immunity-associated leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases(LRR-RLK) is critical to elucidate the LRR-RLK mediated mechanism of plant immunity.Here,we reported the map-based cloning of a novel rice SPOTTED-LEAF 41(Os SPL41) encoding a putative LRR-RLK protein(Os LRR-RLK41/Os SPL41) that regulated disease responses to the bacterial blight pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo).An 8-bp insertion at position 865 bp in a mutant spotted-leaf 41(spl41) allele led to the formation of purple-brown lesions on leaves.Functional complementation by the wild type allele(Os SPL41) can rescue the mutant phenotype,and the complementary lines showed similar performance to wild type in a number of agronomic,physiological and molecular indices.Os SPL41 was constitutively expressed in all tissues tested,and Os SPL41 contains a typical transmembrane domain critical for its localization to the cell membrane.The mutant exhibited an enhanced level of resistance to Xoo in companion of markedly up-regulated expression of pathogenesis-related genes such as Os PR10a,Os PAL1 and Os NPR1,while the level of salicylic acid was significantly increased in spl41.In contrast,the over-expression lines exhibited a reduced level of H_(2)O_(2) and were much susceptible to Xoo with down-regulated expression of pathogenesis-related genes.These results suggested that Os SPL41 might negatively regulate plant immunity through the salicylic acid signaling pathway in rice.

Rice3K56 is a high-quality SNP array for genome-based genetic studies and breeding in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)genotyping arrays provide an optimal high-throughput platform for genetic research and molecular breeding programs in both animals and plants.In this study,a highquality and custom-designed Rice3K56 SNP array was developed with the resequencing data of 3024 rice accessions worldwide,which was then tested extensively in 192 representative rice samples.Printed on the Gene Titan chips of Affymetrix Axiom each containing 56,606 SNP markers,the Rice3K56 array has a high genotyping reliability(99.6%),high and uniform genome coverage(an average of 6.7-kb between adjacent SNPs),abundant polymorphic information and easy automation,compared with previously developed rice SNP arrays.When applied in rice varietal differentiation,population diversity analysis,gene mapping of 13 complex traits by a genome-wide association study analysis(GWAS),and genome selection experiments in a recombinant inbred line and a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross populations,these properties of the Rice3K56 array were well demonstrated for its power and great potential to be a highly efficient tool for rice genetic research and genomic breeding.

The underlying mechanism of variety–water–nitrogen–stubble damage interactions on yield formation in ratoon rice with low stubble height under mechanized harvesting

Agronomic measures are the key to promote the sustainable development of ratoon rice by reducing the damage from mechanical crushing to the residual stubble of the main crop, thereby mitigating the impact on axillary bud sprouting and yield formation in ratoon rice. This study used widely recommended conventional rice Jiafuzhan and hybrid rice Yongyou 2640 as the test materials to conduct a four-factor block design field experiment in a greenhouse of the experimental farm of Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, China from 2018 to 2019.The treatments included fertilization and no fertilization, alternate wetting and drying irrigation and continuous water flooding irrigation, and plots with and without artificial crushing damage on the rice stubble. At the same time, a 13C stable isotope in-situ detection technology was used to fertilize the pot experiment. The results showed significant interactions among varieties, water management, nitrogen application and stubble status.Relative to the long-term water flooding treatment, the treatment with sequential application of nitrogen fertilizer coupled with moderate field drought for root-vigor and tiller promotion before and after harvesting of the main crop, significantly improved the effective tillers from low position nodes. This in turn increased the effective panicles per plant and grains per panicle by reducing the influence of artificial crushing damage on rice stubble and achieving a high yield of the regenerated rice. Furthermore, the partitioning of 13C assimilates to the residual stubble and its axillary buds were significantly improved at the mature stage of the main crop, while the translocation rate to roots and rhizosphere soil was reduced at the later growth stage of ratooning season rice. This was triggered by the metabolism of hormones and polyamines at the stem base regulated by the interaction of water and fertilizer at this time. We therefore suggest that to achieve a high yield of ratoon rice with low stubble height under mechanized harvesting, the timely application of nitrogen fertilizer is fundamental,coupled with moderate field drying for root-vigor preservation and tiller promotion before and after the mechanical harvesting of the main crop.