Identification And Function Analysis Of Zinc Finger Protein Genes Specified Expression In Rice Seed Development

Zinc finger protein genes are one of the largest and most complex gene families in the plant genomes. Some classes of zinc finger motifs are present in transcription factors. (Putative) zinc finger protein transcription factors function as parts of DNA-binding complex and participate in protein-protein interactions. These proteins have been implicated in regulation of important biological processes that are unique to plant, such as flower development, seed development and light-regulated morphogenesis, etc.Rice is one of the most important crops.There are already indications that the zinc finger genes are involved in regulation of seed development. Investigating the functions of zinc finger genes in rice seed development by reverse genetics (overexpression and/or antisense RNA) will benefit for a better understanding on molecular mechanism of rice seed development, which will facilitate to regulate seed development and improve the yield and quality of rice.By keywords and web resource, we collected more than 1300 sequences of rice zinc finger protein genes from varieties of databases, and selected 354 zinc finger genes, whose functions were unknown based on sequences MegAlign (DNAStar) and annotation information in NCBI, to design and synthesize their primers. Transcription pattern of these selected genes were analysed in different tissues (organs) and 6 continuous seed development stages in rice by RT-PCR. It was found that some zinc finger genes were preferentially transcribed in seed, stem, leaf or/and root. There are ten zinc finger genes expressed specially in rice seed development.The results provide insights into possible key roles for zinc finger genes during seed development.We performed basic bioinformatics analysis on the genes expressed-specially in rice seed development and picked three genes (ZF54, ZF77,ZF309) to research more. To elucidate the effects of the three genes on rice seed development, promoter sequences of these genes were cloned and constructed fusing vectors with GUS(pC54P-GUS, pC77P-GUS,pC309P-GUS),while cDNA sequences of ZF54 and ZF309 were cloned to construct sense and anti-sense expression vectors pCU54S,pCU54A,pCA309S and pCA309A, respectively.Rice transgenic plants of these vectors above were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated. PCR tests indicated the recombinant segments of pC54P-GUS, pC77P-GUS, pC309P-GUS, pCU54S and pCU54A have been integrated into rice genome. Detection of...