Identification of a UDP-glucuronosyl/UDP-glucosyltransferase involved in rice seedling height regulation.
Asif S, Asaf S, Jan R, Kim N, Park JR
Crop Improvement
Rice paddies planted with faster-establishing seedlings need fewer herbicide applications in those critical early weeks — a change that ripples from farmer fields to the waterways downstream from them.
Researchers found that early seedling height in rice isn't controlled by just one switch, but by many genes working together. By studying thousands of rice plants, they zeroed in on one particular gene that acts like a molecular traffic controller for plant hormones, and taller seedlings consistently had this gene turned up higher. Understanding this could help breeders grow rice that gets off to a stronger start, crowding out weeds and surviving early stress more reliably.
Key Findings
32 genomic regions (QTLs) across multiple rice chromosomes collectively control seedling height measured from 6 to 24 days after sowing.
A single gene, Os06g0282000 on chromosome 6, encodes a sugar-transferring enzyme (UGT) whose expression was consistently higher in tall seedling lines and increased sharply between 12–24 days after sowing.
Comparative analysis found 51 related UGT genes in rice, with phylogenetic evidence linking this gene family to plant growth regulation via phytohormone balance.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists pinpointed a gene in rice that helps control how tall seedlings grow in their first few weeks of life, potentially offering a new target for breeding stronger, faster-establishing rice crops.
Abstract Preview
Seedling height is an important agronomic trait for early vigor and crop establishment in rice. It is controlled by multiple genes, as shown by the continuous variation and normal distribution obse...
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