Genetic architecture of root and shoot ionomes in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Association analysis for ionomic concentrations of 20 elements identified independent genetic factors underlying the root and shoot ionomes of rice, providing a platform for selecting and dissecting causal genetic variants. Understanding the genetic basis of mineral nutrient acquisition is key to fully describing how terrestrial organisms interact with the non-living environment. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) serves both as a model organism for genetic studies and as an important component of the global food system. Studies in rice ionomics have primarily focused on above ground tissues evaluated from field-grown plants. Here, we describe a comprehensive study of the genetic basis of the rice ionome in both roots and shoots of 6-week-old rice plants for 20 elements using a controlled hydroponics growth system. Building on the wealth of publicly available rice genomic resources, including a panel of 373 diverse rice lines, 4.8 M genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms, single- and multi-marker analysis pipelines, an extensive tome of 321 candidate genes and legacy QTLs from across 15 years of rice genetics literature, we used genome-wide association analysis and biparental QTL analysis to identify 114 genomic regions associated with ionomic variation. The genetic basis for root and shoot ionomes was highly distinct; 78 loci were associated with roots and 36 loci with shoots, with no overlapping genomic regions for the same element across tissues. We further describe the distribution of phenotypic variation across haplotypes and identify candidate genes within highly significant regions associated with sulfur, manganese, cadmium, and molybdenum. Our analysis provides critical insight into the genetic basis of natural phenotypic variation for both root and shoot ionomes in rice and provides a comprehensive resource for dissecting and testing causal genetic variants.

Hybrid assembly with long and short reads improves discovery of gene family expansions.

BACKGROUND: Long-read and short-read sequencing technologies offer competing advantages for eukaryotic genome sequencing projects. Combinations of both may be appropriate for surveys of within-species genomic variation. METHODS: We developed a hybrid assembly pipeline called "Alpaca" that can operate on 20X long-read coverage plus about 50X short-insert and 50X long-insert short-read coverage. To preclude collapse of tandem repeats, Alpaca relies on base-call-corrected long reads for contig formation. RESULTS: Compared to two other assembly protocols, Alpaca demonstrated the most reference agreement and repeat capture on the rice genome. On three accessions of the model legume Medicago truncatula, Alpaca generated the most agreement to a conspecific reference and predicted tandemly repeated genes absent from the other assemblies. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest Alpaca is a useful tool for investigating structural and copy number variation within de novo assemblies of sampled populations.

Aluminum tolerance in maize is associated with higher MATE1 gene copy number.

Genome structure variation, including copy number variation and presence/absence variation, comprises a large extent of maize genetic diversity; however, its effect on phenotypes remains largely unexplored. Here, we describe how copy number variation underlies a rare allele that contributes to maize aluminum (Al) tolerance. Al toxicity is the primary limitation for crop production on acid soils, which make up 50% of the world's potentially arable lands. In a recombinant inbred line mapping population, copy number variation of the Al tolerance gene multidrug and toxic compound extrusion 1 (MATE1) is the basis for the quantitative trait locus of largest effect on phenotypic variation. This expansion in MATE1 copy number is associated with higher MATE1 expression, which in turn results in superior Al tolerance. The three MATE1 copies are identical and are part of a tandem triplication. Only three maize inbred lines carrying the three-copy allele were identified from maize and teosinte diversity panels, indicating that copy number variation for MATE1 is a rare, and quite likely recent, event. These maize lines with higher MATE1 copy number are also Al-tolerant, have high MATE1 expression, and originate from regions of highly acidic soils. Our findings show a role for copy number variation in the adaptation of maize to acidic soils in the tropics and suggest that genome structural changes may be a rapid evolutionary response to new environments.

Incomplete transfer of accessory loci influencing SbMATE expression underlies genetic background effects for aluminum tolerance in sorghum.

Impaired root development caused by aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major cause of grain yield reduction in crops cultivated on acid soils, which are widespread worldwide. In sorghum, the major Al-tolerance locus, AltSB , is due to the function of SbMATE, which is an Al-activated root citrate transporter. Here we performed a molecular and physiological characterization of various AltSB donors and near-isogenic lines harboring various AltSB alleles. We observed a partial transfer of Al tolerance from the parents to the near-isogenic lines that was consistent across donor alleles, emphasizing the occurrence of strong genetic background effects related to AltSB . This reduction in tolerance was variable, with a 20% reduction being observed when highly Al-tolerant lines were the AltSB donors, and a reduction as great as 70% when other AltSB alleles were introgressed. This reduction in Al tolerance was closely correlated with a reduction in SbMATE expression in near-isogenic lines, suggesting incomplete transfer of loci acting in trans on SbMATE. Nevertheless, AltSB alleles from the highly Al-tolerant sources SC283 and SC566 were found to retain high SbMATE expression, presumably via elements present within or near the AltSB locus, resulting in significant transfer of the Al-tolerance phenotype to the derived near-isogenic lines. Allelic effects could not be explained by coding region polymorphisms, although occasional mutations may affect Al tolerance. Finally, we report on the extensive occurrence of alternative splicing for SbMATE, which may be an important component regulating SbMATE expression in sorghum by means of the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway.

