Golden Hull: A Potential Biomarker for Assessing Seed Aging Tolerance in Rice
Jing Ye,
Chengjing Wang,
Ling Chen,
Rongrong Zhai,
Mingming Wu,
Yanting Lu,
Faming Yu,
Xiaoming Zhang,
Guofu Zhu,
Shenghai Ye
Affiliations
Jing Ye
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Chengjing Wang
Laboratory of Seed Science and Technology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Ling Chen
National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572025, China
Rongrong Zhai
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Mingming Wu
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Yanting Lu
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Faming Yu
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Xiaoming Zhang
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Guofu Zhu
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Shenghai Ye
Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Seed aging is a complex process that involves various physiological and biochemical changes leading to a decline in seed viability during storage. However, the specific biomarkers for assessing the degree of seed aging in rice remain elusive. In this study, we isolated a golden hull mutant, gh15, from the indica rice Z15 by employing a radiation mutagenesis technique. Compared with the wild type (WT) Z15, the mutant gh15 displayed a golden hue in the hull, stem, and internodes, while no significant differences were observed in the key agronomic traits. A genetic analysis showed that the gh15 phenotype is regulated by a single recessive gene, which possibly encodes cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase OsCAD2. Significant differences of seed aging tolerance were observed between gh15 and WT after six months of natural storage and artificial aging treatment, with gh15 exhibiting a markedly lower aging tolerance compared to the WT. Haplotype assays indicated that the Hap2 of OsCAD2 was significantly associated with the dark coloration of the hull and lower seed aging tolerance. The molecular marker of OsCAD2 associated with seed color was explored in rice. These findings demonstrate that the golden hull serves as a potential biomarker for the rapid assessment of seed aging tolerance in rice.
