Identification and gene mapping of a novel mutant supernumerary lodicules (snl) in rice

In order to gain a better understanding of rice flower development, a rice flower mutant supernumerary lodicules (snl), which was identified from ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-treated Jinhui10 (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) was used in the present study. In the snl mutant, the palea obtained lemma identity, additional glume-like organs formed, lodicules increased and elongated, stamens decreased, and a few aberrant carpels formed. These phenotypes suggest that SNL is involved in the entire rice flower development. SNL was mapped between two simple sequence repeat markers RM3512 and RM1342 on chromosome 2, an approximate 800 kb region, and it co-segregated with SSR215. We conclude that SNL is a novel gene involved in flower development in rice. The present study will be useful for further cloning of the SNL gene, which will contribute to the elucidation of rice flower development.