title: OsMYB103L, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, influences leaf rolling and mechanical strength in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The shape of grass leaves possesses great value in both agronomy and developmental biology research. Leaf rolling is one of the important traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeding. MYB transcription factors are one of the largest gene families and have important roles in plant development, metabolism and stress responses. However, little is known about their functions in rice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we report the functional characterization of a rice gene, OsMYB103L, which encodes an R2R3-MYB transcription factor. OsMYB103L was localized in the nucleus with transactivation activity. Overexpression of OsMYB103L in rice resulted in a rolled leaf phenotype. Further analyses showed that expression levels of several cellulose synthase genes (CESAs) were significantly increased, as was the cellulose content in OsMYB103L overexpressing lines. Knockdown of OsMYB103L by RNA interference led to a decreased level of cellulose content and reduced mechanical strength in leaves. Meanwhile, the expression levels of several CESA genes were decreased in these knockdown lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that OsMYB103L may target CESA genes for regulation of cellulose synthesis and could potentially be engineered for desirable leaf shape and mechanical strength in rice.
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. dyli@genetics.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Dayong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chengjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaobing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Caiyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhukuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Lihuang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D021381:Protein Transport; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D002482:Cellulose; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C478648:cellulose synthase