Three novel alleles of FLOURY ENDOSPERM2 (FLO2) confer dull grains with low amylose content in rice

Transcription factor OsbZIP10 modulates rice grain quality by regulating OsGIF1

Understanding and optimizing the process of grain filling helps the quest to maximize rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed yield and quality, yet the intricate mechanisms at play remain fragmented. Transcription factors (TFs) are major players in the gene networks underlying the grain filling process. Here, we employed grain incomplete filling (OsGIF1)/cell wall invertase 2, a key gene involved in grain filling, to explore its upstream TFs and identified a bZIP family TF, OsbZIP10, to be a transcriptional activator of OsGIF1. Rice grains of the knockouts of OsbZIP10 showed increased white-core rates but lower amylose content (AC), leading to better eating and cooking qualities in all genetic backgrounds investigated, though the impact of mutations in OsbZIP10 on grain weight depended on genetic background. Multi-omics analyses suggested that, in addition to OsGIF1, multiple genes involved in different biological processes contributing to grain filling were targeted by OsbZIP10, including OsAGPS1, a gene encoding the ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) small subunit, and genes contributing to homeostasis of reactive oxygen species. Distinct genetic make-up was observed in OsbZIP10 between japonica and indica rice varieties, with the majority varieties of each subspecies belonging to two different haplotypes that were closely associated with AC. Overexpressing the haplotype linked to high-AC in the low-AC genetic background increased AC. Overall, this study sheds crucial light on the significance of the OsbZIP10-OsGIF1 module in the determination of rice grain quality, offering a potential avenue for genetic engineering of rice to produce seeds with tailored attributes.

Identification and analysis of nine new flo2 allelic mutants in rice

FLO2 is involved in grain development and storage substance synthesis in rice, and therefore can regulate grain size and quality. In this study, we identified 4 new flo2 allelic mutants with nonsense and frameshift mutation in the exon of 6, 10, 11 and 21 and 5 new flo2 allelic mutants with alternative splicing and frameshift mutation at the splicing site of intron 13, 14, 16 and 17. Compared with wild-type rice, the outer endosperm of flo2 mutants was transparent, and the inner endosperm was floury. Different mutation sites and types of FLO2 significantly decreased kernel width, thickness and weight to some extent. The contents of storage protein, starch, amylose and amylopectin showed significant decrease at different levels among 9 flo2 mutants. The expressions of most storage protein synthesis genes and starch synthesis-related genes were significantly down-regulated, and exhibited different ranges of variation among different flo2 mutants. This study could add helpful information for the roles of flo2 alleles in rice quality regulation and provide abundant germplasm resources for rice quality breeding.

Chalkiness and premature controlled by energy homeostasis in OsNAC02 Ko-mutant during vegetative endosperm development

BACKGROUND

Chalkiness is a common phenotype induced by various reasons, such as abiotic stress or the imbalance of starch synthesis and metabolism during the development period. However, the reason mainly for one gene losing its function such as NAC (TFs has a large family in rice) which may cause premature is rarely known to us.

RESULTS

The Ko-Osnac02 mutant demonstrated an obviously early maturation stage compared to the wild type (WT) with 15 days earlier. The result showed that the mature endosperm of Ko-Osnac02 mutant exhibited chalkiness, characterized by white-core and white-belly in mature endosperm. As grain filling rate is a crucial factor in determining the yield and quality of rice (Oryza sativa, ssp. japonica), it's significant that mutant has a lower amylose content (AC) and higher soluble sugar content in the mature endosperm. Interestingly among the top DEGs in the RNA sequencing of N2 (3DAP) and WT seeds revealed that the OsBAM2 (LOC_Os10g32810) expressed significantly high in N2 mutant, which involved in Maltose up-regulated by the starch degradation. As Prediction of Protein interaction showed in the chalky endosperm formation in N2 seeds (3 DAP), seven genes were expressed at a lower-level which should be verified by a heatmap diagrams based on DEGs of N2 versus WT. The Tubulin genes controlling cell cycle are downregulated together with the MCM family genes MCM4 ( ↓), MCM7 ( ↑), which may cause white-core in the early endosperm development. In conclusion, the developing period drastically decreased in the Ko-Osnac02 mutants, which might cause the chalkiness in seeds during the early endosperm development.

