2. Materials and methods
2.1. Materials
We used five cultivars of Oryza sativa L. ssp. Japonica:
Haiminori and Oou 359, with a large germ, and Koshihikari,
Yumetsukushi, and Nipponbare, with a normal size
germ. All were harvested in 1999 or 2001. All samples were
stored in a refrigerator at 4 C for 6 months.