Genome-wide identification of the rice calcium-dependent protein kinase and its closely related kinase gene families: Comprehensive analysis of the CDPKs gene family in rice [Oryza sativa]

• Published in: Plant and cell physiology Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 356 - 366
• Main Authors: Asano, T.(National Inst. of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)), Tanaka, N, Yang, G, Hayashi, N, Komatsu, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Oxford University Press 01.02.2005; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Alternative Splicing; amino acid sequences; CALCIO; CALCIUM; calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase; Calcium-dependent protein kinase; CALMODULIN; CALMODULINA; CALMODULINE; CCaMK; CDPK; CDPK-related kinase; chromosomes; Chromosomes, Plant; conserved sequences; CRK; enzymology; EST; EXPRESION GENICA; expressed sequence tag; EXPRESSION DES GENES; GENE; GENE EXPRESSION; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene structure; GENES; genetics; genome; Genome, Plant; grain crops; messenger RNA; Multigene Family; Multigene Family - genetics; nucleotide sequences; Oryza; Oryza - enzymology; Oryza - genetics; ORYZA SATIVA; PEPRK; phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase kinase-related kinase; Phylogeny; plant genetics; plant proteins; PROTEIN KINASE; protein kinases; Protein Kinases - genetics; PROTEINA QUINASA; PROTEINE KINASE; reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction; Rice; RT–PCR; seed-specific protein kinase; Seedlings; SPK; tissue distribution; untranslated region; UTR
• ISSN: 0032-0781; 1471-9053
• DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pci035

In plants, calcium acts as a universal second messenger in various signal transduction pathways. The plant-specific calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play important roles regulating downstream components of calcium signaling. We conducted a genome-wide analysis of rice CDPKs and identified 29 CDPK genes and eight closely related kinase genes, including five CDPK-related kinases (CRKs), one calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) and two phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase kinase-related kinases (PEPRKs) The mRNA splicing sites of the rice CDPKs, CRKS and PEPRKS (but not OSCCaMK) are highly conserved, suggesting that these kinases are derived from a common ancestor. RNA gel blot analyses revealed that the majority of rice CDPK genes exhibited tissue-specific expression. Expression of OsCPK9 was elevated in seedlings infected by rice blast, indicating that this gene plays an important role in signaling in response to rice blast treatment. Our genomic and bioinformatic analyses will provide an important foundation for further functional dissection of the rice CDPK gene family.