2.1. Callus Induction in the Rice Germplasm Collection
We assessed the callus induction (CI) trait of 110 rice accessions in three tissue culture media: B5, MS, and N6. For each tissue culture media, the distribution of CI percentage among the 110 accessions indicated that the majority of rice varieties were 20%, 40%, and 20% for B5, MS, and N6 media, respectively (
Figure 1). Among these rice accessions, two rice varieties, including Niaw Ubon 1 and Chum Phae 60, showed high CI (≥ 60 %CI) to all three media (Niaw Ubon 1 = 77.8, 86.7, 60.0 and Chum Phae = 62.2, 73.3, 60.0 for B5, MS, and N6 respectively) (
Supplementary Table S1). One rice variety, Kiaw, showed a high CI in B5 (64.4) and MS (66.7) media, and one variety, Luang Thong, showed a high CI in MS (73.3) and N6 (64.4) media. In addition, JHN-5 showed the highest CI in the N6 media (91.1).
When all 110 rice varieties were grown on three types of solid media (N6, B5, and MS), supplemented with the hormone 2,4-D at a concentration of 2 mg/l, and cultured in the dark at 25°C for three weeks, all varieties successfully developed callus on the different media formulations. On N6 solid medium, 38 rice strains exhibited a callus induction percentage greater than 50%. Jao Hom Nin (JHN) showed the highest callus induction at 97.78%±3.85, followed by Phitsanulok 60-1 (84.44%±3.85), HomMali801 (77.78%±10.18), and Homnaypol (76.67%±4.71).
On the B5 solid medium, 27 strains demonstrated a high percentage of callus formation, with the induction rates ranging between 50% and 78%, though these differences were not statistically significant. For the rice strains grown on MS solid medium, 48 strains exhibited callus percentages ranging from 50% to 89% without statistically significant differences.
2.4. Haplotype Block Analysis and Candidate Gene Identification
Candidate genes within each QTL were identified using adjusted LD blocks, inferred significant variants, and gene-based haplotype analysis. The number of candidate genes differentiating between phenotypes varied from 0 to 16 per QTL (
Table 2). The highest number of candidate genes was identified in the B5 medium, whereas none were found in the MS medium. Notably, the gene Os06g0254600, which encodes a Caleosin-related family protein, was identified in the B5 and N6 media, corresponding to qCI-B5-Chr6 and qCI-N6-Chr6.2, respectively.
For the qCI-B5-Chr6 region, five haplotype blocks were defined within the 475-kb flanking region spanning from 7.915 to 8.390 Mb, based on analysis of 1,390 SNPs. Within this region, 28 genes were annotated (
Supplementary Table S2), and sixteen genes were specifically identified within the candidate haploblock located between 7.934 and 8.198 Mb (
Figure 5A,
Table 2).
Using gene-based haplotype analysis, all sixteen genes were found to contain haplotypes associated with different callus induction (CI) levels. Notably, the gene Os06g0256600 (
Figure 5B) exhibited the most significant association, with two haplotypes, Hap I (n = 49) and Hap V (n = 4), associated with lower CI (averaging 21.18% and 22.78% callus induction, respectively). In comparison, Hap III (n = 11) and Hap IV (n = 8) were associated with higher CI (averaging 37.07% and 36.39% callus induction, respectively). The gene was annotated as a conserved hypothetical protein.
Genes Os06g0255200 and Os06g0254200 each contained three haplotypes, showing a similar pattern in their association with CI (
Figure 5C and 5D). Hap I for both genes was consistently associated with lower CI (averaging 22.57% and 22.33% callus induction, respectively), while Hap II was associated with higher CI (averaging 35.51% callus induction for both genes). Os06g0255200 is annotated as a conserved hypothetical protein involved in chromatin remodeling ATPase function, potentially influencing embryo development. Meanwhile, Os06g0254200 was annotated similarly to Potassium channel protein NKT5. Interestingly, two annotated Caleosin-related family proteins, Os06g0254300 and Os06g0254600, known for their role in lipid degradation during seed germination, were identified to have haplotypes associated with CI (data not shown).
For the MS media, two QTLs were identified: qCI-MS-Chr2 and qCI-MS-Chr6. The first QTL, qCI-MS-Chr2, spans a 287-kb region from 8.817 to 9.104 Mb on chromosome 2 (
Figure 6A). Within this region, thirty genes were annotated (
Supplementary Table S3), and four genes were located in the candidate haploblock between 8.906 and 8.968 Mb. However, none of these four genes showed haplotypes significantly associated with different levels of CI.
