Rice mutants and genes related to organ development, morphogenesis and physiological traits

Recent advances in genomic studies and the sequenced genome information have made it possible to utilize phenotypic mutants for characterizing relevant genes at the molecular level and reveal their functions. Various mutants and strains expressing phenotypic and physiological variations provide an indispensable source for functional analysis of genes. In this review, we cover almost all of the rice mutants found to date and the variant strains that are important in developmental, physiological and agronomical studies. Mutants and genes showing defects in vegetative organs, i.e. leaf, culm and root, inflorescence reproductive organ and seeds with an embryo and endosperm are described with regards to their phenotypic and molecular characteristics. A variety of alleles detected by quantitative trait locus analysis, such as heading date, disease/insect resistance and stress tolerance, are also shown.