Ebook: Rice Biology in the Genomics Era

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important staple food crops in the world. Breeding efforts to improve the agronomical quality of rice have been conducted, and studies on rice from the viewpoint of basic biological interest have also been carried out. In 1991, a book entitled Rice (edited by Dr. Bajaj) was published as the 14th volume in the series Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry (BAF), detailing rice research activities at that time, and focusing mainly on cell and tissue culture and genetic variability. Studies on rice have fundamentally advanced since then, whose outcomes are mentioned below. This is a good reason to compile a new volume on rice. The situation regarding rice research has markedly changed in the last 16 years. First, the genomic sequences of rice were completely determined by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project in 2004. Since the genome sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana had been determined in 2000, rice became the second species in the seed plants to have its genome well understood. Second, the technology to transform rice by the Agrobacterium-mediated method was developed and is now established. In classical phytopathology, Poaceae (including rice) has not been considered as a host for Agrobacterium. This transformation method is relatively easy and reproducible as compared to conventional transformation methods using protoplasts, and is now widely used in rice research.

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There are few more emotive, or important, crops in the world than rice – the staple food for a huge proportion of the world’s population.

This volume presents the latest results of research in crop improvement as well as in molecular and cellular activities in rice.

It consists of 26 chapters and is divided into the following four sections: Genome-wide and genome-based research; Signal transduction and development; Evolution and ecology; and Improvement of rice.

The background to this book is that the complete sequencing of the rice genome and new molecular biological techniques have led to tremendous advances in our knowledge of rice biology.

Thus rice has become an important model plant for basic and applied research.

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There are few more emotive, or important, crops in the world than rice – the staple food for a huge proportion of the world’s population.

This volume presents the latest results of research in crop improvement as well as in molecular and cellular activities in rice.

It consists of 26 chapters and is divided into the following four sections: Genome-wide and genome-based research; Signal transduction and development; Evolution and ecology; and Improvement of rice.

The background to this book is that the complete sequencing of the rice genome and new molecular biological techniques have led to tremendous advances in our knowledge of rice biology.

Thus rice has become an important model plant for basic and applied research.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxi
The Rice Genome Sequence as an Indispensable Tool for Crop Improvement....Pages 3-12
Bioinformatics and Database of the Rice Genome....Pages 13-21
Sequencing-based Measurements of mRNA and Small RNA....Pages 23-36
Microarray-based Approaches to Rice Transcriptome Analysis....Pages 37-51
High-throughput Transcriptome Analysis in Rice from a Genomic Perspective....Pages 53-67
Active Transposons in Rice....Pages 69-79
Homologous Recombination-dependent Gene Targeting and an Active DNA Transposon nDart-promoted Gene Tagging for Rice Functional Genomics....Pages 81-94
T-DNA Tagging Lines....Pages 95-106
Frequent DNA Transfer Among Mitochondrial, Plastid and Nuclear Genomes of Rice During Evolution....Pages 107-117
Hormonal Signal Transduction in Rice....Pages 121-134
Rice Heterotrimeric G Protein Signaling....Pages 135-148
Genetic Control of Embryogenesis in Rice....Pages 149-161
Photoperiodic Flowering in Rice....Pages 163-176
Genetic Regulation of Meristem Maintenance and Organ Specification in Rice Flower Development....Pages 177-189
Genetic Dissection of Sexual Reproduction in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)....Pages 191-204
Molecular Studies on Cytoplasmic Male Sterility-associated Genes and Restorer Genes in Rice....Pages 205-215
Chromosome and Genome Evolution in Rice....Pages 219-234
Genetics of Speciation in Rice....Pages 235-245
Genetic Diversity in Wild Relatives of Rice and Domestication Events....Pages 247-259
Rice Retroposon, p-SINE, and Its Use for Classification and Identification of Oryza Species....Pages 261-275
Detection and Molecular Cloning of Genes Underlying Quantitative Phenotypic Variations in Rice....Pages 277-291
Rice Yielding and Plant Hormones....Pages 295-308
Regulation of Iron and Zinc Uptake and Translocation in Rice....Pages 309-320
Abiotic Stress....Pages 321-335
Health-promoting Transgenic Rice: Application of Rice Seeds as a Direct Delivery System for Bioactive Peptides in Human Health....Pages 337-355
Back Matter....Pages 357-373
....Pages 375-381