Drought stress is a serious limiting factor to rice production, which results in huge economic losses. It is becoming a more serious issue with respect to the global climate change. Keeping in view of the current and forecasted global food demand, it has become essential to enhance the crop productivity on the drought-prone rainfed lands with priority. In order to achieve the production target from

The emerging pests and phytopathogens have reduced the crop yield and quality, which has threatened the global food security. Traditional breeding methods, molecular marker-based breeding approaches and use of genetically modified crops have played a crucial role in strengthening the food security worldwide. However, their usages in crop improvement have been highly limited due to multiple caveats

Sheath blight disease (ShB) has a severe impact on the production of rice. ABI3/VP1-like 1 (RAVL1) negatively regulated the rice defense mechanism against ShB, however, this regulatory mechanism is not clearly understood. In this study, we identified that indeterminate domain 3 (IDD3) was positively regulated by RAVL1. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, yeast one-hybrid assay and

Osa-miR439 is a rice-specific microRNA family. Here we showed that Osa-miR439 acted as a negative regulator in rice immunity against blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Osa-miR439 differentially responded to M. oryzae between susceptible and resistant rice accessions. The accumulation of Osa-miR439 was constitutively more in the susceptible accession than in the resistant one. Transgenic lines overexpressing

Soil cadmium (Cd) causes toxicity and oxidative stress, alters biochemical processes and root knot formation in rice. Irrigation of exogenous peroxidase (POX) together with its co-substrate H2O2 (POXRice + H2O2), is likely to have protective effect upon the biochemical and nodular changes in rice grown in Cd-rich soil. Exposure to Cd concentration of 1.00 mg/L increased oxidative stress, loss of cell

Specific aspects of plant cultivation require tests under fully controlled environmental conditions with restricted energy supply, such as orbit-based space laboratories and low-light conditions. For these growing conditions, super dwarf plants have been developed as model crops, and a gibberellin- deficient Super Dwarf Rice genotype was proposed as a model crop for space flight plant experiments.

The environmental temperature occurring during the grain filling stage is an important factor affecting starch synthesis and accumulation in rice. We investigated starch accumulation, amylase activity and starch granule size distribution in two low-amylose japonica rice varieties, Nanjing 9108 and Fujing 1606, grown in the field at different filling temperatures by manipulating sowing date. The two

Mechanical hill wet-seeded rice machine is beneficial for establishing and growing uniform rows of seedlings. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of the establishment of furrows on growth, lodging and yield, and their relationships with root traits. In this study, field experiments were conducted during 2012 and 2013 using two super rice varieties (hybrid rice Peizataifeng and

Plant natural products including alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids and flavonoids have been reported to exert anticancer activity by targeting various metabolic pathways. The biological pathways regulated by plant products can serve as novel drug targets. Plant natural compounds or their derivatives used for cancer treatment and some novel plant-based compounds which are used in clinical trials were

With changes in food preferences and life styles, more and more attentions have been focused on healthier food. Nowadays, resistant starch (RS) which can resist digestion in the human intestine has been recognized and accepted. High RS diet shows great benefit for the human health, and breeding high RS rice variety is a great target for realizing dietary intervention. To provide guidance for RS improvement

Flooding is one of the most hazardous natural disasters and a major stress constraint to rice production throughout the world, which results in huge economic loss. Approximately one-fourth of the global rice crops (approximately 40 million hectares) are grown in rainfed lowland plots that are prone to seasonal flooding. A great progress has been made during last two decades in our understanding of

Strong genetic incompatibilities exist between two primary rice subspecies, indica and japonica. However, the wild ancestors of rice, O. nivara Sharma et Shastry and O. rufipogon Griff., are genetically compatible. How this genetic incompatibility became established has not been clearly elucidated. To provide insights into the process, we analyzed a pair of hybrid sterility genes in rice, DOPPELGANGER

