Engineering OsBAK1 gene as a molecular tool to improve rice architecture for high yield.

Generating a new variety of plant with erect-leaf is a critical strategy to improve rice grain yield, as plants with this trait can be dense-planted. The erect-leaf is a significant morphological trait partially regulated by Brassinosteroids (BRs) in rice plants. So far, only a few genes can be used for molecular breeding in rice.

Basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor from wild rice (OrbHLH2) improves tolerance to salt- and osmotic stress in Arabidopsis.

Salt stress adversely affects plant growth and development. Some plants reduce the damage of high-salt stress by expressing a series of salt-responsive genes. Studies of the molecular mechanism of the salt-stress response have focused on the characterization of components involved in signal perception and transduction.

A rice YABBY gene, OsYABBY4, preferentially expresses in developing vascular tissue.

Developmental gene families have diversified during land plant evolution. The primary role of YABBY gene family is promoting abaxial fate in model eudicot, Arabidopsis thaliana. However recent results suggest that roles of YABBY genes are not conserved in the angiosperms.

Over-expression of OsUGE-1 altered raffinose level and tolerance to abiotic stress but not morphology in Arabidopsis.

OsUGE-1 is known to be induced by various abiotic stresses, but its exact function in plants is unclear. In the present study, OsUGE-1 was over-expressed in Arabidopsis, transgenic plants conferred tolerance to salt, drought and freezing stress without altering plant morphology. In addition, transgenic plants showed a higher level of the soluble sugar raffinose than did wild-type plants.

Heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit is involved in rice brassinosteroid response.

Heterotrimeric G proteins are known to function as messengers in numerous signal transduction pathways. The null mutation of RGA (rice heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit), which encodes the alpha subunit of heterotrimeric G protein in rice, causes severe dwarfism and reduced responsiveness to gibberellic acid in rice. However, less is known about heterotrimeric G protein in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling, one of the well-understood phytohormone pathways.

Transgenic rice plants ectopically expressing AtBAK1 are semi-dwarfed and hypersensitive to 24-epibrassinolide.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are endogenous plant hormones essential for plant growth and development. Brassinosteroid insensitive1 (BRI1)-assocaiated receptor kinase (BAK1) is one of the key components in the BR signal transduction pathway due to its direct association with the BR receptor, BRI1. Although BRI1 and its orthologs have been identified from both dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants, less is known about BAK1 and its orthologs in higher plants other than Arabidopsis.

Cloning and expression of a novel cDNA encoding a mannose-specific jacalin-related lectin from Oryza sativa.

Lectin plays an important role in defense signaling in plants. A few genes of this family have been cloned. Here we report on a mannose-specific jacalin-related lectin in rice.

[Progress in research on plant stem cell organizer gene WUSCHEL].

The WUS (WUSCHEL) gene encodes a transcription factor that specifies the adjacent cells to be stem cell. The WUS dependent signal systems have been found in different tissues recent years. The feedback loop between the CLV and WUS genes maintains the stem cell self-renewal and apical dominance in shoot apical meristem.

Activation of the WUS gene induces ectopic initiation of floral meristems on mature stem surface in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A gain-of-function Arabidopsis mutant was identified via activation tagging genetic screening. The mutant exhibited clustered ectopic floral buds on the surface of inflorescence stems. The mutant was designated as sef for stem ectopic flowers.

[Functional analysis of vernalization-related gene VER17 in flower development using antisense RNA strategy in winter wheat].

To understand the function of vernalization-related gene VER17 in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Jingdong No.

FPF1 transgene leads to altered flowering time and root development in rice.

AtFPF1 (FLOWERING PROMOTING FACTOR 1) is a gene that promotes flowering in Arabidopsis. An expression vector containing AtFPF1 driven by a Ubi-1 promoter was constructed. The gene was introduced into rice callus by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and fertile plants were obtained.

Cloning and characteristics of an allene oxide synthase gene (TaAOS) of winter wheat.

Allene oxide synthase (AOS) is the first enzyme in the lipoxygenase pathway which leads to the formation of jasmonic acid (JA). A full length cDNA of TaAOS was cloned in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv.

Overexpression of OsRAA1 causes pleiotropic phenotypes in transgenic rice plants, including altered leaf, flower, and root development and root response to gravity.

There are very few root genes that have been described in rice as a monocotyledonous model plant so far. Here, the OsRAA1 (Oryza sativa Root Architecture Associated 1) gene has been characterized molecularly. OsRAA1 encodes a 12.

Vernalization-induced flowering in wheat is mediated by a lectin-like gene VER2.

A vernalization-related gene VER2 was isolated from winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) using a differential screening approach. The deduced VER2 is a lectin-like protein of 300 amino acids, which contains the presence of a jacalin-like GWG domain.