Genetic dissection of Al tolerance QTLs in the maize genome by high density SNP scan.

BACKGROUND: Aluminum (Al) toxicity is an important limitation to food security in tropical and subtropical regions. High Al saturation on acid soils limits root development, reducing water and nutrient uptake. In addition to naturally occurring acid soils, agricultural practices may decrease soil pH, leading to yield losses due to Al toxicity. Elucidating the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying maize Al tolerance is expected to accelerate the development of Al-tolerant cultivars. RESULTS: Five genomic regions were significantly associated with Al tolerance, using 54,455 SNP markers in a recombinant inbred line population derived from Cateto Al237. Candidate genes co-localized with Al tolerance QTLs were further investigated. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) developed for ZmMATE2 were as Al-sensitive as the recurrent line, indicating that this candidate gene was not responsible for the Al tolerance QTL on chromosome 5, qALT5. However, ZmNrat1, a maize homolog to OsNrat1, which encodes an Al(3+) specific transporter previously implicated in rice Al tolerance, was mapped at ~40 Mbp from qALT5. We demonstrate for the first time that ZmNrat1 is preferentially expressed in maize root tips and is up-regulated by Al, similarly to OsNrat1 in rice, suggesting a role of this gene in maize Al tolerance. The strongest-effect QTL was mapped on chromosome 6 (qALT6), within a 0.5 Mbp region where three copies of the Al tolerance gene, ZmMATE1, were found in tandem configuration. qALT6 was shown to increase Al tolerance in maize; the qALT6-NILs carrying three copies of ZmMATE1 exhibited a two-fold increase in Al tolerance, and higher expression of ZmMATE1 compared to the Al sensitive recurrent parent. Interestingly, a new source of Al tolerance via ZmMATE1 was identified in a Brazilian elite line that showed high expression of ZmMATE1 but carries a single copy of ZmMATE1. CONCLUSIONS: High ZmMATE1 expression, controlled either by three copies of the target gene or by an unknown molecular mechanism, is responsible for Al tolerance mediated by qALT6. As Al tolerant alleles at qALT6 are rare in maize, marker-assisted introgression of this QTL is an important strategy to improve maize adaptation to acid soils worldwide.

Two functionally distinct members of the MATE (multi-drug and toxic compound extrusion) family of transporters potentially underlie two major aluminum tolerance QTLs in maize.

Crop yields are significantly reduced by aluminum (Al) toxicity on acidic soils, which comprise up to 50% of the world's arable land. Al-activated release of ligands (such as organic acids) from the roots is a major Al tolerance mechanism in plants. In maize, Al-activated root citrate exudation plays an important role in tolerance. However, maize Al tolerance is a complex trait involving multiple genes and physiological mechanisms. Recently, transporters from the MATE family have been shown to mediate Al-activated citrate exudation in a number of plant species. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of two MATE family members in maize, ZmMATE1 and ZmMATE2, which co-localize to major Al tolerance QTL. Both genes encode plasma membrane proteins that mediate significant anion efflux when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. ZmMATE1 expression is mostly concentrated in root tissues, is up-regulated by Al and is significantly higher in Al-tolerant maize genotypes. In contrast, ZmMATE2 expression is not specifically localized to any particular tissue and does not respond to Al. [(14)C]-citrate efflux experiments in oocytes demonstrate that ZmMATE1 is a citrate transporter. In addition, ZmMATE1 expression confers a significant increase in Al tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our data suggests that ZmMATE1 is a functional homolog of the Al tolerance genes recently characterized in sorghum, barley and Arabidopsis, and is likely to underlie the largest maize Al tolerance QTL found on chromosome 6. However, ZmMATE2 most likely does not encode a citrate transporter, and could be involved in a novel Al tolerance mechanism.

Low Additive Genetic Variation in a Trait Under Selection in Domesticated Rice.