Meiotic disturbances in F1 hybrids and their progenies are still major problems in wide hybridization. To investigate the genome affinity reflected in chromosome pairing and segregation, we studied chromosome behaviors during meiosis in two interspecific F1 hybrids [O. minuta × O. australiensis (Om × Oa, BCE genome) and Oa × O. ridleyi (Or, EHJ genome)] by using both traditional staining methods and

Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential toxic metal that is harmful to plants. To investigate the genetic mechanism of Cd tolerance in rice, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with Cd tolerance at the seedling stage were analyzed using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between PA64s and 93-11. A total of 36 QTLs associated with shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight

Rice line 1892S is an elite thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line for two-line hybrid rice production. However, 1892S is susceptible to rice blast, bacterial blight and submergence. Here we reported the introduction of blast resistance (R) gene Pi9, bacterial blight R gene Xa21 and submergence tolerance gene Sub1A into 1892S genetic background through backcrossing and marker-assisted selection

In order to create novel germplasm resources for breeding heat tolerant variety, we transferred a dominant allele OsHTAS, previously characterized and cloned from a high-temperature tolerant local variety HT54, which was collected from the rice production area of southern China, into a high- temperature sensitive intermediate breeding line HT13 through six rounds of successive backcross by using marker-assisted

Aluminum (Al) toxicity in acid soils is a significant limitation to crop production worldwide, as 13% of the world's rice is produced in acid soil with high Al content. Rice is likely the most Al-resistant cereal and also the cereal, where Al resistance is the most genetically complex with external detoxification and internal tolerance. Many Al-resistance genes in rice have been cloned, including Al

An ideal leaf shape is beneficial to the yield of rice. Molecular understanding of the leaf primordia and polarity establishment plays a significant role in exploring the genetic regulatory network of leaf morphogenesis. In recent years, researchers have cloned an array of coding genes and a few non-coding small RNAs involved in rice leaf development through regulating the development of leaf primordia

Trichomes are specialized epidermal cells that play multiple roles in plant development. However, knowledge about the molecular mechanism of trichome development in rice is limited. In this study, a hairy leaf locus HL6 SWWR of rice variety Suwangwanger (SWWR) was identified by map-based cloning. Transgenic complementation and knock-out mutation demonstrated that HL6SWWR regulated trichomes on leaves

The transport of phosphate between cytoplasm and subcellular compartments is critical for plant metabolic regulation. We conducted bioinformatic analysis, heterologous expression in yeast, gene expression pattern and subcellular localization analysis to characterize the possible functions of OsPHT4 gene family in rice. Together with the PHT4 genes from higher plants, OsPHT4s can be classified into

The resveratrol-enriched transgenic rice line Iksan526 (IS526), first developed by the Rural Development Administration of Korea using genetic engineering techniques, shows beneficial health effects in mitigating metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, the effects of IS526 on the differentiation of chondrocytes and the underlying mechanism have not been investigated in detail. In this study, the effects

Rice (Oryza sativa) plants acquired excess photosynthates in the form of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) in their stems and grain. Despite keen interest in rice NSC, the dynamics of NSC accumulation, translocation and re-accumulation have not yet been well investigated. AG1 and AG2 QTLs associated with flooding tolerance through catalyzing starch into soluble sugar in germinating seeds. Here we

Ustilaginoidea virens is the causal agent of rice false smut, which can be a highly destructive disease of rice. The plasma membrane phosphatase Psr1 proteins, which act as a regulator of the salinity stress response in yeast, are widely distributed across fungi, but their functional characterization is sketchy. In this study, we characterized the functions of Psr1 protein, UvPsr1, in U. virens. Analyses

All rice plant developmental stages are severely affected by soil salinity. Salinity-induced ionic and osmotic stresses affect stomata closure and gaseous exchange, and reduce transpiration and the rate of carbon assimilation, and hence decrease plant yield. Understanding the response of rice plants toward salinity stress at the genetic level and developing salt-tolerant varieties are the vital mandates

