Fine Mapping and Candidate Gene Prediction of the Quantitative Trait Locus <i>qPL8</i> for Panicle Length in Rice

Rice panicle is the sink organ where assimilation product accumulates, and its morphology determines the rice yield. Panicle length has been suggested as a yield-related trait, but the genetic factor for its control is still limited. In this study, we carried out fine-mapping of qPL8, a QTL identified for panicle length in our previous work. Near isogenic line (NIL) with qPL8 exhibited elongated panicle without obvious effect on other panicle elements. With five key recombinants from NIL population, the locus was finally narrowed down to a 278-kb region, where 44 genes are annotated. By comparing the genomic sequence of two parents, 17 genes were identified with SNPs or InDels variations in the coding region. Expression analysis showed that eight genes were up-regulated in the NIL with qPL8. Considering both the coding variation and expression status, several candidate genes for the locus were identified, and OsMADS37 was raised as the most possible candidate. Interestingly, an expression QTL (eQTL) also resides in the locus, leading to a cluster of gene expression variation in the region. This study will facilitate the application of qPL8 locus in rice breeding for yield potential.     

Identification of egg parasitoids of rice leafhoppers and planthoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae and Delphacidae) of economic importance in Taiwan,part 1: Mymaridae (Hymenoptera)

Fairyfly egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) of rice leafhoppers and planthoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae and Delphacidae) known from Taiwan are identified taxonomically, keyed, and illustrated. Their host associations are determined by rearings using sentinel eggs of mainly four key pest species. The previously published records of such egg parasitoids in Taiwan are critically analyzed in the unfortunate absence of almost any voucher specimens. Three species of Mymaridae are shown to be the predominant egg parasitoids of one leafhopper and three planthopper major pests of rice in Taiwan: Anagrus (Anagrus) incarnatus Haliday of the green rice leafhopper Nephotettix cincticeps (Uhler) and the delphacids Laodelphax striatella (Fallén) (small brown planthopper), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (brown planthopper), and Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (whitebacked planthopper), as well as Gonatocerus aegyptiacus Soyka and Mymar taprobanicum Ward of N. cincticeps. The zig-zag leafhopper Maiestas dorsalis (Motschulsky), which is also common in paddy fields, is newly recorded as a host for A. incarnatus, G. aegyptiacus, Lymaenon litoralis (Haliday), and M. taprobanicum. Additional new records of some other Mymaridae in Taiwan, mostly from the rice field agroecosystems, are indicated. Litus assamensis Rehmat and Anis, syn. nov. from India, is synonymized with L. sutil Triapitsyn and Berezovskiy from Thailand, which is also newly recorded from Taiwan.     

Biochar application to rice with 15N-labelled fertilizers,enhanced leaf nitrogen concentration and assimilation by improving morpho-physiological traits and soil quality

Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration plays an important role in biochemical and physiological functions, and N availability directly influences rice yield. However, excessive N fertilization is considered to be a root cause of environmental issues and low nitrogen use efficiency. Therefore, the selection of appropriate nutrient management practices and organic amendments is key to maximizing nitrogen uptake and maintaining high and sustainable rice production. Here, we evaluated the effects of different ¹⁵N-labelled nitrogen sources (urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate at 315 kg ha⁻¹) with or without biochar (30 t ha⁻¹) on paddy soil properties, root growth, leaf gas exchange, N metabolism enzymes, and N uptake in the early and late seasons of 2019. We found significant differences among N fertilizer sources applied with or without biochar (P < 0.05). Across the seasons, the combination of biochar with N fertilizers significantly increased soil organic carbon by 51.21% and nitrogen availability by 27.51% compared with N fertilizers alone. Correlation analysis showed that rice root morphological traits were strongly related to soil chemical properties, and higher root growth was measured in the biochar treatments. Similarly, net leaf photosynthetic rate averaged 9.34% higher, chlorophyll (Chl) a concentration 12.91% higher, and Chl b concentration 10.05% higher in the biochar treatments than in the biochar-free treatments across the seasons. Notably, leaf ¹⁵N concentration was 23.19% higher in the biochar treatments in both seasons. These results illustrated higher activities of N metabolism enzymes such as NR, GS, and GOGAT by an average 23.44%, 11.26% and 18.16% in the biochar treatments across the seasons, respectively. The addition of biochar with synthetic N fertilizers is an ecological nutrient management strategy that can increase N uptake and assimilation by ameliorating soil properties and improving the morpho-physiological factors of rice.     

