Identification of four genes for stable hybrid sterility and an epistatic QTL from a cross between Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima

Abstract

To further understand the nature of hybrid sterility between Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima, quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling hybrid sterility between the two cultivated rice species were detected in BC1F1 and advanced backcross populations. A genetic map was constructed using the BC1F1 population derived from a cross between WAB450-16, an O. sativa cultivar, and CG14, an O. glaberrima cultivar. Seven main-effect QTLs for pollen and spikelet sterility were detected in the BC1F1. Forty-four sterility NILs (BC6F1) were developed via successive backcrosses using pollen sterility plants as female and WAB450-16 as the recurrent parent. Seven NILs, in which the target QTL regions were heterozygous while the other QTL regions as well as most of the reminder of the genome were homozygous for the WAB450-16 allele, were selected as the QTL identification materials. BC7F1 for the seven NILs showed a continuous variation in pollen and spikelet fertility. The four identified pollen sterility QTLs were located one each on chromosomes 1, 3, 7 and 7. Pollen sterility loci qSS-3 and qSS-7a were on chromosomes 3 and 7, respectively, which coincides with the previously identified S19, and S20, while loci qSS-1 and qSS-7b on chromosomes 1 and 7L appear distinct from all previously reported loci. An epistatic interaction controlling the hybrid sterility was detected between qSS-1 and qSS-7a.