RESUMO
Grain weight is an important determinant of grain yield. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms for grain size remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we identify a rice mutant grain weight 9 (gw9), which exhibits larger and heavier grains due to excessive cell proliferation and expansion in spikelet hull. GW9 encodes a nucleus-localized protein containing both C2H2 zinc finger (C2H2-ZnF) and VRN2-EMF2-FIS2-SUZ12 (VEFS) domains, serving as a negative regulator of grain size and weight. Interestingly, the non-frameshift mutations in C2H2-ZnF domain result in increased plant height and larger grain size, whereas frameshift mutations in both C2H2-ZnF and VEFS domains lead to dwarf and malformed spikelet. These observations indicated the dual functions of GW9 in regulating grain size and floral organ identity through the C2H2-ZnF and VEFS domains, respectively. Further investigation revealed the interaction between GW9 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase protein GW2, with GW9 being the target of ubiquitination by GW2. Genetic analyses suggest that GW9 and GW2 function in a coordinated pathway controlling grain size and weight. Our findings provide a novel insight into the functional role of GW9 in the regulation of grain size and weight, offering potential molecular strategies for improving rice yield.
Assuntos
Oryza , Oryza/genética , Oryza/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Grão Comestível/genética , Grão Comestível/metabolismo , Ubiquitinação , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas/genéticaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Mitochondrion is the key respiratory organ and participate in multiple anabolism and catabolism pathways in eukaryote. However, the underlying mechanism of how mitochondrial membrane proteins regulate leaf and grain development remains to be further elucidated. RESULTS: Here, a mitochondria-defective mutant narrow leaf and slender grain 1 (nlg1) was identified from an EMS-treated mutant population, which exhibits narrow leaves and slender grains. Moreover, nlg1 also presents abnormal mitochondria structure and was sensitive to the inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport chain. Map-based cloning and transgenic functional confirmation revealed that NLG1 encodes a mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase containing a subunit Tim21. GUS staining assay and RT-qPCR suggested that NLG1 was mainly expressed in leaves and panicles. The expression level of respiratory function and auxin response related genes were significantly down-regulated in nlg1, which may be responsible for the declination of ATP production and auxin content. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that NLG1 plays an important role in the regulation of leaf and grain size development by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Our finding provides a novel insight into the effects of mitochondria development on leaf and grain morphogenesis in rice.
Assuntos
Oryza , Oryza/genética , Membranas Mitocondriais , Folhas de Planta/genética , Mitocôndrias , Grão Comestível/genética , Ácidos Indolacéticos , Proteínas de Membrana/genéticaRESUMO
Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) Δ9 desaturase (SAD) is a critical fatty acid dehydrogenase in plants, playing a prominent role in regulating the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and having a significant impact on plant growth and development. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of the SAD family in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), identifying 14 HvSADs with the FA_desaturase_2 domain, which were divided into four subgroups based on sequence composition and phylogenetic analysis, with members of the same subgroup possessing similar genes and motif structures. Gene replication analysis suggested that tandem and segmental duplication may be the major reasons for the expansion of the SAD family in barley. The promoters of HvSADs contained various cis-regulatory elements (CREs) related to light, abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). In addition, expression analysis indicated that HvSADs exhibit multiple tissue expression patterns in barley as well as different response characteristics under three abiotic stresses: salt, drought, and cold. Briefly, this evolutionary and expression analysis of HvSADs provides insight into the biological functions of barley, supporting a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory mechanisms of oil biosynthesis and metabolism in plants under abiotic stress.
Assuntos
Hordeum , Hordeum/genética , Proteína de Transporte de Acila , Filogenia , Genômica , Ácidos Graxos DessaturasesRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Endo-ß-1,4-xylanase1 (EA), the key endoxylanase in plants, is involved in the degradation of arabinoxylan during grain germination. In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), one gene (HvXYN-1) that encode a endo-beta-1,4-xylanase, has been cloned. However, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect the endoxylanase activity and total arabinoxylan (TAX) content have yet to be characterized. The investigation of genetic variation in HvXYN1 may facilitate a better understanding of the relationship between TAX content and EA activity in barley. RESULTS: In the current study, 56 polymorphisms were detected in HvXYN1 among 210 barley accessions collected from 34 countries, with 10 distinct haplotypes identified. The SNPs at positions 110, 305, 1045, 1417, 1504, 1597, 1880 bp in the genomic region of HvXYN1 were significantly associated with EA activity (P < 0.0001), and the sites 110, 305, and 1045 were highly significantly associated with TAX content. The amount of phenotypic variation in a given trait explained by each associated polymorphism ranged from 6.96 to 9.85%. Most notably, we found two variants at positions 1504 bp and 1880 bp in the second exon that significantly (P < 0.0001) affected EA activity; this result could be used in breeding programs to improve beer quality. In addition, African accessions had the highest EA activity and TAX content, and the richest germplasm resources were from Asia, indicating the high potential value of Asian barley. CONCLUSION: This study provided insight into understanding the relationship, EA activity, TAX content with the SNPs of HvXYN1 in barley. These SNPs can be applied as DNA markers in breeding programs to improve the quality of barley for beer brewing after further validation.
