Abstract
We have identified and analyzed cDNAs corresponding to a single-copy gene from rice, designated lir1, whose expression exhibits dramatic diurnal fluctuations. The cDNAs encode a putative protein of 128 amino acids with no homology to known proteins. Lir1 mRNA accumulates in the light, reaching maximum and minimum steady-state levels at the end of the light and dark period, respectively. The oscillations of lir1 mRNA abundance persist after the plants have been transferred to continuous light or darkness. Plants germinated in the dark have very low levels of lir1 mRNA, whereas plants germinated in continuous light express lir1 at an intermediate but constant level. These results indicate that lir1 expression is controlled by light and a circadian clock.
References
Apel K: Phytochrome-induced appearance of mRNA activity for the apoprotein of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Eur J Biochem 97: 183–188 (1979).
Edmunds LN (ed): Cellular and Molecular Bases of Biological Clocks. Springer-Verlag, New York (1988).
Fyrberg EA, Kindle KL, Davidson N: The actin genes of Drosophila: a dispersed multigene family. Cell 19: 365–378 (1980).
Gagné G, Guertin M: The early genetic response to light in the green unicellular alga Chlamydomonas eugametos grown under light/dark cycles involves genes that represent direct responses to light and photosynthesis. Plant Mol Biol 18: 429–445 (1992).
Giuliano G, Hoffman NE, Ko K, Scolnik PA, Cashmore AR: A light-entrained circadian clock controls transcription of several plant genes. EMBO J 7: 3635–3642 (1988).
Gollmer I, Apel K: The phytochrome-controlled accumulation of mRNA sequences encoding the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein of barley (Hordeum vulagare L). Eur J Biochem 133: 309–313 (1983).
Kendrick RE, Kronenberg GHM (eds): Photomorphogenesis in Plants. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht (1986).
Kloppstech K: Diurnal and circadian rhythmicity in the expression of light-induced plant nuclear messenger RNAs. Planta 165: 502–506 (1985).
Lumsden PJ: Circadian rhythms and phytochrome. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 42: 351–371 (1991).
Meyer H, Thienel U, Piechulla B: Molecular characterization of the diurnal/circadian expression of the chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins in leaves of tomato and other dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plant species. Planta 180: 5–15 (1989).
Millar AJ, Kay SA: Circadian control of cab gene transcription and mRNA accumulation in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 3: 541–550 (1991).
Millar AJ, Short SR, Chua N-H, Kay SA: A novel circadian phenotype based on firefly luciferase expression in transgenic plants. Plant Cell 4: 1075–1087 (1992).
Nagy F, Kay SA, Chua N-H: A circadian clock regulates transcription of the wheat Cab-I gene. Genes Devel 2: 376–382 (1988).
Paulsen H, Bogorad L: Diurnal and circadian rhythms in the accumulation and synthesis of mRNA for the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein in tobacco. Plant Physiol 88: 1104–1109 (1988).
Piechulla B, Gruissem W: Diurnal mRNA fluctuations of nuclear and plastid genes in developing tomato fruits. EMBO J 6: 3593–3599 (1987).
Spiller SC, Kaufman LS, Thompson WF, Briggs WR: Specific mRNA and rRNA levels in greening pea leaves during recovery from iron stress. Plant Physiol 84: 409–414 (1987).
Sweeney BM: Rhythmic Phenomena in Plants. Academic Press, San Diego (1987).
Tavladoraki P, Kloppstech K, Argyroudi-Akoyunoglou J: Circadian rhythm in the expression of the mRNA coding for the apoprotein of the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II. Plant Physiol 90: 665–672 (1989).
Von Heijne G: A new method for predicting signal sequence cleavage sites. Nucl Acids Res 14: 4683–4690 (1986).
Wehmeyer B, Cashmore AR, Schäfer E: Photocontrol of the expression of genes encoding chlorophyll a/b binding proteins and small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in etiolated seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) and nicotiana tabacum (L.). Plant Physiol 93: 990–997 (1990).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reimmann, C., Dudler, R. Circadian rhythmicity in the expression of a novel light-regulated rice gene. Plant Mol Biol 22, 165–170 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039006
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039006