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) larger than 200 nucleotides in length are eukaryotic RNAs, and do not encode proteins. lncRNAs are considered to be important regulators in many biological processes in plants. In this review, the latest advances in the roles of lncRNAs in rice were reviewed, and functions of lncRNAs were further summarized and classified. lncRNAs play crucial roles in tolerance to biotic

Persistent tapetal cell1 (PTC1) plays a curial role in pollen development, and is thought to function as a transcriptional activator in rice. However, the molecular mechanism of PTC1 in regulating pollen development and its cis-elements are not well understood. We identified a novel weak male sterility mutant (ms92) which exhibited expanded tapetum and shrink pollen grains. Map-based cloning and allelic

Grain size is one of key agronomic traits associated with grain yield and grain quality. Both major quantitative trait loci GS3 and GL3.1 play a predominant role in negative regulation of grain size. In this study, a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated multiplex genome editing system was used to simultaneously edit GS3 and GL3.1 in a typical japonica rice Nipponbare. In T1 generation, we found that gs3 formed slender

Rice kernel shape affects kernel quality (appearance) and yield (1000-kernel weight) and therefore is an important agronomic trait, but its inheritance is complicated. We identified a long-kernel rice chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL), Z741, derived from Nipponbare as a recipient and Xihui 18 as a donor parent. Z741 has six substitution segments distributed on rice chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 8

As a unique form of abiotic stress, the environmental conditions of outer space are expected to induce changes in plant genomes, proteomes and metabolic pathways. However, the effect of outer space conditions on the overall physiology of plants at the protein level has yet to be reported. To investigate the effects of outer space conditions on the growth- and development-related physiological processes

Soil-emitted nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) in crop production are harmful nitrogen (N) emissions that may contribute both directly and indirectly to global warming. Application of nitrification inhibitors, such as dicyandiamide (DCD), and urea deep placement (UDP), are considered effective approaches to reduce these emissions. This study investigated the effects of DCD and UDP, compared

Rice blast is one of the most destructive diseases affecting rice production worldwide. The development and rational use of resistant varieties has been the most effective and economical measure to control blast. In this review, we summarized the cloning and utilization of rice blast resistance genes, such as Pi1, Pi2, Pi9, Pi54, Pigm and Piz-t. We concluded that three main problems in the current

Plant lesion mimic mutants (lmms) generally possess autoimmunity and hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death in the absence of biotic or abiotic stress. They have attracted much attention because they are useful tools for deciphering the interaction between defense signaling and growth. Recent studies have identified more than 30 lmms involved in the plant immune response and cell death in rice

Alternative splicing can generate multiple mRNAs that differ in their untranslated regions or coding sequences, and these differences might affect mRNA stability or result in different protein isoforms with diverse functions and/or localizations. In this study, we isolated a sterile mutant in rice with abnormal meiosis of microspore mother cells and megaspore mother cells that carried a point mutation

A number of internal signals are required for seed germination. However, the precise signalling responses in the initial imbibition of seed germination are not yet fully understood in rice. In this study, the RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach was conducted in 8 h imbibed seeds to understand the signalling responses in the initial imbibition of rice seed germination. A total of 563 differentially expressed

Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds and an essential signalling molecule in several regulatory processes of plant development. However, it is known as an anti-nutrient compound owing to its potent chelating property. Thus, reducing the phytic acid content in crops is desirable. Studies involving regulation of MIPS and IPK1 genes to generate low phytate rice have been

Present work was undertaken to screen some drought tolerant indigenous aromatic rice cultivars (IARCs), commonly cultivated in West Bengal, India, based on their capacity to produce osmolytes, redox-sensitive phenolic acids and flavonoids, as contrivances for redox-regulation under drought stress. Polyethylene glycol induced post imbibitional dehydration stress mediated changes in redox regulatory

Rice yield reduction due to water limitation depends on its severity and duration and on the phenological stage of its occurrence. We exposed three contrasting rice genotypes, IR64, UPLRi7 and Apo (adapted to lowland, upland and aerobic conditions, respectively), to three water regimes (puddle, 100% and 60% field capacity) in pots during the vegetative (GSI), flowering (GSII) and grain filling (GSIII)

