Reference "Global dissemination of a single mutation conferring white pericarp in rice"

Reference ID

13956

Title

Global dissemination of a single mutation conferring white pericarp in rice

Source

PLoS Genet, 2007, vol. 3, pp. e133-e133

Authors (7)

Sweeney-M-T	Thomson-M-J
Cho-Y-G	Park-Y-J
Williamson-S-H	Bustamante-C-D
McCouch-S-R

Abstract

Here we report that the change from the red seeds of wild rice to the white
seeds of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) resulted from the strong selective sweep
of a single mutation, a frame-shift deletion within the Rc gene that is found in
97.9% of white rice varieties today. A second mutation, also within Rc, is
present in less than 3% of white accessions surveyed. Haplotype analysis
revealed that the predominant mutation originated in the japonica subspecies and
crossed both geographic and sterility barriers to move into the indica
subspecies. A little less than one Mb of japonica DNA hitchhiked with the rc
allele into most indica varieties, suggesting that other linked domestication
alleles may have been transferred from japonica to indica along with white
pericarp color. Our finding provides evidence of active cultural exchange among
ancient farmers over the course of rice domestication coupled with very strong,
positive selection for a single white allele in both subspecies of O. sativa.