title: Rice PCR1 influences grain weight and Zn accumulation in grains.
abstract: Proteins containing a placenta-specific 8 domain (PLAC8) function as major organ size regulators in Solanum lycopersicum and Zea may, and putative metal ion transporters in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa and Brassica juncea. However, it is unknown how PLAC8 domain-containing proteins fulfill such diverse roles. Here, we found that plant cadmium resistance 1 (PCR1) influences both zinc (Zn) accumulation and grain weight in rice. OsPCR1 knockout and knockdown lines produced lighter grains than the wild type, while OsPCR1 overexpression lines produced heavier grains. Furthermore, the grains of OsPCR1 knockdown lines exhibited substantially higher Zn and lower cadmium (Cd) concentrations than the control, as did yeast heterologously expressing OsPCR1. Through sequence analysis, we showed that the amino acid sequence of japonica-type PCR1 was distinct from that of indica-type and wild rice accessions. This difference was correlated with distinct Zn-related phenotypes. Japonica-type PCR1 had a shorter N-terminus than did PCR1 in the other rice types, and yeast heterologously expressing japonica-type PCR1 was more sensitive to Zn than was yeast expressing indica-type PCR1. Furthermore, japonica-type grains accumulated less Zn than did indica-type grains. Our study suggests that rice PCR1 maintains metal ion homeostasis and grain weight and might have been selected for during domestication.
authors: POSTECH-UZH Cooperative Laboratory, Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
authors: Won-Yong
authors: WY
authors: Song
authors: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
authors: Hyun-Sook
authors: HS
authors: Lee
authors: POSTECH-UZH Cooperative Laboratory, Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
authors: Sang-Rak
authors: SR
authors: Jin
authors: POSTECH-UZH Cooperative Laboratory, Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
authors: Donghwi
authors: D
authors: Ko
authors: Institute of Plant Biology, University Zurich, Zurich, 8008, Switzerland.
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Martinoia
authors: POSTECH-UZH Cooperative Laboratory, Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
authors: Youngsook
authors: Y
authors: Lee
authors: Graduate School of Biotechnology & Crop Biotech Institute, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 446-701, Korea.
authors: Gynheung
authors: G
authors: An
authors: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
authors: Sang-Nag
authors: SN
authors: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006706:Homeostasis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D015032:Zinc
keywords: domestication; mineral nutrient; placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) domain