Brief Project Information
(2025–2027 гг.)
Project title: IRN AR26104353 “Development of rice lines with elevated amylose content using marker-assisted selection (MAS).”
Relevance. The project focuses on the development of promising rice lines with increased amylose content based on marker-assisted selection. Rice quality is largely determined by its starch composition, which includes amylose and amylopectin. Amylose content is considered one of the key biochemical indicators of grain quality. Preliminary studies have shown that among rice cultivars zoned and cultivated in Kazakhstan, there are no varieties with elevated amylose content (>20%). Therefore, the development of new rice lines and forms with high amylose content for breeding domestic high-amylose cultivars represents an urgent and relevant task. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) applied in this project enables investigation of the genetic basis of rice grain quality improvement, accelerates the breeding process, and allows efficient selection of promising lines with increased amylose content.
Project objective: Development of promising rice lines with increased amylose content based on marker-assisted selection.
Expected outcomes:
- Rice donor varieties with elevated amylose content will be identified using MAS.
- F₁ hybrids will be developed between the selected donor varieties carrying the trait “high amylose content” and high-yielding Kazakh rice cultivars.
- Promising lines with elevated amylose content and superior agronomic traits will be selected among F₂–F₃ hybrid generations.
Project leader: Leading Research Scientist, PhD (Biology), Associate Professor, Head of the Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.
Research team members:
- Innabat Sartbaeva – Leading Researcher, Ph.D;
- Dana Mynbayeva – Research Associate, Master’s Degree;
- Taira Kurbangaliyeva – Research Associate, Master’s Degree;
- Balnur Nurlybay – Laboratory Assistant.
List of publications of project participants:
1. G. Baiseitova, Kh.Berkimbay, D. Mynbayeva, A. Nussupova, A.K.Amirova, B. Usenbekov, Zh. Kulakhmetova, G.Yernazarova, D. Yussayeva, D. Kazkeyev, S. Mukhambetzhanov. Heritability and amylose content in hybrid lines of late-generation rice with colored pericarp // Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2023, vol. 83, e280919; рр. 1-7, (ISSN 1678-4375). https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.280919
2. А. Amirova, B. Usenbekov*, Kh. Berkimbay, D. Mynbayeva, S. Atabayeva, G. Baiseitova, A. Meldebekova, Zh. Zhunusbayeva, S. Kenzhebayeva and S. Mukhambetzhanov. Selection of rice breeding lines for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses // Brazilian Journal of Biology, — 2024. — Vol. 84, e282495 | https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.282495 (IF-1.71, Scopus percentile — 59).
3. B. Usenbekov, А. Amirova, Z. Zeinalov, A. Meldebekova, D. Mynbayeva, Kh. Berkimbay and T. Kurbangaliyeva. Creation of rice doubled haploids with low amylose content using in vitro anther culture // Brazilian Journal of Biology, — 2024. — Vol. 84, e284946 | https:// https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.284946
4. Batayeva, D., Labaco, B., Ye, C., Li, X., Usenbekov, B., Rysbekova, A., Dyuskalieva, G., Vergara, G., Reinke, R., Leung, H. Genome-wide association study of seedling stage salinity tolerance in temperate japonica rice germplasm // BMC Genetics, 2018. — Volume 19, Issue 1. 19:2. – P. 1-11. Citation index-3, Database WOS – Q3 (percentile 57 (Scopus), DOI: 10.1186/s12863-017-0590-7 (IF-2.777);
5. Sartbayeva I.A., Usenbekov B., Rysbekova A., Kazkeev D., Zhanbyrbayev E., Batayeva D., Berkimbay H., Zhambakin K., Matsuba Sh., Umemoto T. Haplotype Analysis of Wx and Alk Genes and Amylopectin Chain-Length Distribution among Kazakhstan Glutinous Rice Lines //Japan Agricultural research Quaterly (JARQ). – Vol.51, №2. – 2017. – P. 147-153. https://www.jircas.go.jp Citation index-0, Database WOS – Q4 percentile 35 (Scopus), DOI: 10.6090/jarq.51.147 (IF-0.567);
6. A.B. Rysbekova, D.T. Kazkeyev, B.N. Usenbekov, Zh.M. Mukhina, E.A. Zhanbyrbaev, I.A. Sartbaeva, K.Zh. Zhambakin, Kh.A. Berkimbay, D.S. Batayeva. Prebreeding selection of rice with colored pericarp based on genotyping Rc and Pb genes //Russian Journal of Genetics 2017 volume 53, pages 49–58. Citation index-2, Database WOS – Q4 (IF-0.567), (percentile -7 (Scopus) DOI: 10.1134/S1022795416110119;
7. D.S. Batayeva, B.N. Usenbekov, A.B. Rysbekova, Zh.M. Mukhina, D.T. Kazkeyev, Ye.A. Zhanbyrbayev, I.A. Sartbayeva, S.V. Garkusha, S.A. Volkova. Estimation and selection of parental forms for breeding kazakhstan salt tolerant rice varieties // Sel’skokhozyaistvennaya Biologiya [Agricultural Biology], 2017, Vol. 52, № 3, p. 544-552. Citation index-1, percentile -35 (Scopus), doi: 10.15389/agrobiology.2017.3.544eng;
8. Zhanbyrbayev Y.A., Rysbekova A. B., Usenbekov B. N., Kazkeev D.T., Sartbayeva I.A., Berkimbay Kh.A., Sarsenbayev B. A. and Zelensky G. L. Screening Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Genetic Resources for Cold Tolerance at the Germination Stage Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia, December 2016. Vol. 13(4), P 1953-1958. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2350 (IF-0.134). Citation index-1, (procentile-11 (Scopus), DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2351;
9. Amirova, A. K. (2015). Use of allele-specific markers of the Ppd and Vrn genes for the analysis of early maturing somaclonal wheat lines.
