Chromosomal localization and genomic organization of α-amylase genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Genes for α-amylase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and Em, an ABA-regulated gene expressed late in embryogenesis, were localized on rice chromosomes by the analysis of primary trisomies. The validity of the mapping approach was confirmed using Adh-1 as a control. The Adh-1 gene has previously been assigned to chromosome 11 using conventional techniques. In this study we confirm this assignment and report an additional locus for alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh-2) on chromosome 9. The α-amylase genes were located on chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9 while the Em gene was mapped to chromosome 5. To facilitate trisomic analysis and correlation of cloned genes with bands observed on Southern blots, a nomenclature for the rice α-amylase genes has been proposed. In addition to mapping nine cloned α-amylase genes, we have identified two previously uncloned α-amylase genes as part of this study. Polymorphism for α-amylase genes belonging to each of the three subfamilies was observed between M202 and IR36. The maximum degree of polymorphism was found among genes belonging to the RAmy3 subfamily, which also has the most diverse group of genes.