Protein phosphorylation, one of the major post-translational modifications, plays a crucial role in cell signaling, DNA replication, gene expression and differentiation; and alters enzyme activity and other biological activities; and regulates cell proliferation and enlargement, phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling, plant disease resistance, and grain filling and quality during rice seed development

To clarify the complex regulatory relationship between changes in sugar content and leaf senescence during the grain-filling stage of rice, genotype-dependent differences in sugar content and the temporal transcriptional patterns of genes involved in sugar signaling pathways were determined in mutant rice exhibiting early leaf senescence and its wild type Zhefu 142. The effects of exogenous glucose

Weeds and insect pests are two important biotic stresses resulting in yield loss in rice, and wide compatibility is the essential characteristic of breeding inter-subspecific hybrid rice. This study focused on glyphosate resistance, lepidopteran resistance and wide compatibility as well as identification of molecular and some agronomic characteristics of transgenic male sterile line E1C4008S. The results

Rice varieties having high Fe concentration in the endospermic region can be used as a good source for Fe deficit population. In this study, 303 Oryza sativa varieties and 1 Oryza rufipogon accession were assessed for spatial Fe accumulation in grains by Prussian blue staining method. Spatial ferritin protein distribution in grains was visualized by immunohistochemistry, and ferritin expression was

An introgression line RBPH660, derived from wild rice Oryza rufipogon, showed stable resistance to brown planthopper (BPH). Segregation analysis indicated BPH resistance of RBPH660 was controlled by multiple genes/QTLs. By using the bulked segregant analysis (BSA)-seq method, two genomic regions harboring QTLs resistance to BPH were identified from 1.20 to 16.70 Mb on chromosome 4 and from 10.20 to

Grain size is one of the critical agronomic traits governing grain yield and quality in rice. However, the underlying genetic mechanisms that control grain size in rice are poorly understood. We used an introgression line derived from Zhonghui 8015 and Oryza rufipogon Griff. This introgression line was evaluated under two different environmental conditions to dissect the quantitative trait loci controlling

Aromatic rice belongs to a small but important sub-group of rice, which is highly regarded for its excellent aroma and superior grain quality. Aromatic rice, especially Basmati- and Jasmine-type rice, is being traded at a high price in the local and global markets. Genetically, rice aroma is a phenotypical expression of spontaneous recessive mutations of the OsBadh2 gene (also known as fgr/badh2/osbadh2/os2AP

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are about 22 nucleotides regulatory non-coding RNAs that play versatile roles in reprogramming plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, it remains unknown whether miRNAs confer the resistance to necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani in rice. To investigate whether miRNAs regulate the resistance to R. solani, we constructed 12 small RNA libraries from susceptible

The quantitative resistance gene pi21 from Sensho was introgressed to an indica breeding line IR63307-4B-13-2, a pyramiding line IRBB4/5/13/21, and a tropical japonica line Kinandang Patong by marker-assisted backcrossing. A total of 192 improved lines at the BC4F3 and BC4F4 generations were developed and confirmed to have the gene introgression via genotyping using a pi21-specific InDel marker. Thirteen

Deeper rooting 1 (Dro1) and Deeper rooting 2 (Dro2) are the QTLs that contribute considerably to root growth angle assisting in deeper rooting of rice plant. In the present study, a set of 348 genotypes were shortlisted from rice germplasm based on root angle study. Screening results of the germplasm lines under drought stress identified 25 drought tolerant donor lines based on leaf rolling, leaf drying

Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are important for plant growth, development and defense responses. The S-receptor protein kinases (SRKs), which represent an RLK subfamily, control the self- incompatibility among Brassica species. However, little information is available regarding SRK functions in rice. We identified a gene OsSRK1 encoding an atypical SRK. The transcript of OsSRK1 was induced by abscisic