CONCLUSIONS

The gene OsNAC02 which controls a great genetic co-network for cell cycle regulation in early development, and KO-Osnac02 mutant shows prematurity and white-core in endosperm.

Generation of new rice germplasms with low amylose content by CRISPR/CAS9-targeted mutagenesis of the FLOURY ENDOSPERM 2 gene

FLOURY ENDOSPERM 2 (FLO2), encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat domain (TPR)-containing protein located in the nucleus, is considered to be a regulatory protein that controls the biosynthesis of seed storage substances. The diversity of flo2 allele is attributable for the variations in grain appearance, amylose content (AC), and physicochemical properties, influencing the eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce loss-of-function mutations into the FLOURY ENDOSPERM 2 gene in Suken118 (SK118), a widely cultivated elite japonica rice variety in Jiangsu, China. Physiochemical analyses of the flo2 mutants were congruent with previous studies, exhibiting lowered AC and viscosity, risen gel consistency (GC) and gelatinization temperature (GT) values, which were all instrumental to the improvement of ECQ. However, the wrinkled opaque appearance and the decrease in grain width, grain thickness and grain weight imply trade-offs in grain yield. Despite the ex-ante estimation for low yielding, the superior ECQ in these novel genotypes generated by using genome editing approach may have the potential for formulating high value specialty food.

Identification of a new allele of soluble starch synthase IIIa involved in the elongation of amylopectin long chains in a chalky rice mutant

A chalky endosperm mutant (GM03) induced from an indica rice GLA4 was used to investigate the functional gene in starch biosynthesis. Bulked segregant analysis and sanger sequencing determined that a novel mutation in soluble starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa) is responsible for the chalky phenotype in GM03. Complementary test by transforming the active SSIIIa gene driven by its native promoter to GM03 recovered the phenotype to its wildtype. The expression of SSIIIa was significantly decreased, while SSIIIa protein was not detected in GM03. The mutation of SSIIIa led to increased expression of most of starch synthesis related genes and elevated the levels of most of proteins in GM03. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used for targeted disruption of SSIIIa, and the mutant lines exhibited chalky endosperm which phenocopied the GM03. Additionally, the starch fine structure in the knockout mutant lines ss3a-1 and ss3a-2 was similar with the GM03, which showed increased amylose content, higher proportions of B1 and B2 chains, much lower proportions of B3 chains and decreased degree of crystallinity, leading to altered thermal properties with lower gelatinization temperature and enthalpy. Collectively, these results suggested that SSIIIa plays an important role in starch synthesis by elongating amylopectin long chains in rice.

Combined Effects of Different Alleles of FLO2, Wx and SSIIa on the Cooking and Eating Quality of Rice

The improvement of the cooking and eating quality (CEQ) of rice is one of the major objectives of current rice-breeding programs. A few major genes such as Waxy (Wx) and starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) have been successfully applied in molecular breeding. However, their interactive effects on CEQ have not been fully understood. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was constructed by crossing the white-core mutant GM645 with the transparent phenotype of the japonica rice variety Tainung 67 (TN67). GM645 and TN67 contain different alleles of FLOURY ENDOSPERM2 (FLO2), Wx, and SSIIa. The effects of different allele combinations of FLO2, Wx, and SSIIa on the CEQ of rice were investigated. The inbred lines with the mutation allele flo2 had a significantly lower apparent amylose content (AAC), viscosity characteristics except for setback (SB), and gel texture properties compared to those lines with the FLO2 allele. The allelic combination of FLO2 and Wx significantly affected the AAC, breakdown (BD), and gel textural properties, which could explain most of the variations in those rice quality traits that were correlated with AAC. The allelic combination of FLO2 and SSIIa significantly affected the hot paste viscosity (HPV) and pasting temperature (PT). The Wx × SSIIa interaction had a significant effect on the PT. The interaction of FLO2, Wx and SSIIa significantly affected the AAC, cold paste viscosity (CPV), PT, and consistency viscosity (CS). These results highlight the important roles of these quality-related genes in regulating the CEQ of rice and provide new clues for rice-quality improvement by marker-assisted selection.

