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Isolation of a monocot 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene that is elicitor-inducible

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Abstract

The rice (Oryza sativa) phytoalexins, momilactones and oryzalexins, are synthesized by the isoprenoid pathway. An early step in this pathway, one that is rate-limiting in mammalian systems, is catalyzed by the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR). A gene that encodes this enzyme has been isolated from rice, and found to contain an open reading frame of 1527 bases. The encoded protein sequence of the rice HMGR appears to be conserved with respect to other HMGR proteins, and 1 or 2 membrane-spanning domains characteristic of plant HMGRs are predicted by a hydropathy plot of the amino acid sequence. The protein is truncated at its 5′ end, and shows reduced sequence conservation in this region as compared to other plant sequences. The rice genome contains a small family of HMGR genes. The isolated gene, HMGR I, is expressed at low levels in both vegetative and floral organs of rice plants. It is not induced in plants by wounding, but is strongly and rapidly induced in suspension cells by a fungal cell wall elicitor from the pathogenMagnaporthe grisea, causal agent of rice blast disease. This suggests that HMGR I may be important in the induction of rice phytoalexin biosynthesis in response to pathogen attack, and therefore may play a key role as a component of the inducible defense mechanism in rice.

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Author notes

  1. Amy J. Nelson

    Present address: Cereal Rust Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, University of Minnesota, 1551 Lindig St., 55108, St. Paul, MN, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, 92037, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Amy J. Nelson, Peter W. Doerner, Qun Zhu & Christopher J. Lamb

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  1. Amy J. Nelson
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  2. Peter W. Doerner
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  3. Qun Zhu
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Nelson, A.J., Doerner, P.W., Zhu, Q. et al. Isolation of a monocot 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene that is elicitor-inducible. Plant Mol Biol 25, 401–412 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043869

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043869

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