P1B-type heavy metal ATPases (HMAs) are transmembrane metal-transporting proteins that play a key role in metal homeostasis. We here reported the characterization of rice OsHMA6, a member of the P1B-type ATPase family. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that OsHMA6 belonged to the Cu/Ag subgroup of the HMA family and had a close evolutionary relationship with OsHMA9. Amino acid sequence alignment showed

Physicochemical properties of endosperm starches in milled rice determine its cooking and eating quality. Amylose is synthesized by granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), whilst amylopectin is synthesized by the synergistic activities of starch synthases (SSs), branching enzymes (BEs) and debranching enzymes (DBEs). However, the complexes formed by starch biosynthetic enzymes are not well characterized

Two rice cultivars (Xiushui 09 and Chunyou 84) were used to evaluate the effects of various soil oxygen (O2) conditions on soil nitrogen (N) transformation, absorption and accumulation in rice plants. The treatments were continuous flooding (CF), continuous flooding and aeration (CFA), and alternate wetting and drying (AWD). The results showed that the AWD and CFA treatments improved soil N transformation

The functional diversity of plant valine-qlutamine (VQ) proteins is closely associated with their partners WRKY transcription factors, and also with a complex network of signaling pathways that mediated by hormone molecules. We reported genome-wide expression profiles of differentially expressed rice VQ genes under nitric oxide (NO) treatment based on a microarray analysis. Cluster analysis of expression

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. So far, systematic identification and characterization of lncRNAs have been reported in a few model plant species and major crops, but their roles in abiotic stress response have not yet been reported in common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon). Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) possesses a high degree of drought

The present study evaluated submergence responses in 88 lowland indigenous rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces from Koraput, India, to identify submergence-tolerant rice genotypes. In pot experiments, variations in survival rate, shoot elongation, relative growth index, dry matter, chlorophyll, soluble sugar and starch contents were evaluated in two consecutive years under well-drained and completely

Two rice genotypes Huanghuazhan (HHZ, heat-resistant) and IR36 (heat-susceptible) were subjected to high-temperature (HT, 40 °C) and normal-temperature (NT, 32 °C) treatments at the spikelet differentiation stage. HT treatment inhibited spikelet differentiation, aggravated spikelet degeneration, reduced spikelet size, and disordered carbohydrate allocation. Meanwhile, HT treatment increased nonstructural

The factors affecting the adoption of modern varieties (MVs) of rice and impact on poverty in Odisha, India were discussed. A total of 363 households from Cuttack and Sambalpur districts of Odisha via multistage sampling technique participated in the survey. The Cragg's Double hurdle model was used to model the determinants of adoption and intensity of adoption of MVs of rice, and the propensity score

Soil drought occurrence during dry season has been the main constraint, besides prolonged flooding during rainy season, in increasing cropping intensity and rice productivity in tropical riparian wetland. Use of drought tolerant rice genotype might be a suitable option for overcoming such problem. This study focused on the effects of gradual soil drying during early vegetative growth stage on morphological

A response surface method was employed to study the effect of α-amylase concentration, hydrolysis temperature and time on the production of high protein glutinous rice flour (HPGRF). The suspension of glutinous rice flour (15%) that contained 6.52% protein was gelatinized and subsequently hydrolyzed by thermostable α-amylase. The hydrolysis yielded 0.144–0.222 g/g HPGRF with 29.4%–45.4% protein content

As a main feature of plant autotrophy, assimilation of inorganic nitrogen (N) is not only of fundamental interest to the crop, but also a crucial factor in crop productivity. N is the main plant mineral nutrient needed for chlorophyll production and other plant cell components (proteins, nucleic acids and amino acids). I highlighted the novel aspects of N responsive sensors, transporters and signaling

Rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) is one of the most important cropping systems in South Asia. However, sustainability of this system is under threat owing to several factors, of which deficiency of micronutrients particularly zinc (Zn), boron (B) and manganese (Mn) is one of the major problems. Continuous rotation of rice and wheat, imbalanced fertilizer use and little/no use of micronutrient-enriched