Genetic control of grain appearance quality in rice

Grain appearance, one of the key determinants of rice quality, reflects the ability to attract consumers, and is characterized by four major properties: grain shape, chalkiness, transparency, and color. Mining of valuable genes, genetic mechanisms, and breeding cultivars with improved grain appearance are essential research areas in rice biology. However, grain appearance is a complex and comprehensive trait, making it challenging to understand the molecular details, and therefore, achieve precise improvement. This review highlights the current findings of grain appearance control, including a detailed description of the key genes involved in the formation of grain appearance, and the major environmental factors affecting chalkiness. We also discuss the integration of current knowledge on valuable genes to enable accurate breeding strategies for generation of rice grains with superior appearance quality.

Systems seed biology to understand and manipulate rice grain quality and nutrition

Rice is one of the most essential crops since it meets the calorific needs of 3 billion people around the world. Rice seed development initiates upon fertilization, leading to the establishment of two distinct filial tissues, the endosperm and embryo, which accumulate distinct seed storage products, such as starch, storage proteins, and lipids. A range of systems biology tools deployed in dissecting the spatiotemporal dynamics of transcriptome data, methylation, and small RNA based regulation operative during seed development, influencing the accumulation of storage products was reviewed. Studies of other model systems are also considered due to the limited information on the rice transcriptome. This review highlights key genes identified through a holistic view of systems biology targeted to modify biochemical composition and influence rice grain quality and nutritional value with the target of improving rice as a functional food.

Post-genomics revolution in the design of premium quality rice in a high-yielding background to meet consumer demands in the 21st century

The eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice is critical for determining its economic value in the marketplace and promoting consumer acceptance. It has therefore been of paramount importance in rice breeding programs. Here, we highlight advances in genetic studies of ECQ and discuss prospects for further enhancement of ECQ in rice. Innovations in gene- and genome-editing techniques have enabled improvements in rice ECQ. Significant genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been shown to regulate starch composition, thereby affecting amylose content and thermal and pasting properties. A limited number of genes/QTLs have been identified for other ECQ properties such as protein content and aroma. Marker-assisted breeding has identified rare alleles in diverse genetic resources that are associated with superior ECQ properties. The post-genomics-driven information summarized in this review is relevant for augmenting current breeding strategies to meet consumer preferences and growing population demands.

Substandard starch grain4 may function in amyloplast development by influencing starch and lipid metabolism in rice endosperm

The amyloplast is a specialized plastid in rice endosperm cells where starch is synthesized and stored as starch granules (SGs). However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying amyloplast and SG development. In this study, a novel mutant (c134) demonstrating a floury endosperm with enlarged SGs and amyloplasts was identified. The floury endosperm was caused by rounder, loosely packed SG. Grain-quality profile and expression analysis showed reduced contents of total starch and amylose in the c134 mutant, as well as reduced expression of a number of genes involved in starch biosynthesis. Galactosyldiacylglycerol (GDG) content and fatty acid synthesis play important roles in plastid development, and in the c134 endosperm, an obvious decrease in GDG and various fatty acids was observed, with down-regulated expression of various genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. Furthermore, map-based cloning revealed an amino acid substitution (glycine to aspartic acid) in the substandard starch grain4 (SSG4) protein. The results of this study suggest that SSG4 influences the regulation of starch and lipid metabolism as well as amyloplast development, a finding that is useful for potential genetic improvement of rice grain quality in future starch and lipid breeding and biotechnology.

Regional Heritability Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling Traits Related to Growth and Productivity in Popcorn (Zea mays L.)

The method of regional heritability mapping (RHM) has become an important tool in the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling traits of interest in plants. Here, RHM was first applied in a breeding population of popcorn, to identify the QTLs and candidate genes involved in grain yield, plant height, kernel popping expansion, and first ear height, as well as determining the heritability of each significant genomic region. The study population consisted of 98 S1 families derived from the 9th recurrent selection cycle (C-9) of the open-pollinated variety UENF-14, which were genetically evaluated in two environments (ENV1 and ENV2). Seventeen and five genomic regions were mapped by the RHM method in ENV1 and ENV2, respectively. Subsequent genome-wide analysis based on the reference genome B73 revealed associations with forty-six candidate genes within these genomic regions, some of them are considered to be biologically important due to the proteins that they encode. The results obtained by the RHM method have the potential to contribute to knowledge on the genetic architecture of the growth and yield traits of popcorn, which might be used for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.

