An arsenate tolerance gene on chromosome 6 of rice

• The genetics of arsenic tolerance in plants has not been extensively studied and no arsenic tolerance gene has been genetically mapped. • Screening 20 diverse genotypes of rice for reduced root growth in 13.3 m arsenate identified marked differences in tolerance. The most sensitive variety, Dawn, is known to be highly susceptible to straighthead, a condition linked to arsenic contamination of soil. • Screening 108 recombinant inbred lines of the Bala × Azucena mapping population revealed the presence of a major gene, AsTol, which mapped between markers RZ516 and RG213 on chromosome 6. • This gene is a good target for further characterisation. It should prove valuable for investigations into the physiological and molecular mechanism behind arsenic tolerance in…