Work

The molecular basis of white pericarps in African domesticated rice: novel mutations at the Rc gene

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Repeated phenotypic evolution can occur at both the inter- and intraspecific level and is especially prominent in domesticated plants, where artificial selection has favoured the same traits in many different species and varieties. The question of whether repeated evolution reflects changes at the same or different genes in each lineage can now be addressed using the domestication and improvement genes that have been identified in a variety of crops. Here, we document the genetic basis of nonpigmented ('white') pericarps in domesticated African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and compare it with the known genetic basis of the same trait in domesticated Asian rice (Oryza sativa). In some cases, white pericarps in African rice are apparently caused by unique mutations at the Rc gene, which also controls pericarp colour variation in Asian rice. In one case, white pericarps appear to reflect changes at a different gene or potentially a cis-regulatory region.

Source: Journal of Evolutionary Biology

DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02125.x

Authors: B. L. GROSS, F. T. STEFFEN, K. M. OLSEN

Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Language: English

Topic: Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: green

Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences