title: Comprehensive analysis of the rice RING E3 ligase family reveals their functional diversity in response to abiotic stress.
abstract: A large number of really interesting new gene (RING) E3 ligases contribute to the post-translational modification of target proteins during plant responses to environmental stresses. However, the physical interactome of RING E3 ligases in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we evaluated the expression patterns of 47 Oryza sativa RING finger protein (OsRFP) genes in response to abiotic stresses via semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in silico analysis. Subsequently, molecular dissection of nine OsRFPs was performed by the examination of their E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, subcellular localization, and physical interaction with target proteins. Most of the OsRFPs examined possessed E3 ligase activity and showed diverse subcellular localization. Yeast two-hybrid analysis was then employed to construct a physical interaction map of seven OsRFPs with their 120 interacting proteins. The results indicated that these OsRFPs required dynamic translocation and partitioning for their cellular activation. Heterogeneous overexpression of each of the OsRFP genes in Arabidopsis suggested that they have functionally diverse responses to abiotic stresses, which may have been acquired during evolution. This comprehensive study provides insights into the biological functions of OsRFPs, which may be useful in understanding how rice plants adapt to unfavourable environmental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Plant Sciences Technology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-713, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Don
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin-Gyu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chang Gyo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sun-Goo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jun-Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Cheol Seong
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005810:Multigene Family; D012275:Oryza / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
keywords: E3 ligase; RING finger protein; environmental stress; functional diversity; interactome