Differences in Nuclear DNA Between Male-Sterile and Male-Fertile Lines of Sorghum bicolor

Cytoplasmic male sterility(cms)is determined by nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions. Up to now, most studies are focused on the comparison of cytoplasmic DNAs of male-sterile lines and male-fertile lines, and analysis of nuclear DNA has not been documented yet. In order to find out the possible difference in nuclear genome of male-sterile line A1 Tx623 and corresponding male-fertile line Tx623 of sorghum, random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD)approach was used to analyze their cytoplasmic and nuclear genomes. Total DNAs of them were amplified at first to screen primers, which were able to generate reproducible bands specific to male-sterile line or male-fertile line. Then the selected primers were used to amplify their mitochon-drial DNA(mtDNA)and chloroplast DNA(cpDNA). The origins of all the polymorphic fragments were analyzed. After ruling out those amplified from cytoplasmic DNA, seventeen polymorphic fragments were determined to be amplified from nuclear DNA. These fragments originated from nuclear DNA indicate that differences in sequence exist between the nuclear DNA of male-sterile line and male-fertile line of sorghum, which do not agree with the traditional standpoint that they have identical nucleus.

Improving Blast Resistance of a Thermo-Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Rice Line GD-8S by Molecular Marker-Assisted Selection

The broad-spectrum blast resistance gene Pi-1, from donor line BL122, was introduced into a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile rice line GD-8S, which possessed good grain quality but high susceptibility to rice blast, by using backcross breeding and molecular marker-assisted selection. Five elite improved male sterile lines, RGD8S-1, RGD8S-2, RGD8S-3, RGD8S-4 and RGD8S-5, were selected based on the results of molecular marker analysis, spikelet sterility, recovery rate of genetic background and agronomic traits. Thirty-three representative blast isolates collected from Guangdong Province, China were used to inoculate the improved lines and the original line GD-8S artificially. The resistance frequencies of the improved lines ranged from 76.47% to 100%, much higher than that of the original line GD-8S （9.09%）. On the agronomic characters, there were no significant differences between the improved lines and GD-8S except for flag leaf length and panicle number per plant. The improved lines could be used for breeding hybrid rice with high blast resistance.

Development of Maweizhan cytoplasmic male-sterile line in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

A male sterile mutant plant was found from the rice field of the local rice variety which was cultivated for a long time in the west of Hubei Province. The plant has more vigorous tillering ability. Its plant height of 95 cm was a bit shorter than that of the normal ones. The plant type, the leaf shape and the color of leaf sheath and glume tip of this mutant were identieal to that of the normal plant whereas the color of arrowhead-shape anther was milky white. This mutant set no seed during self-pollination. When it was crossed with IR24. IR26, Minhui 63 or Xieqing-zaoxuian. the Ffertilities were normal. The fertility of this mutant could be restored by IR24, IR26 and Minhui 63 and maintained by Xieqing-zaoxian. Maxie A was developed in 1987 by the successive backcrossing of the mutant with Xieqing-zaoxian. The percentage of abortive pollen in Maxie A in uninucleate microspore to early binucleate microspore stage is

Inheritance of the Male Sterility in a New Photo/Thermo-Sensitive Genie Male Sterile Line B06S of Rice

The major male sterile genes in a new photo/thermo-sensitive genie male sterile (PTGMS) line B06S of rice were analyzed by the manipulation of mixture distribution theory. The results indicated that a pair of major male sterile nuclear genes with large effects were responsible for controlling the male sterility of B06S.

Selection of Submergence Tolerant Homozygous Line by STS Marker and Twice Submergence Stress

One sequence tagged site marker Subl-1 and twice submergence stress method were used in selection of submergence tolerant homozygous line from Sub-lBS, a submergence tolerant, bentazon sensitive and photoperiod-sensitive and/or thermo-sensitive genic male sterile line that developed by our laboratory. The results revealed that the original Sub-lBS was heterozygous in SublA-1 locus even though it was identical in almost all of agronomical traits and the segregation of SublA-1 was in accordance with Mendelian law based on chi-square test. And then the original Sub-IBS was divided into two groups： one was ofSublA-1 introgression and the other was not; and the two groups were tested by twice submergence stress method. After the first submergence stress that lasted for 12 d, the average plant heights were significant difference at the 1% level between the two groups. After recovery for 10 d, the second submergence stress sustained for 18 d was carried on; and the group with SublA-1 gene was found apparently tolerant than the other group in submergence tolerance.