Genome and Comparative Transcriptomics of African Wild Rice Oryza longistaminata Provide Insights into Molecular Mechanism of Rhizomatousness and Self-Incompatibility

Abstract

Oryza longistaminata is an African wild rice species with AA genome type possessing special traits that are highly valued for improving cultivated rice, such as strong resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses (Song et al., 1995) for improving resistance of cultivars, rhizomatousness for perennial breeding (Glover et al., 2010), and self-incompatibility (SI) for new ways to produce hybrid seeds (Ghesquiere, 1986). Deciphering the genome of O. longistaminata will be the key to uncovering the mechanism of these hallmark traits and improving cultivated rice.