Quantitative traits are important targets of both natural and artificial selection. The genetic architecture of these traits and its change during the adaptive process is thus of fundamental interest. The fate of the additive effects of variants underlying a trait receives particular attention because they constitute the genetic variation component that is transferred from parents to offspring and thus governs the response to selection. While estimation of this component of phenotypic variation is challenging, the increasing availability of dense molecular markers puts it within reach. Inbred plant species offer an additional advantage because phenotypes of genetically identical individuals can be measured in replicate. This makes it possible to estimate marker effects separately from the contribution of the genetic background not captured by genotyped loci. We focused on root growth in domesticated rice, Oryza sativa, under normal and aluminum (Al) stress conditions, a trait under recent selection because it correlates with survival under drought. A dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map is available for all accessions studied. Taking advantage of this map and a set of Bayesian models, we assessed additive marker effects. While total genetic variation accounted for a large proportion of phenotypic variance, marker effects contributed little information, particularly in the Al-tolerant tropical japonica population of rice. We were unable to identify any loci associated with root growth in this population. Models estimating the aggregate effects of all measured genotypes likewise produced low estimates of marker heritability and were unable to predict total genetic values accurately. Our results support the long-standing conjecture that additive genetic variation is depleted in traits under selection. We further provide evidence that this depletion is due to the prevalence of low-frequency alleles that underlie the trait.

Transcriptional profiling of aluminum toxicity and tolerance responses in maize roots.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major factor limiting crop yields on acid soils. There is considerable genotypic variation for Al tolerance in most common plant species. In maize (Zea mays), Al tolerance is a complex phenomenon involving multiple genes and physiological mechanisms yet uncharacterized. To begin elucidating the molecular basis of maize Al toxicity and tolerance, a detailed temporal analysis of root gene expression under Al stress was performed using microarrays with Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive genotypes. Al altered the expression of significantly more genes in the Al-sensitive genotype, presumably as a result of more severe Al toxicity. Nevertheless, several Al-regulated genes exhibited higher expression in the Al-tolerant genotype. Cell wall-related genes, as well as low phosphate-responsive genes, were found to be regulated by Al. In addition, the expression patterns of genes related to Al-activated citrate release indicated that in maize this mechanism is probably regulated by the expression level and/or function of the citrate transporter. This study is the first comprehensive survey of global transcriptional regulation under Al stress. The results described here will help to further our understanding of how mechanisms of Al toxicity and tolerance in maize are regulated at the transcriptional level.

ALUMINUM RESISTANCE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 1 (ART1) contributes to natural variation in aluminum resistance in diverse genetic backgrounds of rice (O. sativa).

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate the expression of other genes to indirectly mediate stress resistance mechanisms. Therefore, when studying TF-mediated stress resistance, it is important to understand how TFs interact with genes in the genetic background. Here, we fine-mapped the aluminum (Al) resistance QTL Alt12.1 to a 44-kb region containing six genes. Among them is ART1, which encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger TF required for Al resistance in rice. The mapping parents, Al-resistant cv Azucena (tropical japonica) and Al-sensitive cv IR64 (indica), have extensive sequence polymorphism within the ART1 coding region, but similar ART1 expression levels. Using reciprocal near-isogenic lines (NILs) we examined how allele-swapping the Alt12.1 locus would affect plant responses to Al. Analysis of global transcriptional responses to Al stress in roots of the NILs alongside their recurrent parents demonstrated that the presence of the Alt12.1 from Al-resistant Azucena led to greater changes in gene expression in response to Al when compared to the Alt12.1 from IR64 in both genetic backgrounds. The presence of the ART1 allele from the opposite parent affected the expression of several genes not previously implicated in rice Al tolerance. We highlight examples where putatively functional variation in cis-regulatory regions of ART1-regulated genes interacts with ART1 to determine gene expression in response to Al. This ART1-promoter interaction may be associated with transgressive variation for Al resistance in the Azucena × IR64 population. These results illustrate how ART1 interacts with the genetic background to contribute to quantitative phenotypic variation in rice Al resistance.

Open access resources for genome-wide association mapping in rice.

Increasing food production is essential to meet the demands of a growing human population, with its rising income levels and nutritional expectations. To address the demand, plant breeders seek new sources of genetic variation to enhance the productivity, sustainability and resilience of crop varieties. Here we launch a high-resolution, open-access research platform to facilitate genome-wide association mapping in rice, a staple food crop. The platform provides an immortal collection of diverse germplasm, a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism data set tailored for gene discovery, well-documented analytical strategies, and a suite of bioinformatics resources to facilitate biological interpretation. Using grain length, we demonstrate the power and resolution of our new high-density rice array, the accompanying genotypic data set, and an expanded diversity panel for detecting major and minor effect QTLs and subpopulation-specific alleles, with immediate implications for rice improvement.

