Scientists identify gene that may contribute to improved rice yield
The researchers created transgenic lines of rice (G-2 and G-8) in which the GIF1 gene was overexpressed. Compared to normal strains (WT), they found that the transgenic rice had larger and heavier grains. In this figure, the grains on the top are from white rice and the grains on the bottom are from brown rice. Credit: Zuhua He, Chinese Academy of Sciences A team of scientists, including Penn State Distinguished Professor of Biology Hong Ma, has identified a gene in rice that controls the size and weight of rice grains. The gene may prove to be useful for breeding high-yield rice and, thus, may benefit the vast number of people who rely on this staple food for survival. "Our work shows that it is possible to increase rice's yield by enhancing the expression of a particular gene," said Ma. The team's results will be published on 28 September 2008 in an early online edition of the journal Nature Genetics, and in the November print issue of the journal.