Rice bZIP protein, REB, interacts with GCN4 motif in promoter of Waxy gene.

A bifactorial endosperm box (EB), which contains an endosperm motif (EM) and a GCN4 motif, was found in rice Wx promoter. EB was found in 5' upstream region of many seed storage protein genes accounting for these genes expression exclusive in endosperm among various cereals. Many reports demonstrated that the bZIP transcription activators isolated from wheat, barley and maize, etc.

OsBP-73, a rice gene, encodes a novel DNA-binding protein with a SAP-like domain and its genetic interference by double-stranded RNA inhibits rice growth.

The SAP domain is a recently defined DNA binding domain that forms a helix-extended-helix structure. SAP proteins have been implicated in nuclear architecture and/or RNA metabolism. In this paper, we describe the cloning and characterization of a rice gene, OsBP-73, encoding a 375 amino acid protein with a SAP-like domain.

An interaction between a MYC protein and an EREBP protein is involved in transcriptional regulation of the rice Wx gene.

We previously demonstrated that a 31-bp nucleotide sequence located upstream of the rice Wx gene played an important role in its expression. We further showed that this cis-acting regulator interacts with nuclear proteins extracted from developing rice endosperm. We used the 31-bp sequence as bait in a yeast one-hybrid system to isolate several cDNA clones from a rice cDNA expression library.

The OsEBP-89 gene of rice encodes a putative EREBP transcription factor and is temporally expressed in developing endosperm and intercalary meristem.

The AP2/EREBP transcription factors play important roles in plant development and in the responses of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. All members of the EREBP subfamily described to date are from dicotyledonous plants. In this paper, we describe the cloning and characterization of a rice gene, OsEBP-89, encoding a protein 326 amino acids long with a typical EREBP domain; this is the first report of an EREBP transcription factor in a monocotyledonous plant.

Expression of Human Lactoferrin cDNA in Insect Cells.

A transfer plasmid p8hLFc harboring human lactoferrin cDNA was constructed and co-transfected with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus ( AcNPV BacPAK6 ) DNA into Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf) cells. The recombinant virus AcNPV-hLFc was identified and purified three times by dot hybridization and plaques screening. The expression of human lactoferrin cDNA in insect cells was detected by Western blotting.