Fig. 1: OsGCS1 and OsGCS1-like genes and phenotypes of their respective mutants.

a OsGCS1 (Os05g0269500) and OsGCS1-like genes (Os09g0525700) with the mutation sites (g28, g83, g51, and g41 with red lightning). Vertical bars (exons) and horizontal lines (introns). b Tissue-specific qRT-PCR expression analysis of OsGCS1 and OsGCS1-like genes. OsACT1 (Os03g50885) was used as an internal control. The bar whiskers represent SEM of two biological and six technical replicates (**p < 0.001 in two-tailed t-test). c, d Aniline blue staining. Only one pollen tube (PT) can be seen which is inserted to micropyle (MP) in Nipponbare ovary (1DAP) (n = 24 pistils) (c). In osgcs1 (g51) mutant (1DAP), PT1 has inserted to micropyle, however, PT2 has not yet (n = 68) (d). osgcs1 PTs had no PT guidance defects as in Arabidopsis³⁰. Bars: 100 μm. e, f A Nipponbare grain. A border of the embryo (Eb) and endosperm (Es) (Dashed line). Pc pericarp, Tm tegmen, and AL aleurone layer. g, h osgcs1 grain lacks embryo, endosperm and aleurone layer but transparent liquid (*). f, h Toluidine blue staining. Bars: 1 mm. i Nipponbare seed and an osgcs1-like (Tos) mutant seed-like structure with reminiscent of a stigma (St) (n = 10). j Transparent liquid (TL) from the structure. k Watery seed-like tissue production by OsGCS1 or OsGCS1-like gene mutations. Each box represents the data at 25th percentile (lower end), median (horizontal line within the box), and the data at 75th percentile (upper end). The outer ends of whiskers at each box represent the maximum and minimum data points. Outliers, when present, are represented by small circle with associated data value (*p ≤ 0.5, **p ≤ 0.05, Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison test; n = 10 (NB Nipponbare), 10 (EV empty vector), 5 (g28), 5 (g83), 6 (g51), 4 (Tos), and 5 (g41)).