Isolation and Characterization of an Al-Tolerance Gene STAR1 in Rice

摘要

Rice is the most Al resistant species among small-grain cereal crops, but the mechanism underlying its high Al resistance is still poorly understood. We cloned a gene for Al resistance in rice by using an Al-sensitive mutant STAR1. Map-based cloning technique allowed to define the responsible gene an 88-kb region on chromosome 6. Sequencing the candidate genes in this region showed that a gene in the mutant had a 15-bp deletion in its coding sequence. Complementation test confirmed that this gene is STAR1. STAR1 belongs to a member of ABC transporter family. The gene was mainly expressed in roots and highly induced by Al.