Targeting induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) was first demonstrated in Arabidopsis for the detection of allelic series and functional analysis of genes. Subsequently the technique was extended to allow discovery of polymorphism in natural populations, termed EcoTILLING. In TILLING, DNA from reference and subject genomes are mixed and polymerase chain reaction-amplified using infrared dye (IRD)-labeled primers. Mutations in the amplified region cause mismatches in the resulting heteroduplex. Such mismatches are cleaved by CEL1 endonuclease, generating IRD-labeled fragments that can be separated and detected using a LI-COR gel scanning system. In this chapter, we present TILLING and EcoTILLING protocols adapted for use in forward and reverse genetics in rice - the most important staple food crop supporting billions of people worldwide. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &amp
Co. KGaA.