Research
Evolutionary expansion and functional diversification of oligopeptide transporter gene family in rice
1 Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Genetics and Breeding, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, People's Republic of China
2 Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
3 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, People's Republic of China
4 Guangdong Key Lab of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, People's Republic of China
Rice 2012, 5:12 doi:10.1186/1939-8433-5-12
Published: 22 June 2012Abstract
Background
Oligopeptide transporters (OPTs) play important roles in the mobilization of organic nitrogenous compounds and usually associate with tissues that show signs of rapid protein hydrolysis, such as germinating seeds and senescing leaves. This study is to investigate rice OPT genes.
Results
A total of sixteen OsOPT genes (Os for Oryza sative L.) were identified in the rice genome, which were then classified into six sections that belong to two subfamilies (the PT and YSL subfamily). The major mechanisms for evolutionary expansion of the sixteen genes during the rice genome evolution include segmental and tandem duplication. Calculation of the duplication event dates indicated that the sixteen genes originated from nine original OsOPT genes, and the duplication events could be classified into three evolutionary stages. The first evolutionary stage occurred approximately 50 million years ago (Mya) and involved the evolution of four new genes. The second evolutionary stage was approximately 20 Mya and was marked by the appearance of two new genes, and the third evolutionary stage was approximately 9 Mya when two new genes evolved. Mining of the expression database and RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of most duplicated OsOPT genes showed high tissue specificities. Diverse expression patterns for the sixteen genes were evaluated using both semi-quantitative RT-PCR and the MPSS data. Expression levels of some OsOPT genes were regulated by abiotic and biotic stresses suggesting the potential involvement of these gene products in rice stress adaptation. Five OsOPT gene mutants showed abnormal development and growth, the primary analysis of five OsOPT gene mutants suggested that they may be necessary for rice development.
Conclusions
These results suggested that rice-specific OsOPT genes might be potentially useful in improving rice.