Development and GBS-genotyping of introgression lines (ILs) using two wild species of rice, O. meridionalis and O. rufipogon, in a common recurrent parent, O. sativa cv. Curinga.

Two populations of interspecific introgression lines (ILs) in a common recurrent parent were developed for use in pre-breeding and QTL mapping. The ILs were derived from crosses between cv Curinga, a tropical japonica upland cultivar, and two different wild donors, Oryza meridionalis Ng. accession (W2112) and Oryza rufipogon Griff. accession (IRGC 105491). The lines were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and SSRs. The 32 Curinga/O. meridionalis ILs contain 76.73 % of the donor genome in individual introgressed segments, and each line has an average of 94.9 % recurrent parent genome. The 48 Curinga/O. rufipogon ILs collectively contain 97.6 % of the donor genome with an average of 89.9 % recurrent parent genome per line. To confirm that these populations were segregating for traits of interest, they were phenotyped for pericarp color in the greenhouse and for four agronomic traits-days to flowering, plant height, number of tillers, and number of panicles-in an upland field environment. Seeds from these IL libraries and the accompanying GBS datasets are publicly available and represent valuable genetic resources for exploring the genetics and breeding potential of rice wild relatives.

Whole genome de novo assemblies of three divergent strains of rice, Oryza sativa, document novel gene space of aus and indica.

BACKGROUND: The use of high throughput genome-sequencing technologies has uncovered a large extent of structural variation in eukaryotic genomes that makes important contributions to genomic diversity and phenotypic variation. When the genomes of different strains of a given organism are compared, whole genome resequencing data are typically aligned to an established reference sequence. However, when the reference differs in significant structural ways from the individuals under study, the analysis is often incomplete or inaccurate. RESULTS: Here, we use rice as a model to demonstrate how improvements in sequencing and assembly technology allow rapid and inexpensive de novo assembly of next generation sequence data into high-quality assemblies that can be directly compared using whole genome alignment to provide an unbiased assessment. Using this approach, we are able to accurately assess the "pan-genome" of three divergent rice varieties and document several megabases of each genome absent in the other two. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the genome-specific loci are annotated to contain genes, reflecting the potential for new biological properties that would be missed by standard reference-mapping approaches. We further provide a detailed analysis of several loci associated with agriculturally important traits, including the S5 hybrid sterility locus, the Sub1 submergence tolerance locus, the LRK gene cluster associated with improved yield, and the Pup1 cluster associated with phosphorus deficiency, illustrating the utility of our approach for biological discovery. All of the data and software are openly available to support further breeding and functional studies of rice and other species.

Not all ALMT1-type transporters mediate aluminum-activated organic acid responses: the case of ZmALMT1 - an anion-selective transporter.

The phytotoxic effects of aluminum (Al) on root systems of crop plants constitute a major agricultural problem in many areas of the world. Root exudation of Al-chelating molecules such as low-molecular-weight organic acids has been shown to be an important mechanism of plant Al tolerance/resistance. Differences observed in the physiology and electrophysiology of root function for two maize genotypes with contrasting Al tolerance revealed an association between rates of Al-activated root organic acid release and Al tolerance. Using these genotypes, we cloned ZmALMT1, a maize gene homologous to the wheat ALMT1 and Arabidopsis AtALMT1 genes that have recently been described as encoding functional, Al-activated transporters that play a role in tolerance by mediating Al-activated organic acid exudation in roots. The ZmALMT1 cDNA encodes a 451 amino acid protein containing six transmembrane helices. Transient expression of a ZmALMT1::GFP chimera confirmed that the protein is targeted to the plant cell plasma membrane. We addressed whether ZmALMT1 might underlie the Al-resistance response (i.e. Al-activated citrate exudation) observed in the roots of the Al-tolerant genotype. The physiological, gene expression and functional data from this study confirm that ZmALMT1 is a plasma membrane transporter that is capable of mediating elective anion efflux and influx. However, gene expression data as well as biophysical transport characteristics obtained from Xenopus oocytes expressing ZmALMT1 indicate that this transporter is implicated in the selective transport of anions involved in mineral nutrition and ion homeostasis processes, rather than mediating a specific Al-activated citrate exudation response at the rhizosphere of maize roots.

