Agrobacterium T-DNA insertion in the rice DWARF SHOOT AND DEFECTIVE PANICLE1 (DSDP1) gene causes a severe dwarf phenotype, reduces plant vigour, and affects seed germination

We report a new T-DNA-tagged rice plant chi7, which displays a severe dwarf phenotype, reduced plant vigour, and impaired panicle development in the homozygous state. By chromosome walking, T-DNA integration was mapped in chromosome 2, 1054-bp upstream of the translation start site of a gene (Os02g0820400), which we designate as DWARF SHOOT AND DEFECTIVE PANICLE1 (DSDP1). DSDP1 expression was unexpectedly higher in the homozygous mutant leaves than in the hemizygous mutant and control plant leaves. Mutant dsdp1 seeds, stored for 24 weeks, failed to germinate in soil. The growth vigour of the dsdp1 mutant reduced with increasing seed storage period. The dsdp1 mutant plants, grown in vitro on MS medium, formed short, stout, and ageotropic roots with lesser number of root hairs. The findings suggest that DSDP1 may function as a negative regulator of many developmental processes in rice.