A single genetic locus in chromosome 1 controls conditional browning during the induction of calli from mature seeds of Oryza sativa ssp. indica

Being the crucial step for rice transgenic manipulation, callus culture from mature seeds is severely restricted by browning of induced calli, especially in the case of indica (Oryza Sativa L.) rice. Once this browning occurs, the callus will die and no embryonic calli can be obtained for regeneration. Here we report an induction procedure that overcomes callus browning was found. To clarify the inheritance pattern of callus browning, two reciprocal crosses F2 and two backcrosses BC1 were made between indica cultivar inbred lines 93-11 and YueTaiB (YTB) which produced normal and browning respectively in the same induction medium. The ratio of browning to normal in the reciprocal F2 and backcross (BC1) populations tested was approximately 1:3 and 1:1, respectively, these results indicate that callus browning is controlled by one single chromosomal locus which is tentatively named Ic1 (Induced callus 1). The genetic mapping of this locus was carried out using microsatellite markers (SSR) in a 216 extremely browning F2 seed callus. The analysis of genetic linkage indicated that one single locus that mapped to chromosome 1 was correlated to callus browning, and the closest marker in this study was mapped within 1.9 cM from the target locus.