OsMAPKKK63 is involved in salt stress response and seed dormancy control.

Approximately 75 MAP kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) have been identified in the rice genome. However, only a few of them have been functionally characterized. In this paper, we report the function of a rice MAPKKK, OsMAPKKK63. OsMAPKKK63 was found to be induced by several abiotic stresses, including high salinity, chilling and drought. Our data indicate that OsMAPKKK63 possesses in vitro kinase activity and that it interacts with rice MAP kinase kinase OsMKK1 and OsMKK6. The two rice MKKs are known mediator of the salt stress response, implying that OsMAPKKK63 may be involved in the high salinity response. Our analysis of an OsMAPKKK63 knockout mutant indeed demonstrated that it is necessary for normal response to high salt. On the other hand, OsMAPKKK63 OX lines exhibited viviparous phenotype in both rice and Arabidopsis. The result suggests that OsMAPKKK63 may also be involved in seed dormancy control.