Effects of Starch Synthesis-Related Genes Polymorphism on Quality of Glutinous Rice

Ouling Zhang; Cheng Liang; Bowen Yang; Hui You; Liang Xu; Yongjun Chen; Xunchao Xiang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.707992

Effects of Starch Synthesis-Related Genes Polymorphism on Quality of Glutinous Rice

Front Plant Sci. 2021 Aug 6:12:707992. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.707992. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ouling Zhang¹, Cheng Liang¹, Bowen Yang¹, Hui You¹, Liang Xu¹, Yongjun Chen², Xunchao Xiang¹

Affiliations

¹ Lab of Plant Molecular Genetics and Breeding, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China.
² Rice Research Institute of Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China.

Abstract

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa L.) quality includes thermal properties, retrogradation and pasting viscosity properties, and so on, which have little or no amylose. However, the genetic network regulation of different quality indices has not been systematically studied. The aim was to investigate the relationship between starch synthesis-related genes (SSRGs) and the physicochemical properties of glutinous rice by targeted-gene association analysis (TGAS). The genotypes of 17 SSRGs were analyzed using 46 gene-specific molecular markers in 63 glutinous rice accessions. TGAS and gene interactions analysis indicated that soluble starch synthase (SS) IIa, SSI, starch branching enzyme (BE) IIa, and pullulanase (PUL) had significant genetic effects on glutinous rice quality. SSI and SSIIa were the major genes that regulated thermal properties and retrogradation properties (RP). PUL was central in the regulation of gel consistency (GC), and it participated in the regulation of pasting viscosity parameters (PVP) except for the pasting time and the pasting temperature. BEIIb, ISA1, SSIVb, BEIIa, SSIVa, and their interactions with SSIIa regulated gelatinization temperature (GT) and PVP. The starch properties of glutinous rice are mainly controlled by SSIIa, SSI, PUL, and their interactions, but SSIIa is central among them. These findings indicate that starch properties in glutinous rice have a complex genetic system. It provides crucial information for promoting glutinous rice quality.

Keywords: gene interaction; glutinous rice (Oryza sativa L.); rice quality; soluble starch synthase IIa; starch synthesis-related genes; targeted-gene association analysis.