title: Genome-wide identification and analyses of the rice calmodulin and related potential calcium sensor proteins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A wide range of stimuli evoke rapid and transient increases in [Ca2+]cyt in plant cells which are transmitted by protein sensors that contain EF-hand motifs. Here, a group of Oryza sativa L. genes encoding calmodulin (CaM) and CaM-like (CML) proteins that do not possess functional domains other than the Ca2+-binding EF-hand motifs was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By functional analyses and BLAST searches of the TIGR rice database, a maximum number of 243 proteins that possibly have EF-hand motifs were identified in the rice genome. Using a neighbor-joining tree based on amino acid sequence similarity, five loci were defined as Cam genes and thirty two additional CML genes were identified. Extensive analyses of the gene structures, the chromosome locations, the EF-hand motif organization, expression characteristics including analysis by RT-PCR and a comparative analysis of Cam and CML genes in rice and Arabidopsis are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although many proteins have unknown functions, the complexity of this gene family indicates the importance of Ca2+-signals in regulating cellular responses to stimuli and this family of proteins likely plays a critical role as their transducers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Payathai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. b.bongkoj@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bongkoj
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boonburapong
authors.forename: Teerapong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buaboocha
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant; D052139:Intracellular Calcium-Sensing Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D052139:Intracellular Calcium-Sensing Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins