J Integr Plant Biol. ›› 2022, Vol. 64 ›› Issue (1): 135-148.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13184

• Molecular Physiology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Natural alleles of a uridine 5ʹ-diphospho-glucosyltransferase gene responsible for differential endosperm development between upland rice and paddy rice

Zihao Wu1,2, Xiao Zhang2, Guimei Chang2, Jun Yang2, Jinpeng Wan2, Feijun Wang2, Dayun Tao3, Jiawu Zhou3, Lianguang Shang4, Peng Xu2,5,6* and Diqiu Yu2,7*   

  1. 1 School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
    2 CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
    3 Yunnan Key Laboratory for Rice Genetic Improvement, Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650200, China
    4 The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China
    5 Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
    6 Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China
    7 State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio‐Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China

    *Correspondences: Peng Xu (xupeng@xtbg.ac.cn); Diqiu Yu (ydq@xtbg.ac.cn, Dr. Yu is fully responsible for the distributions of all materials associated with this article)
  • Received:2021-07-30 Accepted:2021-11-04 Online:2021-11-06 Published:2022-01-01

Abstract: Traditional upland rice generally exhibits insufficient grains resulting from abnormal endosperm development compared to paddy rice. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of this trait is poorly understood. Here, we cloned the uridine 5ʹ-diphospho (UDP)-glucosyltransferase gene EDR1 (Endosperm Development in Rice) responsible for differential endosperm development between upland rice and paddy rice by performing quantitative trait loci analysis and map-based cloning. EDR1 was highly expressed in developing seeds during grain filling. Natural variations in EDR1 significantly reduced the UDP-glucosyltransferase activity of EDR1YZN compared to EDR1YD1, resulting in abnormal endosperm development in the near-isogenic line, accompanied by insufficient grains and changes in grain quality. By analyzing the distribution of the two alleles EDR1YD1 and EDR1YZN among diverse paddy rice and upland rice varieties, we discovered that EDR1 was conserved in upland rice, but segregated in paddy rice. Further analyses of grain chalkiness in the alleles of EDR1YD1 and EDR1YZN varieties indicated that rice varieties harboring EDR1YZN and EDR1YD1 preferentially showed high chalkiness, and low chalkiness, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that the UDP-glucosyltransferase gene EDR1 is an important determinant controlling differential endosperm development between upland rice and paddy rice.

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