Abstract
BackgroundCytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a trait associated with non-functional pollen or anthers, caused by the interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genes.FindingsA Tadukan-type CMS line (TAA) and a restorer line (TAR) were obtained by successive backcrossing between the Oryza sativa cultivars Tadukan (a cytoplasmic donor) and Taichung 65 (a recurrent pollen parent). Using Illumina HiSeq, we determined whole-genome sequences of the mitochondria of TAA and screened the mitochondrial genome for the presence of open reading frame (orf) genes specific to this genome. One of these orf genes, orf312, showed differential expression patterns in TAA and TAR anthers at the meiotic and mature stages, with transcript amounts in TAR being less than those in TAA. The orf312 gene is similar to the previously described orf288, a part of which is among the components comprising WA352, a chimeric CMS-associated gene of wild-abortive-type CMS.ConclusionsThe orf312 gene is a promising candidate for CMS-associated gene in TAA.
Highlights
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a trait associated with non-functional pollen or anthers, caused by the interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genes
The orf312 gene is a promising candidate for CMS-associated gene in Tadukan-type CMS line (TAA)
Pollen and Anther Phenotypes Observations through an optical microscope revealed that pollen grains of the Tadukan-type CMS line TAA were morphologically normal and stained darkly with I2KI, similar to those of the maintainer line Taichung 65 (T65) and the fertility restorer line Tadukan-type restorer line (TAR) (Fig. 1a)
Summary
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a trait associated with non-functional pollen or anthers, caused by the interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genes. To obtain F1 hybrid seeds, male-sterile plants are often used as female parents to prevent self-pollination, and most commercial hybrid rice varieties have been developed utilizing cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and photoperiod/temperature-sensitive genic male sterility techniques (Huang et al 2014). CMS occurs due to an interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. In this regard, the expression of certain mitochondrial open reading frame (orf) genes, which are referred to as CMS-associated genes, is known to cause dysfunctions in pollen development (Huang et al 2014). The identification of CMS-associated orfs has primarily been achieved based
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