Assuntos
Endo-1,4-beta-Xilanases/metabolismo , Variação Genética , Hordeum/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Xilanos/metabolismo , Alelos , Endo-1,4-beta-Xilanases/genética , Haplótipos , Hordeum/enzimologia , Filogeografia , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo ÚnicoRESUMO
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals, and its accumulation in plants will seriously affect growth and yield. In this study, Cd-sensitive line D69 and Cd-tolerant line D28 were selected, which the Cd content of D28 was higher than D69 in both above and underground parts after Cd treatment. Using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MALDI-TOF-TOF MS/MS, the differential expression changes of phosphorylated proteins between D69 and D28 in leaves were classified and analyzed after Cd treatment. A total of 53 differentially expressed phosphoproteins were identified, which mainly involved in metabolism, signal transduction, gene expression regulation, material transport, and membrane fusion. The phosphorylated proteins of Cd-tolerant and Cd-sensitive lines were all analyzed, and found that some proteins associated with carbon metabolism, proteolytic enzymes, F-box containing transcription factors, RNA helicases, DNA replication/transcription/repair enzymes and ankyrins were detected in Cd-tolerant line D28, which might alleviate the abiotic stress caused by Cd treatment. These results will clarify the phosphorylated pathways in response and resistance to Cd stress in rice.
Assuntos
Cádmio/toxicidade , Oryza/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Proteoma/metabolismo , Estresse Fisiológico/efeitos dos fármacos , Oryza/genética , Oryza/fisiologia , Fosforilação , Folhas de Planta/metabolismo , Folhas de Planta/fisiologia , Poluentes do Solo/toxicidadeRESUMO
The aerial parts of higher plants are generated from the shoot apical meristem (SAM). In this study, we isolated a small rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant that showed premature termination of shoot development and was named mini rice 1 (mini1). The mutant was first isolated from a japonica cultivar Zhonghua11 (ZH11) subjected to ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) treatment. With bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and map-based cloning method, Mini1 gene was finally fine-mapped to an interval of 48.6 kb on chromosome 9. Sequence analyses revealed a single base substitution from G to A was found in the region, which resulted in an amino acid change from Gly to Asp. The candidate gene Os09g0363900 was predicted to encode a putative adhesion of calyx edges protein ACE (putative HOTHEAD precursor) and genetic complementation experiment confirmed the identity of Mini1. Os09g0363900 contains glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidoreductase and NAD(P)-binding Rossmann-like domain, and exhibits high similarity to Arabidopsis HOTHEAD (HTH). Expression analysis indicated Mini1 was highly expressed in young shoots but lowly in roots and the expression level of most genes involved in auxin biosynthesis and signal transduction were reduced in mutant. We conclude that Mini1 plays an important role in maintaining SAM activity and promoting shoot development in rice.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Genes de Plantas , Oryza/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Brotos de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Brotos de Planta/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Ontologia Genética , Estudos de Associação Genética , Teste de Complementação Genética , Ácidos Indolacéticos/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação/genética , Oryza/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Mapeamento Físico do Cromossomo , Proteínas de Plantas/química , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Alinhamento de Sequência , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Transcriptoma/genéticaRESUMO
Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is an important NADPH-dependent enzyme that can produce primary alcohol from fatty acyl-CoA or fatty acyl-carrier proteins as substrates. It plays a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. Herein, we performed genome-wide identification and expression analysis of FAR members in rice using bioinformatics methods. A total of eight OsFAR genes were identified, and the OsFARs were comprehensively analyzed in terms of phylogenetic relationships, duplication events, protein motifs, etc. The cis-elements of the OsFARs were predicted to respond to growth and development, light, hormones, and abiotic stresses. Gene ontology annotation analysis revealed that OsFAR proteins participate in biological processes as fatty acyl-CoA reductase during lipid metabolism. Numerous microRNA target sites were present in OsFARs mRNAs. The expression analysis showed that OsFARs were expressed at different levels during different developmental periods and in various tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of OsFARs were altered under abiotic stresses, suggesting that FARs may be involved in abiotic stress tolerance in rice. The findings presented here serve as a solid basis for further exploring the functions of OsFARs.
