Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (1): 1-13. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20196073

Special Issue: Rice Biotechnology Hot Article

• Crop Genetics & Breeding·Germplasm Resources·Biotechnology •     Next Articles

Identification of Candidate Genes for Rice Grain Weight and Shape via QTL Mapping and Omics Analysis

ZHONG Qi1, Mvuyeni Nyasulu1, CAO Guoliang1, BIAN Jianmin1,2   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology,Ecology and Genetic Breeding,Ministry of Education/Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330045,China
    2 Jiangxi Super Rice Engineering Technology Research Center,Nanchang 330045,China
  • Received:2025-04-23 Published:2026-03-10

Abstract:

Based on quantitative trait locus(QTL)mapping of grain weight and grain shape-related traits in a backcross inbred line(BIL)population derived from the cross between indica rice variety Changhui 891 and japonica rice variety 02428,this study provided valuable genetic resources for elucidating the genetic basis of grain development and molecular breeding for high yield and quality in rice.A high-density genetic map was used to conduct QTL analysis for thousand-grain weight,grain length,grain width,grain thickness,and length-width ratio under two environments.Transcriptome data of developing grains at 5,10,and 15 days after flowering from both parents were integrated to analyze candidate genes within QTL regions.Frequency distribution indicated that grain weight and shape traits in the BIL population exhibited typical quantitative characteristics,confirming the suitability for QTL mapping.A total of 37 QTLs were detected across both environments,including 18 specific to Hainan(Sanya),12 specific to Jiangxi(Nanchang),and 7 consistently identified in both locations.These QTLs were distributed on chromosomes 1—5,7,8,11,and 12,comprising 7 for thousand grains weight,5 for grain length,7 for grain width,11 for length-width ratio,and 7 for grain thickness.The analysis showed that the LOD values of these QTLs ranged from 2.79 to 43.10,with a contribution rate of 1.36% to 46.12%.By integrating differentially expressed genes from developing grains of both parents at three stages,28 candidate genes were prioritized from the 37 QTL regions.Among these,LOC_Os11g10480 and LOC_Os11g10100 were identified as key candidates for further functional validation.

Key words: Rice, BIL, Grain shape, Thousand-grain weight, QTL

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Cite this article

ZHONG Qi, Mvuyeni Nyasulu, CAO Guoliang, BIAN Jianmin. Identification of Candidate Genes for Rice Grain Weight and Shape via QTL Mapping and Omics Analysis[J]. Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica, 2026, 41(1): 1-13. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20196073.

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