Functional analysis of an elicitor responsive gene, CIGR2 of GRAS family in rice plant

Abstract

N-acetylchitooligosaccharides elicit several defense responses in suspension-cultured rice cells (Oryza sativa cv Nipponbare). We have reported the isolation of two elicitor responsive genes, CIGR1 and CIGR2, of GRAS family in rice and analyzed the detailed mode of expression. To study the role of CIGR2 in defense, we generated CIGR2-RNAi transgenic rice plants where CIGR2 expression was significantly silenced and analyzed the phenotype when inoculated rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. The number of granulated cells, a cytological marker of hypersensitive cell death was significantly increased in the incompatible interaction, indicating that CIGR2 negatively regulates cell death. We will show some results on a gene that is likely to be regulated by CIGR2.