RESUMO
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Improperly managed pain can negatively affect physical and mental health, quality of life, and functional status of individuals with cancer. To address nurses' experiences with and barriers to providing cancer pain management, a systematic review was conducted. LITERATURE SEARCH: PubMed®, Embase®, Web of Science, CINAHL®, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Full-Text Database, Wanfang, and SINOMED databases were searched for articles published from database inception through August 2022. DATA EVALUATION: Two researchers independently evaluated the studies' quality, and meta-integration was performed using thematic synthesis. Eighteen qualitative studies, including 277 nurses from 11 different countries, were included in the review. SYNTHESIS: The following three themes regarding nurses' barriers to providing cancer pain management were identified: (a) healthcare professional-related barriers, (b) patient-related barriers, and (c) organizational-related barriers. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This systematic review provides an evidence-based reference for nurses to manage pain among individuals with cancer and develop appropriate interventions.
Assuntos
Dor do Câncer , Neoplasias , Enfermeiras e Enfermeiros , Humanos , Dor do Câncer/tratamento farmacológico , Qualidade de Vida , Pessoal de Saúde , Dor , Pesquisa Qualitativa , Neoplasias/complicaçõesRESUMO
Plant lesion mutation usually refers to the phenomenon of cell death in green tissues before senescence in the absence of external stress, and such mutants also show enhanced resistance to some plant pathogens. The occurrence of lesion mimic mutants in rice is affected by gene mutation, reactive oxygen species accumulation, an uncontrolled programmed cell death system, and abiotic stress. At present, many lesion mimic mutants have been identified in rice, and some genes have been functionally analyzed. This study reviews the occurrence mechanism of lesion mimic mutants in rice. It analyzes the function of rice lesion mimic mutant genes to elucidate the molecular regulation pathways of rice lesion mimic mutants in regulating plant disease resistance.
RESUMO
Sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) is a class of plant-specific serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinase that plays an important role in rice stress tolerance, growth and development. However, systematic bioinformatics and expression pattern analysis have not been reported. In the current study, ten OsSnRK2 genes were identified in the rice genome and located on 7 chromosomes, which can be classified into three subfamilies (I, II, and III). Many cis-regulatory elements were identified in the promoter region of OsSnRK2 genes, including hormone response elements, defense and stress responsive elements, indicating that the OsSnRK2 family may play a crucial role in response to hormonal and abiotic stress. Quantitative tissue analysis showed that OsSnRK2 genes expressed in all tissues of rice, but the expression abundance varied from different tissues and showed varietal variability. In addition, expression pattern of OsSnRK2 were analyzed under abiotic stress (salt, drought, salt and drought) and showed obvious difference in diverse abiotic stress. In general, these results provide useful information for understanding the OsSnRK2 gene family and analyzing its functions in rice in response to ABA, salt and drought stress, especially salt-drought combined stress.
RESUMO
The myeloblastosis (MYB) family comprises a large group of transcription factors (TFs) that has a variety of functions. Among them, the R2R3-MYB type of proteins are the largest group in plants, which are involved in controlling various biological processes such as plant growth and development, physiological metabolism, defense, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, bioinformatics was adopted to conduct genome-wide identification of the R2R3-MYB TFs in rice. We identified 190 MYB TFs (99 R2R3-MYBs), which are unevenly distributed on the 12 chromosomes of rice. Based on the phylogenetic clustering and protein sequence characteristics, OsMYBs were classified into five subgroups, and 59.6% of the Os2R_MYB genes contained two introns. Analysis of cis-acting elements in the 2000 bp upstream region of Os2R_MYB genes showed that all Os2R_MYB genes contained plant hormones-related or stress-responsive elements since 91.9%, 79.8%, 79.8%, and 58.6% of Os2R_MYB genes contain ABRE, TGACG, CGTCA, and MBS motifs, respectively. Protein-protein network analysis showed that the Os2R_MYBs were involved in metabolic process, biosynthetic process, and tissue development. In addition, some genes showed a tissue-specific or developmental-stage-specific expression pattern. Moreover, the transcription levels of 20 Os2R_MYB genes under polyethylene glycol (PEG) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2) stress inducers were dissected by qRT-PCR. The results indicated genes with an altered expression upon PEG or CdCl2 stress induction. These results potentially supply a basis for further research on the role that Os2R_MYB genes play in plant development and stress responses.
