title: OsRRM, a Spen-like rice gene expressed specifically in the endosperm.
abstract: We used the promoter trap technique to identify a rice plant, named 107#, in which the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene was expressed specifically in the endosperm. A single copy of the T-DNA was inserted into the plant genome, and a candidate gene OsRRM was identified by the insertion. The OsRRM promoter directed GUS expression specifically in rice endosperm, analogous to the GUS expression pattern observed in 107#. OsRRM is a single-copy gene in rice and encodes a nuclear protein containing 1005 amino-acid residues with two RNA recognition motifs and one Spen paralog and ortholog C-terminal domain. Western blot analysis confirmed that the OsRRM protein was specifically expressed in rice endosperm. Ectopic expression of OsRRM in transgenic plants led to abnormalities, such as short stature, retarded growth and low fructification rates. Our data, in conjunction with the reported function of Spen genes, implicated OsRRM in the regulation of cell development in rice endosperm.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zong-Yang
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiu-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018628:Gene Dosage; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005966:Glucuronidase