Time-related identification of chromosome regions affecting plant elongation in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

We investigated the time-related changes of Chromosome Regions that Affect Traits (CRATs) for elongation rate in rice (Oryza sativa L.) using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) carrying a single chromosome segment of the cultivar Kasalath (indica) in a Koshihikari (japonica) genetic background. The growth period of rice was partitioned into eight stages (each lasting 5–7 days) from 18 days after transplanting, and the elongation rate was determined as the increase of total plant height per time at each growth stage. CRATs for plant elongation rate were determined based on graphical genotype data of CSSLs that showed a significantly higher or lower elongation rate than Koshihikari. In total, 23 CRATs for plant elongation rate were detected, and different CRATs acted at different growth stages. Fifteen CRATs increased the elongation rate through Kasalath alleles, and eight increased it through Koshihikari alleles. These results suggest that plant height in rice is regulated in a stage-specific manner by a variety of genetic mechanisms that control plant elongation rate. Kasalath alleles of PE1-9 increased the elongation rate at an early growth stage (18–25 days after transplanting), while Koshihikari alleles of PE8-3 decreased the elongation rate at a late growth stage (68–74 days after transplanting). In a line that contained both of these CRATs, the elongation rate at the early growth stage was increased without affecting plant height at harvesting. We conclude that stage-specific optimization of plant height in rice may be achieved by combining CRATs that control plant elongation at specific stages.