RESUMO
Leaf and panicle are important nutrient and yield organs in rice, respectively. Although several genes controlling lesion mimic leaf and panicle abortion have been identified, a few studies have reported the involvement of a single gene in the production of both the traits. In this study, we characterized a panicle abortion mutant, lesion mimic leaf and panicle apical abortion (lmpa), which exhibits lesions on the leaf and causes degeneration of apical spikelets. Molecular cloning revealed that LMPA encodes a proton pump ATPase protein that is localized in the plasma membrane and is highly expressed in leaves and panicles. The analysis of promoter activity showed that the insertion of a fragment in the promoter of lmpa caused a decrease in the transcription level. Cellular and histochemistry analysis indicated that the ROS accumulated and cell death occurred in lmpa. Moreover, physiological experiments revealed that lmpa was more sensitive to high temperatures and salt stress conditions. These results provide a better understanding of the role of LMPA in panicle development and lesion mimic formation by regulating ROS homeostasis.
RESUMO
In rice, the elongated internodes are derived from the vegetative shoot apical meristem (SAM), and the transition of the SAM from the vegetative to the reproductive stage induces internode elongation. In this study, we characterize two shortened uppermost internode mutants (sui1-1 and sui1-2). During the seedling and tillering stages, sui1 plants are morphologically similar to wild-type plants. However, at the heading stage, the sui1-1 mutant exhibits a shortened uppermost internode and a partly sheathed panicle, and the sui1-2 mutant shows an extremely shortened uppermost internode and a fully sheathed panicle. Gibberellin treatment results in elongation of every internode, but the shortened uppermost internode phenotype remains unaltered. Microscopic analysis indicates that cell length of sui1-1 uppermost internode exhibits decreased. Map-based cloning revealed that SUI1 is located on Chromosome 1, and encodes a putative phosphatidyl serine synthase (PSS) family protein. Searches for matches in protein databases showed that OsSUI1 contains the InterPro domain IPR004277, which is conserved in both animal and plant kingdoms. Introduction of a wild-type SUI1 gene fully rescued the mutant phenotype of sui1-1 and sui1-2, confirming the identity of the cloned gene. Consistent with these results, the SUI1-RNAi transgenic plants displayed decreased elongation of the uppermost internode. Our results suggest that SUI1 plays an important role in regulating uppermost internode length by decreasing longitudinal cell length in rice.
Assuntos
Oryza/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Complementar/química , DNA de Plantas/química , Meristema/genética , Meristema/metabolismo , Mutação , Oryza/metabolismo , Filogenia , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/fisiologia , Interferência de RNA , Alinhamento de Sequência , Análise de Sequência de DNARESUMO
In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeumvulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A-E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley.
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Leaf morphology is an important agronomic trait in rice breeding. We isolated three allelic mutants of NARROW AND ROLLED LEAF 1 (nrl1) which showed phenotypes of reduced leaf width and semi-rolled leaves and different degrees of dwarfism. Microscopic analysis indicated that the nrl1-1 mutant had fewer longitudinal veins and smaller adaxial bulliform cells compared with the wild-type. The NRL1 gene was mapped to the chromosome 12 and encodes the cellulose synthase-like protein D4 (OsCslD4). Sequence analyses revealed single base substitutions in the three allelic mutants. Genetic complementation and over-expression of the OsCslD4 gene confirmed the identity of NRL1. The gene was expressed in all tested organs of rice at the heading stage and expression level was higher in vigorously growing organs, such as roots, sheaths and panicles than in elsewhere. In the mutant leaves, however, the expression level was lower than that in the wild-type. We conclude that OsCslD4 encoded by NRL1 plays a critical role in leaf morphogenesis and vegetative development in rice.