A rare Waxy allele coordinately improves rice eating and cooking quality and grain transparency

In rice (Oryza sativa), amylose content (AC) is the major factor that determines eating and cooking quality (ECQ). The diversity in AC is largely attributed to natural allelic variation at the Waxy (Wx) locus. Here we identified a rare Wx allele, Wx^mw , which combines a favorable AC, improved ECQ and grain transparency. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of Wx genomic sequences from 370 rice accessions, we speculated that Wx^mw may have derived from recombination between two important natural Wx alleles, Wxⁱⁿ and Wx^b . We validated the effects of Wx^mw on rice grain quality using both transgenic lines and near-isogenic lines (NILs). When introgressed into the japonica Nipponbare (NIP) background, Wx^mw resulted in a moderate AC that was intermediate between that of NILs carrying the Wx^b allele and NILs with the Wx^mp allele. Notably, mature grains of NILs fixed for Wx^mw had an improved transparent endosperm relative to soft rice. Further, we introduced Wx^mw into a high-yielding japonica cultivar via molecular marker-assisted selection: the introgressed lines exhibited clear improvements in ECQ and endosperm transparency. Our results suggest that Wx^mw is a promising allele to improve grain quality, especially ECQ and grain transparency of high-yielding japonica cultivars, in rice breeding programs.

FLOURY ENDOSPERM11-2 encodes plastid HSP70-2 involved with the temperature-dependent chalkiness of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains

The frequent occurrence of chalky rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains becomes a serious problem as a result of climate change. The molecular mechanism underlying chalkiness is largely unknown, however. In this study, the temperature-sensitive floury endosperm11-2 (flo11-2) mutant was isolated from ion beam-irradiated rice of 1116 lines. The flo11-2 mutant showed significantly higher chalkiness than the wild type grown under a mean temperature of 28°C, but similar levels of chalkiness to the wild type grown under a mean temperature of 24°C. Whole-exome sequencing of the flo11-2 mutant showed three causal gene candidates, including Os12g0244100, which encodes the plastid-localized 70-kDa heat shock protein 2 (cpHSP70-2). The cpHSP70-2 of the flo11-2 mutant has an amino acid substitution on the 259th aspartic acid with valine (D259V) in the conserved Motif 5 of the ATPase domain. Transgenic flo11-2 mutants that express the wild-type cpHSP70-2 showed significantly lower chalkiness than the flo11-2 mutant. Moreover, the accumulation level of cpHSP70-2 was negatively correlated with the chalky ratio, indicating that cpHSP70-2 is a causal gene for the chalkiness of the flo11-2 mutant. The intrinsic ATPase activity of recombinant cpHSP70-2 was lower by 23% at V_max for the flo11-2 mutant than for the wild type. The growth of DnaK-defective Escherichia coli cells complemented with DnaK with the D201V mutation (equivalent to the D259V mutation) was severely reduced at 37°C, but not in the wild-type DnaK. The results indicate that the lowered cpHSP70-2 function is involved with the chalkiness of the flo11-2 mutant.

Starch Components, Starch Properties and Appearance Quality of Opaque Kernels from Rice Mutants

Rice mutants with altered starch components and properties are important genetic resources in rice breeding programmes. In this study, 44 mutants with altered starch components were screened from 135 rice mutants with opaque kernels using a starch–iodine absorption spectrum method, and nine mutants from them were further selected for investigating their starch properties and kernel appearance quality. The results showed that the iodine absorption spectrum parameters, OD620, OD620/550, and λmax, could reflect the changes of starch components in rice mutants, and had significantly positive relationships with amylose content and negative relationships with the proportion of short branch-chains of amylopectin. The endosperm starches from nine mutants all showed A-type crystalline structure and similar short-range ordered structure, but had different relative crystallinities. The changes of starch components in mutants not only resulted in the different gelatinization properties of starch but also changed the appearance quality of brown rice kernels. This study provided abundant genetic plants for studying the molecular mechanism of starch synthesis and the quality regulation of rice kernels.

Applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 System for Rice Grain Quality Improvement: Perspectives and Opportunities

Grain quality improvement is a key target for rice breeders, along with yield. It is a multigenic trait that is simultaneously influenced by many factors. Over the past few decades, breeding for semi-dwarf cultivars and hybrids has significantly contributed to the attainment of high yield demands but reduced grain quality, which thus needs the attention of researchers. The availability of rice genome sequences has facilitated gene discovery, targeted mutagenesis, and revealed functional aspects of rice grain quality attributes. Some success has been achieved through the application of molecular markers to understand the genetic mechanisms for better rice grain quality; however, researchers have opted for novel strategies. Genomic alteration employing genome editing technologies (GETs) like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) for reverse genetics has opened new avenues of research in the life sciences, including for rice grain quality improvement. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9 technology is widely used by researchers for genome editing to achieve the desired biological objectives, because of its simple targeting. Over the past few years many genes that are related to various aspects of rice grain quality have been successfully edited via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Interestingly, studies on functional genomics at larger scales have become possible because of the availability of GETs. In this review, we discuss the progress made in rice by employing the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system and its eminent applications. We also elaborate possible future avenues of research with this system, and our understanding regarding the biological mechanism of rice grain quality improvement.

Down-Regulation of SSSII-2 Gene Expression Results in Novel Low-Amylose Rice with Soft, Transparent Grains

Although soft rice, with low amylose content (AC), has high eating and cooking quality (ECQ), its appearance is poor due to the opaque endosperm. Here, a novel soft rice with low AC but a transparent appearance was generated by knocking-down the expression of SSSII-2, a gene encoding one isoform of soluble starch synthase (SSS). The physicochemical properties of the SSSII-2 RNAi rice are quite different from the control but more like the popular soft rice "Nanjing 46". The taste value assay further demonstrated that the ECQ of SSSII-2 RNAi rice was as high as "Nanjing 46", but only SSSII-2 RNAi rice retained the transparent endosperm under low moisture conditions. Further examination showed that the different morphologies and fine structures of the starch granules may contribute to the specific properties of SSSII-2 RNAi rice. Therefore, SSSII-2 has potential application in future high quality rice breeding programs.

A Novel Mutation of OsPPDKB, Encoding Pyruvate Orthophosphate Dikinase, Affects Metabolism and Structure of Starch in the Rice Endosperm

Starch, as a main energy storage substance, plays an important role in plant growth and human life. Despite the fact that several enzymes and regulators involved in starch biosynthesis have been identified, the regulating mechanism of starch synthesis is still unclear. In this study, we isolated a rice floury endosperm mutant M14 from a mutant pool induced by ⁶⁰Co. Both total starch content and amylose content in M14 seeds significantly decreased, and starch thermal and pasting properties changed. Compound starch granules were defected in the floury endosperm of M14 seeds. Map-based cloning and a complementation test showed that the floury endosperm phenotype was determined by a gene of OsPPDKB, which encodes pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK, EC 2.7.9.1). Subcellular localization analysis demonstrated that PPDK was localized in chloroplast and cytoplasm, the chOsPPDKB highly expressed in leaf and leaf sheath, and the cyOsPPDKB constitutively expressed with a high expression in developing endosperm. Moreover, the expression of starch synthesis-related genes was also obviously altered in M14 developing endosperm. The above results indicated that PPDK played an important role in starch metabolism and structure in rice endosperm.

TaFlo2-A1, an ortholog of rice Flo2, is associated with thousand grain weight in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

BACKGROUND

The Flo2 gene is a member of a conserved gene family in plants. This gene has been found to be related to thousand grain weight (TGW) in rice. Its orthologs in hexaploid wheat were cloned, and the haplotype variation in TaFlo2-A1 was tested for association with TGW.

RESULTS

The cloned sequences of TaFlo2-A1, TaFlo2-B1 and TaFlo2-D1 contained 23, 23 and 24 exons, respectively. The deduced proteins of TaFlo2-A1 (1734 aa), TaFlo2-B1 (1698 aa) and TaFlo2-D1 (1682 aa) were highly similar (>94%) and exhibited >77% similarity with the rice FLO2 protein. Like the rice FLO2 protein, four tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motifs were observed in the deduced TaFLO2 protein. An 8-bp InDel (-10 to -17 bp) in the promoter region and five SNPs in first intron of TaFlo2-A1 together formed two haplotypes, TaFlo2-A1a and TaFlo2-A1b, in bread wheat. TaFlo2 was located on homeologous group 2 chromosomes. TaFlo2-A1 was inferred to be located on deletion bin '2AL1-0.85-1.00'. The TaFlo2-A1 haplotypes were characterized in the Chinese Micro Core Collection (MCC) and Pakistani wheat collection using the molecular marker TaFlo2-Indel8. TaFlo2-A1 was found to be associated with TGW but not with grain number per spike (GpS) in both the MCC and Pakistani wheat collections. The frequency of TaFlo2-A1b (positive haplotype) was low in commercial wheat cultivars; thus this haplotype can be selected to improve grain weight without negatively affecting GpS. The expression level of TaFlo2-A1 in developing grains at 5 DAF (days after flowering) was positively correlated with TGW in cultivars carrying the positive haplotype.