The second QTL, qCI-MS-Chr6, is located in the 477-kb region from 16.575 to 17.052 Mb on chromosome 6 (
Figure 6B). The region contains twenty-six annotated genes (
Supplementary Table S4). Within the spaning 406 kb from 16.575 to 16.981 Mb., thirteen annotated genes were identified. Unfortunately, similar to qCI-MS-Chr2, none of these genes exhibited haplotypes significantly associated with varying CI levels.
For the N6 media, four QTLs were identified, including qCI-N6-Chr6.1 and qCI-N6-Chr6.2 on chromosome 6, qCI-N6-Chr7 on chromosome 7, and qCI-N6-Chr11 on chromosome 11. The first QTL, qCI-N6-Chr6.1, spans the 475-kb region between 3.266 and 3.741 Mb on chromosome 6 (
Figure 7A), encompassing fifty-three annotated genes (
Supplementary Table S5), with four genes located in the candidate haploblock between 3.483 and 3.555 Mb. These candidate genes include Os06g0169600, Os06g0169800, Os06g0169900, and Os06g0170500. Only Os06g0169600, Os06g0169800, and Os06g0170500 contained haplotypes associated with different CI (
Figure 7B – 7D). Hap I (n = 85, 76, and 86, respectively) was associated with lower CI (averaging 25.96%, 25.56%, and 26.06% callus induction, respectively), while Hap II (n = 17 for all three genes) was associated with higher CI (40.92% callus induction, on average, for all three genes). These genes were annotated similarly to beta-tubulin (fragment) (Os06g0169600), the hypothetical protein. (Os06g0169800), and similar to RNA-binding protein-like (Os06g0170500), respectively.
The second QTL, qCI-N6-Chr6.2, is also located on chromosome 6, comprising a 476-kb region between 7.766 and 8.242 Mb (
Figure 8A). The region contained thirty-one annotated genes (
Supplementary Table S6), but only one candidate gene, Os06g0254600, was identified within the candidate haploblock between 7.995 and 8.014 Mb. Gene-based haplotype analysis revealed that Os06g0254600, which encodes a Caleosin-related family protein, had haplotypes associated with different CI levels. Hap I (n = 72) was associated with a lower CI, averaging 24.57%, while Hap II (n = 20) and Hap III (n = 3) were associated with a higher CI, averaging 41.39% and 41.48%, respectively (
Figure 8B).
The third QTL, qCI-N6-Chr7, was identified within a 248-kb region between 8.620 and 8.868 Mb (
Figure 9A). This region contained seven annotated genes (
Supplementary Table S7). Five of these genes, located within a 124-kb candidate haploblock from 8.734 to 8.858 Mb, included Os07g0255900 and Os07g0256700 (annotated as the gene with the domain of unknown function DUF231), Os07g0256300, and Os07g0256866 (annotated as hypothetical protein), and Os07g0256200 (annotated as the gene with the RNA recognition motif, RNP-1 domain-containing protein). Gene-based haplotype analysis revealed that only two genes, Os07g0256200 and Os07g0256866, had haplotypes associated with different CI levels in the N6 media (
Figure 9B and 9C). For Os07g0256200, among the four haplotypes, Hap IV was associated with a higher CI (average 47.78% callus induction), while Hap III was associated with a lower CI (average 20.87% callus induction). The other two haplotypes, Hap I and Hap II, were associated with medium CI levels (average 27.81% and 28.38% callus induction, respectively). For Os07g0256866, three haplotypes were identified, with Hap III was associated with higher CI (average 50.99% callus induction), and Hap I and Hap II were associated with lower CI (average 25.76 and 27.42 % callus induction, respectively).
The last QTL of the N6 media, qCI-N6-Chr11, is situated within a 136-kb region spanning from 25.108 to 25.244 Mb (
Figure 10A). Within this region, seventeen genes were annotated (
Supplementary Table S8), with thirteen genes forming the candidate haploblock between 25.148 and 25.223 Mb. Gene-based haplotype analysis identified ten genes whose haplotypes were associated with different CI levels in the N6 media. These genes include Os11g0637050, Os11g0637900, and Os11g0638200 (annotated as hypothetical protein), Os11g0637000, Os11g0637100, and Os11g0637200 (annotated as monosaccharide transporter (PLT subfamily), PLT protein 10), Os11g0637600 (similar to potyvirus VPg interacting protein), Os11g0637700 (RNA-binding protein) and Os11g0637800 (Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 2). Among these, Os11g0637700 exhibited the most significant difference in CI associated with its haplotypes (
Figure 10B). Hap III (n = 7) was associated with a higher CI (average 50.48% callus induction), while Hap I (n = 51) was associated with a lower CI (average 21.85% callus induction). Similarly, Os11g0637800 also showed notable variation in CI between haplotypes (
Figure 10C). Hap I (n = 95) was associated with a lower CI (average 26.89% callus induction), whereas Hap II (n = 7) was associated with a higher CI (average 50.48% callus induction).