Assuntos
Glucosiltransferases/genética , Mutação , Oryza/genética , Folhas de Planta/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Cromossomos de Plantas/genética , Clonagem Molecular , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Teste de Complementação Genética , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Oryza/anatomia & histologia , Oryza/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Filogenia , Folhas de Planta/anatomia & histologia , Folhas de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas de Plantas/classificação , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) participate in various plant growth and abiotic stress responses. In the present study, 131 ABC genes in barley were systematically identified using bioinformatics. Based on the classification method of the family in rice, these members were classified into eight subfamilies (ABCA-ABCG, ABCI). The conserved domain, amino acid composition, physicochemical properties, chromosome distribution, and tissue expression of these genes were predicted and analyzed. The results showed that the characteristic motifs of the barley ABC genes were highly conserved and there were great diversities in the homology of the transmembrane domain, the number of exons, amino acid length, and the molecular weight, whereas the span of the isoelectric point was small. Tissue expression profile analysis suggested that ABC genes possess non-tissue specificity. Ultimately, 15 differentially expressed genes exhibited diverse expression responses to stress treatments including drought, cadmium, and salt stress, indicating that the ABCB and ABCG subfamilies function in the response to abiotic stress in barley.
RESUMO
Grain size is an important agronomic trait determines yield in barley, and a high-density genetic map is helpful to accurately detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to grain traits. Using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology, a high-density genetic map was constructed with a population of 134 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) deriving from a cross between Golden Promise (GP) and H602, which contained 12,635 SLAFs with 26,693 SNPs, and spanned 896.74 cM with an average interval of 0.07 cM on seven chromosomes. Based on the map, a total of 16 QTLs for grain length (GL), grain width and thousand-grain weight were detected on 1H, 2H, 4H, 5H, and 6H. Among them, a major QTL locus qGL1, accounting for the max phenotypic variance of 16.7% was located on 1H, which is a new unreported QTL affecting GL. In addition, the other two QTLs, qGL5 and qTGW5, accounting for the max phenotypic variances of 20.7 and 21.1%, respectively, were identified in the same region, and sequencing results showed they are identical to HvDep1 gene. These results indicate that it is a feasible approach to construct a high-quality genetic map for QTL mapping by using SLAF markers, and the detected major QTLs qGL1, qGL5, and qTGW5 are useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of grain size in barley breeding.
RESUMO
Leaf shape is an important agronomic trait for constructing an ideal plant type in rice, and high-density genetic map is facilitative in improving accuracy and efficiency for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of leaf trait. In this study, a high-density genetic map contained 10,760 specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF) markers was established based on 149 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between Rekuangeng (RKG) and Taizhong1 (TN1), which exhibited 1,613.59 cM map distance with an average interval of 0.17 cM. A total of 24 QTLs were detected and explained the phenotypic variance ranged from 9% to 33.8% related to the leaf morphology across two areas. Among them, one uncloned major QTL qTLLW1 (qTLL1 and qTLLW1) involved in regulating leaf length and leaf width with max 33.8% and 22.5% phenotypic variance respectively was located on chromosome 1, and another major locus qTLW4 affecting leaf width accounted for max 25.3% phenotypic variance was mapped on chromosome 4. Fine mapping and qRT-PCR expression analysis indicated that qTLW4 may be allelic to NAL1 (Narrow leaf 1) gene.
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Malting quality is an important determinant of the value of barley grain used in malting and brewing. With recent sequencing and assembling of the barley genome, an increasing number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes related to malting quality have been identified and cloned, which lays a good molecular genetic basis for barley quality improvement. In this review, we describe the following indicators of malting quality: malt extract (ME), diastatic power (DP), kolbach index (KI), wort viscosity (VIS), free amino nitrogen (FAN) content, soluble protein (SP) content, wort ß-glucan (WBG) content, and protein content (PC), and have list related QTLs/genes with high phenotypic variation in multiple populations or environments. Meanwhile, the correlations among the quality parameters and parts of significant indicators suitable for improvement are discussed based on nutrient composition and content required for high-quality malt, which will provide reference for molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) of malting quality in barley.
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ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS) is a key enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis and plays an important role in plant photosynthesis. We characterized an albino leaf-color mutant obtained from ethyl methanesulfonate treatment: albino and seedling lethality 1 (ale1). The material contains a chloroplast thylakoid defect where photosynthetic pigments declined and reactive oxygen species accumulated resulting in ale1 death within 3 weeks. Positional cloning and sequencing revealed that there was a single base substitution in ALE1, which encoded a ZDS involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. RNAi and complementation tests confirmed the identity of ALE1. Subcellular localization showed that the ALE1 protein is localized in the chloroplast. Expression analysis indicated that the genes involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis were downregulated. We conclude that ALE1 plays an important role in chloroplast and plant growth in rice.