Low glutelin content1: a dominant mutation that suppresses the glutelin multigene family via RNA silencing in rice.
Low glutelin content1 (Lgc1) is a dominant mutation that reduces glutelin content in rice grains. Glutelin is a major seed storage protein encoded by a multigene family. RNA gel blot and reverse transcriptase-mediated PCR analyses revealed that Lgc1 acts at the mRNA level in a similarity-dependent manner. In Lgc1 homozygotes, there is a 3.5-kb deletion between two highly similar glutelin genes that forms a tail-to-tail inverted repeat, which might produce a double-stranded RNA molecule, a potent inducer of RNA silencing. The hypothesis that Lgc1 suppresses glutelin expression via RNA silencing is supported by transgenic analysis using this Lgc1 candidate region, by reporter gene analysis, and by the detection of small interfering RNAs. In this context, Lgc1 provides an interesting example of RNA silencing occurring among genes that exhibit various levels of similarity to an RNA-silencing-inducing gene. Possible mechanisms for gene silencing of the glutelin multigene family by Lgc1 are discussed.
Kusaba
Makoto
M
Institute of Radiation Breeding, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Ohmiya-machi, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-2293, Japan. kusaba@affrc.go.jp
Miyahara
Kenzo
K
Iida
Shuichi
S
Fukuoka
Hiroyuki
H
Takano
Toshiya
T
Sassa
Hidenori
H
Nishimura
Minoru
M
Nishio
Takeshi
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005983:Glutens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005983:Glutens