Progress has been made in the study of the metabolism of rice

secondary metabolism of plants is essential for plants to resist various biological and abate stresses. Terpenes are the most reported categories of secondary metabolites with the most diverse structures, which play an important role in plant development, adversity resistance and so on.
December 8, Nature-Plants published a new research paper by Professor Roger's team at Hainan University online. This study reveals the bio-chemical basis of the natural variation of the gene cluster of single ring terpenes in rice and its role in rice disease resistance, and provides new resources for crop genetic improvement.
The study used the natural population of rice for metabolite genome-wide association analysis (mGWAS), successfully located in the rice chromosome 7, combined with yeast particles, tobacco instantaneous expression and genetically modified and other means to identify a control of the natural variation of monocyclycic DGC7 gene cluster. The gene cluster consists of 1 terpene synthase and 2 CYP450 enzymes, which catalyz the formation of 5,10-di ketone-castorene (5,10-diketo-casbene) in the mass, an important diazole with potential medical value. Further studies show that DGC7 is directly regulated by the surface regulatory factor JMJ705 mediated by methyl jasmine, and can improve the resistance of rice to white leaf disease.
, the study also revealed the structural natural variation of DGC7 and its evolution at the population level, laying the foundation for further study of the origin of plant metabolic gene clusters. (Source: Zhang Qingdan, China Science Journal)
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