Rice Genome Project: Rice is a staple meal for almost half of the world’s population, and it is mostly grown and consumed in Asia and Africa, where the population is predicted to quadruple in the next 50 years. However, disease, drought, and salinization are making it increasingly difficult to increase rice output.

We need to enhance rice plants to make them more resistant to such pressures. Innovative technologies are needed to detect the genetic information contained in rice DNA, which governs all of the features of rice plants, in order to attain this tolerance. Rice genome project is one such step. Read further to learn about the rice genome project.

Rice: Overview

Rice (Oryza sativa), edible starchy cereal grain and the grass plant that produces it (family Poaceae). It is a member of the grass family. It has a smaller genome and more diversity than wheat, barley, and maize. It also exhibits co-linearity with wheat, barley, and maize.

Rice is a staple meal for about half of the world’s population, including virtually all of East and Southeast Asia; humans consume 95 per cent of the world’s rice production. Rice may be prepared in a variety of ways, including boiling or grinding into flour. paddy, also known as rice paddy, is a small, flat, flooded rice field found in southern and eastern Asia. Rice was domesticated as early as 3500 BC, and by 2,000 BC, it had spread throughout practically all of today’s agricultural zones, mostly deltas, floodplains, and coastal plains, as well as some terraced valley slopes.

Fig: Paddy

Rice: A Model Genome

Rice is an obvious candidate for the first full genome sequencing of a cereal crop. Rice genomes consist of 12 chromosomes and sizes of 400 to 430 Mb. They are the smallest of the major cereal crop genomes. According to the two blueprints, a rice plant has more genes than a human being. Whereas the human genome is estimated to have between 30,000 and 40,000 genes, indica rice has between 45,000 and 56,000 genes, and japonica rice might have up to 63,000 genes.

What was the Rice Genome Project?

It’s a collaboration between the National Institute of Aerobiological Sciences (NIAS), the Society for Techno-innovation in Agriculture (STAFF), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (NAFF), and the National Institute of Aerobiological Sciences (NIAS).

In September 1997, during a workshop conducted in connection with the International Symposium on Plant Molecular Biology in Singapore, the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) was launched. The workshop drew scientists from all around the world, who committed to working together to sequence the rice genome. As a consequence, six months later in Tsukuba, delegates from Japan, Korea, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered to develop the guidelines.

The participants agreed to exchange resources and to make physical maps and annotated DNA sequences available in public databases on a timely basis. The IRGSP has grown to encompass 11 countries, and its rules and finishing standards are developed by the IRGSP Working Group, which is made up of a representative from each member country.

Fig: International Rice Genome Sequencing Project Logo

Objectives of Rice Genome Project

The objectives of the rice genome project are as follows:

1. Discover the function of every gene in the rice genome by the year 2020,
2. Uncover functional diversity of alleles for agriculturally relevant genes from the rice primary gene pool, and
3. Use the findings of functional genomics research to rice genetic improvement

Tools of the Project

The sequence of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism’s DNA—is determined through genome sequencing. Sequencing of chromosomes was assigned to different countries and organizations.

Large insert genomic libraries are created in bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) or P1-derived artificial chromosomes as main sequencing templates (PACs). The rice genome is mostly sequenced using genomic BAC or PAC libraries made from the Nipponbare variety, which was chosen as the common template for the IRGSP. China is the only IRGSP member to employ a different variety, indica, for chromosome 4 sequencing  Guang Lu Ai 4.

Fig: Rice Genome Project

Salient Features of Rice Genome Project

The salient features of the rice genome project are as follows:

1. Rice has a genome size of 389 megabytes.
2. A total of 37,544 protein-coding sequences associated with non-transposable elements were discovered. Rice and other cereals appear to have a total of 2,859 genes, some of which may distinguish monocot and dicot lineages.
3. Rice has a transposon load of at least 35% and is inhabited by members of all known transposon superfamilies.
4. The availability of comprehensive, high-quality map-based sequencing has allowed researchers to investigate genomic structure and evolution. Most critically, the identity and order of 37,544 rice genes have been discovered.
5. The sequence has the necessary components for functional genomics and molecular breeding programmes targeted at deciphering complex cellular processes and increasing rice yield.

Applications of Rice Genome Project

The applications of the rice genome project:

1. Rice mutants in large numbers and types have been created intentionally. It aids in the enhancement of molecular products.
2. Rice genomics is an open-access journal dedicated to rice genome research.

Summary

Rice (Oryza sativa), edible starchy cereal grain and the grass plant that produces it (family Poaceae). It is a member of the grass family. Rice is an obvious candidate for the first full genome sequencing of a cereal crop. Rice genomes consist of 12 chromosomes and sizes of 400 to 430 Mb. In September 1997, during a workshop conducted in connection with the International Symposium on Plant Molecular Biology in Singapore, the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) was launched.

The participants agreed to exchange resources and to make physical maps and annotated DNA sequences available in public databases on a timely basis. Sequencing of chromosomes was assigned to different countries and organizations using tools like BACs, PACs etc. The finding was published and is available as a database. Rice genome project has allowed identification of all rice genes and can be used to develop improved varieties.

FAQs on Rice Genome Project

Q.1. What is the scientific name of rice?
Ans: Scientific name of rice is Oryza sativa.

Q.2. What is the objective of the International Rice Genome Sequencing project?
Ans: The main objective of the IRGSP is to determine the function of every gene in the rice genome by the year 2020.

Q.3. What is the size of the rice genome?
Ans: The size of the rice genome is 389 Mb.

Q.4. How many chromosomes are there in rice?
Ans: There are 12 chromosomes in rice.

Q.5. How much DNA do we share with rice?
Ans: We share 24% of DNA with rice.

We hope this detailed article on the Rice Genome Project will help you. If you have any queries leave a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.