Rice Research: Open Access
Open Access

Research Article

Genome-Wide Comparative Transcriptional Analysis of Developing Seeds among Seven Oryza sativa L. Subsp. Japonica Cultivars Grown near the Northern Limit of Rice Cultivation

Sho Takano1, Shuichi Matsuda1, Yuji Hirayama2, Takashi Sato2, Itsuro Takamure3 and Kiyoaki Kato1*
1Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-11 Inada, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
2Rice Breeding Group, Kamikawa Agricultural Experiment Station, Local Independent Administrative Agency Hokkaido Research Organization, Minami 1-5, Pippu, Hokkaido 078-0397, Japan
3Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-811, Japan
Corresponding Author :	Kiyoaki Kato Department of Agro-Environmental Science Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Nishi 2-11 Inada, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan Tel: +81-155-49-5477 Fax: +81-155- 49-5593 E-mail: kiyoaki@obihiro.ac.jp
Received November 11, 2014; Accepted December 05, 2014; Published December 08, 2014
Citation: Takano S, Matsuda S, Hirayama Y, Sato T, Takamure I, et al. (2015) Genome-Wide Comparative Transcriptional Analysis of Developing Seeds among Seven Oryza sativa L. Subsp. Japonica Cultivars Grown near the Northern Limit of Rice Cultivation. J Rice Res 3: 130. doi: 10.4172/2375-4338.1000130
Copyright: © 2015 Takano S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Improved grain quality is a major breeding target in rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp. japonica), owing to market demand. Rice cultivars grown in Hokkaido (42-45°N), the northernmost region of rice paddy cultivation in Japan and near the northern limit of rice cultivation, have been bred for over 100 years for adaptation to low temperature together with high yield and grain quality. In this study, for seven closely related rice cultivars released in Hokkaido in the last 70 years, we investigated the transcriptome profiles of developing seeds 8 days after flowering (DAF, middle stage) and 15 DAF (late stage) under natural conditions in Hokkaido (42.52°N) using a whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray. The transcriptome profiles were divided into two groups depending on stage and were more variable at the late than that at the middle stage. The genome-wide transcriptome data revealed the features of differentially expressed genes in two first-generation cultivars compared to that in the parental cultivars. Starch properties were varied and correlated with the expression of starch biosynthesis genes among Hokkaido cultivars. Apparent amylose content was positively correlated with Waxy gene expression at the late stage. The expression of starch biosynthesis genes and starch properties were varied among Hokkaido cultivars. The transcriptomes of the most recent cultivars reveal the expression of ideal genes for the development of cultivars with high grain yield, grain quality, and grain traits essential for rice production near the northern and southern limits of rice cultivation.

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