Map-based cloning of the ALK gene, which controls the gelatinization temperature of rice

Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter for evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice besides amylose content (AC). The inheritance of the genes affecting GT has been widely studied and is considered to be controlled by a major gene. Here, we report the map-based cloning of rice ALK that encodes the soluble starch synthase II (SSSII). Comparison between the DNA sequences from different rice varieties, together with the results obtained with digestion of the rice seeds in alkali solution, indicates that the base substitutions in coding sequence of ALK may cause the alteration in GT.