CONCLUSION

This study will likely lead to additional investigations to understand the regulatory mechanism of the Flo2 gene in hexaploid wheat. Furthermore, the newly developed molecular marker 'TaFlo2-InDel8' could be incorporated into the kit of wheat breeders for use in marker-assisted selection.

Complementary Proteome and Transcriptome Profiling in Developing Grains of a Notched-Belly Rice Mutant Reveals Key Pathways Involved in Chalkiness Formation

Rice grain chalkiness is a highly complex trait involved in multiple metabolic pathways and controlled by polygenes and growth conditions. To uncover novel aspects of chalkiness formation, we performed an integrated profiling of gene activity in the developing grains of a notched-belly rice mutant. Using exhaustive tandem mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics and whole-genome RNA sequencing to generate a nearly complete catalog of expressed mRNAs and proteins, we reliably identified 38,476 transcripts and 3,840 proteins. Comparison between the translucent part and chalky part of the notched-belly grains resulted in only a few differently express genes (240) and differently express proteins (363), thus making it possible to focus on 'core' genes or common pathways. Several novel key pathways were identified as of relevance to chalkiness formation, in particular the shift of C and N metabolism, the down-regulation of ribosomal proteins and the resulting low abundance of storage proteins especially the 13 kDa prolamin subunit, and the suppressed photosynthetic capacity in the pericarp of the chalky part. Further, genes and proteins as transporters for carbohydrates, amino acid/peptides, proteins, lipids and inorganic ions showed an increasing expression pattern in the chalky part of the notched-belly grains. Similarly, transcripts and proteins of receptors for auxin, ABA, ethylene and brassinosteroid were also up-regulated. In summary, this joint analysis of transcript and protein profiles provides a comprehensive reference map of gene activity regarding the physiological state in the chalky endosperm.

Genetic and Evolutionary Analysis of Purple Leaf Sheath in Rice

BACKGROUND

Anthocyanin accumulates in many plant tissues or organs, in rice for example leading to red, purple red and purple phenotypes for protection from damage by biotic and abiotic stresses and for reproduction. Purple leaf, leaf sheath, stigma, pericarp, and apiculus are common in wild rice and landraces and occasionally found in modern cultivars. No gene directly conferring anthocyanin deposited in a purple leaf sheath has yet been isolated by using natural variants. An F2 population derived from ssp. japonica cv. Tainung 72 (TNG72) with purple leaf sheath (PSH) crossed with ssp. indica cv. Taichung Sen 17 (TCS17) with green leaf sheath (GSH) was utilized to isolate a gene conferring leaf sheath color.

RESULTS

By positional cloning, 10-and 3-bp deletions in the R2R3 Myb domain of OsC1 were uncovered in GSH varieties TCS17 and Nipponbare, respectively. Allelic diversity, rather than gene expression levels of OsC1, might be responsible for anthocyanin accumulation. Parsimony-based analysis of genetic diversity in 50 accessions, including cultivars, landraces, and A-genome wild rice, suggests that independent mutation occurred in Asian, African, South American, and Australian species, while O. meridionalis had a divergent sequence. OsC1 was thought of as a domestication related gene, with up to 90 % reduction of genetic diversity in GSH; however, no values from three tests showed significant differences from neutral expectations, implying that OsC1 had not been subjected to recent selection. Haplotype network analysis revealed that species from different continents formed unique haplotypes with no gene flow. Two major groups of haplotypes corresponding to 10-bp deletion and other sequences were formed in Asian rice, including O. rufipogon, O. nivara and O. sativa. Introgressions of OsC1 between subspecies through natural and artificial hybridization were not rare. Because artificial and natural selection imposed admixture on rice germplasm in Taiwan, the genealogy of OsC1 might not be congruent with the current distribution of alleles through lineage diversification.

CONCLUSION

OsC1 is responsible for purple leaf sheath, and much new information about OsC1 is provided e.g., new alleles, non-domestication syndrome, and incongruence of genealogy with geographic distribution.