通育粳1号水稻乙醇脱氢酶基因克隆与原核表达

克隆通育粳1号水稻乙醇脱氢酶(alcohol dehydrogenase,ADH)基因,并在原核系统中进行体外表达。取通育粳1号水稻幼根,提取总RNA,RT-PCR法扩增ADH基因开放阅读框架片段,双酶切后连接至pGEX-4T-1表达质粒中。将质粒转化至BL21(DE3)宿主菌中,平皿培养,挑取阳性菌落培养,提取重组质粒,酶切、电泳鉴定插入片段并测定其序列。pGEX-4T-1-ADH/BL21进行常规LB扩大培养,IPTG(1 mmol/L)作用2、3和4 h诱导表达,SDS-PAGE检测表达产物。结果显示,插入质粒中的ADH片段序列和方向正确无误,表达蛋白分子量符合预期值42 kD,表达至最大值的诱导时间为3 h。因此,该基因的成功克隆和表达为进一步研究水稻中ADH的作用和应用生物工程法大量获得ADH奠定基础。     

水稻永绿色基因超表达和突变对其叶片氮碳代谢若干指标的影响

通过水培实验,研究了水稻永绿色(Stay-green rice,SGR)基因超表达和突变对叶片氮碳代谢的影响。结果表明,在正常生长条件下,SGR基因超表达降低了水稻叶片可溶性蛋白、叶绿素及淀粉的含量,但可溶性糖和游离氨基酸含量增加,并提高了谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性和谷氨酸合成酶(GOGAT)活性;SGR基因突变增加了水稻叶片淀粉和可溶性蛋白质含量,并提高了硝酸还原酶(NR)活性。在缺氮条件下,SGR基因超表达与野生型叶片各生理指标的变化趋势一致,但是SGR基因突变体叶片中淀粉含量的变化趋势与野生型及SGR基因超表达的不一致。这说明SGR蛋白水平的变化在一定程度上影响了水稻叶片的氮碳代谢。     

降解水稻秸秆兼抑制水稻纹枯病菌多功能复合菌系的构建

目的针对稻草直接还田需要,构建能够高效降解水稻秸秆同时又能抑带l水稻纹枯病菌的多功能复合菌系。方法通过将具有高效降解纤维素的天然复合菌群与具有抑制水稻纹枯病菌效果的菌株组合,构建多功能复合菌系;采用失重法检测该复合菌系对水稻秸杆的腐解作用,荧光定量PER法检测其对水稻纹枯病菌的抑制效果。结果成功地构建了一组多功能复合菌系,腐解12d后,水稻秸秆干物质总失重率为41．4％,其中半纤维素降解率为59．5％,纤维素降解率为52．5％,木质素降解率为15．3％,腐解过程中平均CMC酶活为8．1IU／g。该复合菌系对水稻纹枯病菌的抑制效果明显,发酵40d后对水稻纹枯病菌的抑制率为27．1％,对照组抑制率为2．7％。结论该复合菌系能高效降解水稻秸秆,同时又能较好地抑制水稻纹枯病菌,适宜在水稻秸秆直接还田过程中使用。     

Shotgun proteomic analysis for detecting differentially expressed proteins in the reduced culm number rice

To survey protein expression patterns in the reduced culm number (RCN) rice, a comparative shotgun proteomic analysis was conducted. For large-scale protein identification, multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) coupled with pre-fractionation of plant shoot proteins led to the identification of 3004 non-redundant rice proteins. By statistically comparing relative amounts of 1353 reproducibly identified proteins between the RCN rice and the wild-type rice, 44 differentially expressed proteins were detected, where 42 proteins were increased and 2 proteins were decreased in the RCN rice. These proteins appear to have roles in glycolysis, trichloroacetic acid cycle, secondary metabolism, nutrient recycling, and nucleotide metabolism and repair. Consequently, we hypothesized that the RCN rice might fail to maintain sugar nutrient homeostasis. This was confirmed with the observation that the sucrose concentration was increased significantly in the RCN rice compared with the wild-type rice. Also, the RCN rice showed a hypersensitive response to exogenous sucrose treatment.     

Dynamic proteomic analysis reveals diurnal homeostasis of key pathways in rice leaves

Diurnal physiological acclimation regulated by a circadian system is an advantage for plant fitness. The circadian system is composed of a signal input, the clock and output pathways. Understanding the regulation mechanism of the output pathways remains a major challenge. Diurnal proteomic change reflects the state of circadian organization. We found the content of glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch diurnally changed in leaves of rice seedlings grown under a 12-h light/12-h dark condition with constant temperature. Dynamic proteomics analysis revealed 140 protein spots with diurnally changed levels at six times of the light/dark cycle; 132 spots were identified by MS, and 119 spots were of a single protein each with functional annotation. These proteins are involved in regulation of carbohydrate flow, redox, protein folding, nitrogen and protein metabolism, energy conversion, photorespiration and photosynthesis. Of these proteins, 81.5% were upregulated during the light phase, overlappingly, 41.2% showed behavior of circadian anticipation to dawn. Pattern analysis showed that the diurnal regulation involved pathways of allocation of carbohydrates between temporary reserves and consumption, maintenance of redox homeostasis, diurnal protein reassembly and nitrogen assimilation. These pathways reflect biochemical phenotypes of the circadian change linking the oscillator and circadian outputs.     

水稻耐盐碱鉴定标准评价及建议与展望

对国内外水稻耐盐碱鉴定评价标准进行了评述,指出目前采用的评价标准存在着对盐碱害判断不够全面、准确的问题,只适用对水稻进行生物耐盐力的鉴定,而不适合对水稻的农业耐盐力进行鉴定;提出了对水稻耐盐碱鉴定的标准品种、方法、鉴定胁迫浓度等进行改进的建议,强调对水稻进行全生育期的耐盐碱性鉴定。