Rice Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.2, 86-95 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/rgg 86 Feature Review Open Access Molecular Functions and Regulatory Mechanisms of the Temperature-Sensitive Male Sterility Gene OsTms6inRice Weijie Sun, Chengxi Wang, Jiawei Li Modern Agricultural Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: jiawei.li@cuixi.org Rice Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.2 doi: 10.5376/rgg.2025.16.0008 Received: 30 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 09 Mar., 2025 Published: 25 Mar., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Sun et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Sun W.J., Wang C.X., and Li J.W., 2025, Molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of the temperature-sensitive male sterility gene OsTms6 in rice, Rice Genomics and Genetics, 16(2): 86-95 (doi: 10.5376/rgg.2025.16.0008) Abstract The temperature-sensitive male sterility gene OsTms6 plays a crucial role in the reproductive development of rice (Oryza sativa L.), particularly under varying thermal conditions. This systematic review synthesizes current research on the molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of OsTms6. The gene has been identified as a key factor in hybrid rice production, with its sterility phenotype being influenced by specific temperature thresholds. Genetic mapping has localized OsTms6 to chromosome 10, and molecular analyses have revealed its interaction with various regulatory pathways, including those involving noncoding RNAs and microRNAs. The gene's role in pollen fertility is mediated through complex genetic and environmental interactions, which are critical for the development of temperature-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) lines. Understanding these mechanisms provides valuable insights for breeding strategies aimed at improving rice yield and resilience to climate change. Keywords Temperature-sensitive male sterility; OsTms6; Rice (Oryza sativaL.); Hybrid breeding; Genetic regulation 1 Introduction In the 1970s, China took the lead in hybrid rice breeding. This attempt was not only a breakthrough in agricultural technology, but also increased rice yield by more than 20%, which brought significant changes to grain production at that time (Li et al., 2007). After that, this method was quickly adopted by Africa, South Asia, America and other regions, indicating that it is quite applicable. There are two breeding methods for hybrid rice: three-line and two-line. The former mainly relies on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), while the latter uses nuclear male sterility (GMS), which is further subdivided into types that are sensitive to light or temperature (Li et al., 2007). Although it sounds a bit complicated, the core issue is actually how to "make rice temporarily infertile" so that hybrid seeds can be produced more conveniently. It is precisely because of this "sterility" method that the time-consuming and labor-intensive work of artificial anther removal has become less necessary. This small biological characteristic is behind the improvement of global hybrid crop productivity (Fan and Zhang, 2017). Materials such as TGMS (temperature-sensitive male sterility) and PGMS (photoperiod-sensitive male sterility) have contributed to the emergence of a large number of high-yield and high-quality hybrid rice varieties (Li et al., 2007; Fan and Zhang, 2017). Among them, TGMS is particularly noteworthy. It belongs to a type of environmentally sensitive nuclear sterile system (EGMS) and is particularly "picky" about temperature. Simply put, when the temperature changes, its fertility state also changes - this characteristic makes it very practical in two-line hybrid breeding (Reddy et al., 2000; Lee et al., 2005; Liu et al., 2010). For example, there is a TGMS line called Sokcho MS, which is sterile when the temperature is above 27 °C or below 25 °C, but it can be fertile if the ambient temperature is maintained between 25 °C and 27 °C (Lee et al., 2005). There is also a line called G20S, which is sterile as long as the temperature is below 29.5 °C, which makes it adaptable to more rice-growing areas (Liu et al., 2010). These examples show that TMS is not a "stable sterility" system, but a tool that can be "regulated" by the environment.
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