Characterization of AtALMT1 expression in aluminum-inducible malate release and its role for rhizotoxic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Malate transporters play a critical role in aluminum (Al) tolerance responses for some plant species, such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Here, we further characterize AtALMT1, an Arabidopsis aluminum-activated malate transporter, to clarify its specific role in malate release and Al stress responses. Malate excretion from the roots of accession Columbia was sharply induced by Al, which is concomitant with the induction of AtALMT1 gene expression. The malate release was specific for Al among rhizotoxic stressors, namely cadmium, copper, erbium, lanthanum, sodium, and low pH, which accounts for the specific sensitivity of a null mutant to Al stress. Al-specific malate excretion can be explained by a combined regulation of AtALMT1 expression and activation of AtALMT1 protein, which is specific for Al. Although low pH treatment slightly induced gene expression, other treatments did not. In addition, malate excretion in Al-activated seedlings was rapidly stopped by removing Al from the solution. Other rhizotoxic stressors were not effective in maintaining malate release. Protein kinase and phosphatase inhibitor studies indicated that reversible phosphorylation was important for the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of AtALMT1. AtALMT1 promoter-beta-glucuronidase fusion lines revealed that AtALMT1 has restricted expression within the root, such that unnecessary carbon loss is likely minimized. Lastly, a natural nonsense mutation allele of AtALMT1 was identified from the Al-hypersensitive natural accession Warschau-1.

AtALMT1, which encodes a malate transporter, is identified as one of several genes critical for aluminum tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Aluminum (Al) tolerance in Arabidopsis is a genetically complex trait, yet it is mediated by a single physiological mechanism based on Al-activated root malate efflux. We investigated a possible molecular determinant for Al tolerance involving a homolog of the wheat Al-activated malate transporter, ALMT1. This gene, named AtALMT1 (At1g08430), was the best candidate from the 14-member AtALMT family to be involved with Al tolerance based on expression patterns and genomic location. Physiological analysis of a transferred DNA knockout mutant for AtALMT1 as well as electrophysiological examination of the protein expressed in Xenopus oocytes showed that AtALMT1 is critical for Arabidopsis Al tolerance and encodes the Al-activated root malate efflux transporter associated with tolerance. However, gene expression and sequence analysis of AtALMT1 alleles from tolerant Columbia (Col), sensitive Landsberg erecta (Ler), and other ecotypes that varied in Al tolerance suggested that variation observed at AtALMT1 is not correlated with the differences observed in Al tolerance among these ecotypes. Genetic complementation experiments indicated that the Ler allele of AtALMT1 is equally effective as the Col allele in conferring Al tolerance and Al-activated malate release. Finally, fine-scale mapping of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for Al tolerance on chromosome 1 indicated that AtALMT1 is located proximal to this QTL. These results indicate that AtALMT1 is an essential factor for Al tolerance in Arabidopsis but does not represent the major Al tolerance QTL also found on chromosome 1.

Glutathione S-transferase and aluminum toxicity in maize.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity induces changes in the expression of several genes, some of which are involved in plant responses to oxidative stress. Using mRNA differential display, we identified a maize Al-inducible cDNA encoding a glutathione S-transferase (GST). The gene was named GST27.2 owing to its homology to the maize gene GST27, which is known to be induced by xenobiotics. GST27.2 is present in the maize genome as a single copy and analysis of its expression pattern revealed that the gene is expressed mainly in the root tip. Expression was up-regulated in response to various Al and Cd concentrations in both Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive maize lines. Consistent with its role in plants, phylogenetic analysis of theta-type GSTs revealed that GST27.2 belongs to a group of proteins that respond to different stresses. Finally, structural analysis of the polypeptide chain indicates that the two amino acids that differ between GST27.2 and GST27 (E102K and P123L) could be responsible for alterations in activity and / or specificity. Together, these results suggest that GST27.2 may play an important part in plant defenses against Al toxicity.

Molecular characterization and mapping of ALMT1, the aluminium-tolerance gene of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

The major aluminum (Al) tolerance gene in wheat ALMT1 confers. An Al-activated efflux of malate from root apices. We determined the genomic structure of the ALMT1 gene and found it consists of 6 exons interrupted by 5 introns. Sequencing a range of wheat genotypes identified 3 alleles for ALMT1, 1 of which was identical to the ALMT1 gene from an Aegilops tauschii accession. The ALMT1 gene was mapped to chromosome 4DL using 'Chinese Spring' deletion lines, and loss of ALMT1 coincided with the loss of both Al tolerance and Al-activated malate efflux. Aluminium tolerance in each of 5 different doubled-haploid populations was found to be conditioned by a single major gene. When ALMT1 was polymorphic between the parental lines, QTL and linkage analyses indicated that ALMT1 mapped to chromosome 4DL and cosegregated with Al tolerance. In 2 populations examined, Al tolerance also segregated with a greater capacity for Al-activated malate efflux. Aluminium tolerance was not associated with a particular coding allele for ALMT1, but was significantly correlated with the relative level of ALMT1 expression. These findings suggest that the Al tolerance in a diverse range of wheat genotypes is primarily conditioned by ALMT1.