title: Overexpression of maize anthocyanin regulatory gene Lc affects rice fertility.
abstract: Seventeen independent transgenic rice plants with the maize anthocyanin regulatory gene Lc under control of the CaMV 35S promoter were obtained and verified by molecular identification. Ten plants showed red spikelets during early development of florets, and the degenerate florets were still red after heading. Additionally, these plants exhibited intense pigmentation on the surface of the anther and the bottom of the ovary. They were unable to properly bloom and were completely sterile. Following pollination with normal pollen, these plants yielded red caryopses but did not mature normally. QRT-PCR analysis indicated that mRNA accumulation of the CHS-like gene encoding a chalcone synthase-related protein was increased significantly in the sterile plant. This is the first report to suggest that upregulation of the CHS gene expression may result in rice sterility and affect the normal development of rice seeds.
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. liyuannkcn@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhong-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jian-Yue
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000235:genetics*; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000217:Acyltransferases; C020141:flavanone synthetase