10. Mynbaeva, D. O., Omirbekova, N. Zh., Zhunusbaeva, Zh. K., Zhusupova, A. I., Begmanova, M. O., & Amirgalieva, A. S. (2019). Identification of brown rust resistance genes in soft wheat varieties. Khabarshy, 110.
11. Berkimbay, H., Baiseitova, G., Usenbekov, B., Amirova, A., Mynbaeva, D., Kazkeev, D., & Mukhambetzhanov, S. (2024). Yield Structure of Rice Genotypes with Colored Pericarpus of Late Generations. Izdenister natigeler, (1 (101)), 46-56. https://doi.org/10.37884/1-2024/05 2304-3334
12. Usenbekov, B. N., Mukhambetzhanov, S. K., Mynbayeva, D., Amirova, A. K., Berkimbay, K., Ospanova, A., & Turganova, C. (2024). Rice (Oryza sativa L.) androgenesis in vitro. Experimental Biology (1563-0218), 98(1). https://doi.org/10.26577/eb.2024.v98.i1.01
13. Mynbayeva, D. O., Usenbekov, B. N., Amirova, A. K., & Zhunusbayeva, Z. K. (2023). Rice blast and control methods. Fundamental and Experimental Biology, 109(1), 98–109. DOI 10.31489/2023BMG1/98-109
Achieved results in 2025
In order to identify promising glutinous and amylose rice varieties for inclusion in the breeding program, biochemical and molecular-genetic screening for amylose content was carried out on 62 rice accessions, including zoned cultivars and collection samples.
Analysis of the studied rice accessions showed that amylose content ranged from 1.05% (glutinous rice cultivar Kazvetta) to 30.24% in the Russian rice cultivar Paritet.
Among the analyzed cultivars, 14 were classified as medium-amylose. Widely cultivated domestic (Madina, Marzhan, Aral-202, Aru) and Russian rice cultivars (VNIIR 173, Komandor, Liman, Snezinka, Lazurnyi, Sonata, Sprint) belong to the medium-amylose group (amylose content 15–20%). In the remaining 25 cultivars, amylose content varied from 20.0 to 30.0%; thus, they were classified as high-amylose and accounted for 40% of the total studied material. High-amylose rice cultivars such as Anait, Yuzhnyi, Arborio, and Paritet will be used as parental forms for hybridization and will be grown in vegetation vessels in three sowing dates (with a 10-day interval) to synchronize heading and flowering under greenhouse conditions in the next year.
Thus, based on a comprehensive evaluation of biochemical parameters, promising rice accessions were selected and characterized for further breeding.
A molecular-genetic screening of the IPBB collection was conducted to identify the Waxy gene using the molecular marker WxExon6 (A/C). This marker is a codominant SNP marker that allows discrimination of different allelic states of the Waxy gene based on a single-nucleotide polymorphism. The SNP represents an A → C substitution in exon 6 (Ex6A/C), which changes the amino acid codon from serine to tyrosine and is associated with intermediate amylose content in rice.
The IРBВ collection, consisting of 64 varieties and lines, was evaluated for the presence of the Waxy gene, including: Yuzhanin, Viola, Avangard, Aisaуле, Altynai, Anait, Paritet, Aral-202, Aru, Bakanasskii, Yir 5825, Yantar, KS-9, Almavita, Lazurnyi, Kazvetta, Kaz-Er6, Mavr, Oumochi, Violetta, Chapsari, Black rice, Liman, Lider, KazNIIR5, Kuban-3, Serpantin, Pak-Li, Solnechnyi, Togusken, Fisht, Komandor, collection accessions 7702, 7689, 7667, 7701, 7684, 7668, 04636, 04468, 03-27, 04470, 7683, VNIIR 5242, Yuzhnyi, Marshall, Ametist, Sonata, Izumrud, Regul, VNIIR 8247, Opytnoye, Snezinka, VNIIR 101, UzRos 7-13, Rapan, Atlant, Arbolet, Arborio, Novator, Madina, Fatima, as well as rice accessions affinis and zomica.
Among the studied samples, the presence of the Waxy gene was detected in 21 accessions, which can subsequently be used as differential varieties for the target gene in grain quality improvement programs for domestic rice breeding. To identify amylose varieties, specific glutinous cultivars such as Kazvetta, Chapsari, and Violetta were used as negative controls. Electrophoretic analysis using the SNP marker WxExon6 (A/C) showed the absence of bands in these negative control samples.
Thus, the conducted molecular-genetic screening enabled identification of rice varieties with different amylose contents. Varieties with elevated amylose content will be used in future crossing programs aimed at developing new hybrid lines with improved amylose content controlled by the Waxy gene.
Publications (2025):
Aigul Amirova, Bakdaulet Usenbekov*, Grigoriy Zelensky, Innabat Sartbayeva, Shynar Yrgynbayeva, Yelzada Gabdullina, Sholpan Abzhanova, Bakhyt Alibayeva and Svetlana Turasheva. Using Molecular Markers in Breeding Rice with Colored Pericarp for Blast Resistance. International Journal of Agriculture and Biosciences. https://doi.org/10.47278/journal.ijab/2025.225
