Abstract
Low oxygen conditions caused by submergence or poor soil drainage can reduce crop productivity. The response of metabolic processes and the morphological adaptations to anaerobic conditions have been investigated extensively. However, the regulation of signal transduction components and transcriptional factors, especially in early stage, is poorly understood. In this study, we have screened early responsive genes to low oxygen stress in rice. Total RNA from rice root treated under anaerobic conditions for 30 min was analyzed using GeneChip Rice Genome Array (Affymetrix). Approximately 800 genes were identified as anaerobic inducible. Genes associated with metabolism were about 20% of the induced genes and included genes known to encode anaerobic proteins (e.g., ADH1, PDC1, LDH, and AlaAT). Putative genes for transcriptional factors and genes possibly related to signal transduction were estimated about 10%, respectively. These results indicate the complexity of regulation mechanism for anaerobic response in plant.
