National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences

National Agriculture and Bio-Oriented Research Organization

Guangxiao Yang

Setsuko Komatsu

Manabu Yoshikawa

The present invention provides novel anther-specific genes, their promoters, and uses of the same. Rice seedlings were treated with gibberellin, and then genes and proteins with up-regulated expression were screened using DNA microarray analysis and proteome analysis. As a result, eight types of &#x3b2;-tubulins were identified. Among them, OsTUB8 was expressed specifically in the anther. Thus OsTUB8 was suggested to be involved in male sterility in rice, and it was thought that regulating OsTUB8 expression in plants could alter plant fertility. In addition, OsTUB8 promoters were thought to comprise anther-specific activity. Thus, the present invention can be said to be highly valuable when used as a tool for anther-specific gene expression.

Anther-specific promoter from the rice TUB8 gene and uses thereof

The objective of the present invention is to isolate and identify genes responsive to plant hormones, such as, brassinolide, and to provide these genes and their use. The present inventors found two novel genes (referred to as OsBLE1 gene and OsBLE2 gene) whose expressions are markedly increased by brassinolide and auxin, using DNA microarray techniques and Northern blotting. Transformed rice plants were produced usingEHA101 which comprise antisense polynucleotide against OsBLE1 and OsBLE2 under the control of the CaMV35S promoter in a binary vector pIG121-Hm. As a result, the transformed rice plants exhibited inhibition in stem and leaf growth as compared with controls which carried the vector alone.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Guangxiao Yang