title: Sequence variation, differential expression and chromosomal location of rice chitinase genes.
abstract: Rice chitinases are encoded by a small multigene family. To clarify the overall organization of rice chitinase genes, we have isolated and characterized the genes Cht-1, Cht-2 and Cht-3. Although all the three genes encode class I chitinase, the nucleotide sequences of the coding regions of Cht-1 and Cht-3 are very similar (90%), while that of Cht-2 is clearly more divergent (78%). Only Cht-2 has a 130 bp intron and encodes a C-terminal peptide sequence similar to that known to function as a vacuolar targeting signal. In 5' flanking regions of Cht-1 and Cht-3, but not of Cht-2, conserved sequences (GGCCGGCYGCCCYAG) were found. Related sequences were found also in the 5' flanking regions of another chitinase gene and a beta-glucanase gene which has also been reported to be stress-induced in rice. RNA blot hybridization analysis demonstrated that the stress-induced expression patterns of the Cht-1 and Cht-3 genes are similar, but quite different from that of Cht-2. However, all three genes are active in unstressed roots. By restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) linkage analysis, Cht-1 and Cht-3 were mapped onto chromosome 6 and shown to be closely linked (0.8 cM). Cht-2 was mapped onto chromosome 5. All these features suggest that the expression patterns of rice class I chitinase genes may be correlated with their levels of sequence divergence and their chromosomal location.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Resources, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hibi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002688:Chitinases / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017931:DNA Primers; D015870:Gene Expression; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D002688:Chitinases