Genetic Mechanism of Dominant Earliness in Kefeng A, a New Rice Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Line

Kefeng A is an early maturing indica cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line of rice. Combinations derived from Kefeng A and late maturing indica restorer lines showed dominant earliness to various extents. To understand the genetic basis of dominant earliness, the genotype of photoperiod-sensitive genes in Kefeng A was analyzed using a complete set of heading time near isogenic lines (NILs) EG0 to EG7, ER, LR, T65, T65Eb, T65Ebm, T65m, NIL(Hd1) and NIL(Hd4). Results indicated that Kefeng A contained two dominant photoperiod-sensitive alleles E1 and Se-1u on E1 and Se-1 loci, respectively, and the genotype of photoperiod-sensitivity genes for heading time in Kefeng A was E1E1e2e2E3E3Se-1uSe-1uEf-1Ef-1. Based on the detected heading time genotype, in combination with the heading time of Kefeng A and the early maturing phenomenon in its derived F1 hybrids, it is speculated that Kefeng A might carry a dominant inhibitor gene Su-E1 for the dominant photoperiod-sensitive gene E1, and a recessive inhibitor gene i-Se-1 for another dominant photoperiod-sensitive gene Se-1. The reason why F1 hybrids from Kefeng A exhibited early maturing was hereby analyzed and the breeding value of dominant earliness related genes in Kefeng A was discussed.