Characterization Of Elicitor-responsive WRKY Transcription Factor, OsWRKY71, From Rice

Abstract

WRKY proteins are a large family of transcription factors that specifically bind to W-box motifs. Many WRKY proteins have been suggested to have regulatory functions in response to pathogen infection and other stresses. Using microarray analysis, we isolated two rice WRKY genes, OsWRKY53 and OsWRKY71, that were induced with a chitin elicitor in suspension-cultured rice cells. In this study, we performed microarray analysis using OsWRKY71-overexpressing mutants to survey target genes of OsWRKY71. As the results of microarray analysis, several defense-related genes such as PR protein genes and WRKY genes were upregulated, and the expression of these genes were induced by a chitin elicitor in suspension-cultured rice cells. Moreover, W-box motifs were observed in the 5' upstream regions of these genes. These results strongly suggest that these genes are candidates for target genes of OsWRKY71.