Poster: Chromatin Remodeling & Epigenetics

Abs # 1024: Structural and expression analysis of histone deacetylase in rice

Presenter:	Tsuji, Hiroyuki , aa17008@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Authors	Tsuji, Hiroyuki  (A)   Saika, Hiroaki  (A)   Tsutsumi, Nobuhiro  (A)   Nakazono, Mikio  (A)
Affiliations:	(A): Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo

The transcription of genes in eukaryotic cells is thought to be related to a loosening of the nucleosome structure. These changes occur through histone modifications such as acetylation, methylation, monoubiquitination and phosphorylation. It is thought that acetylation/deacetylation of histones leads to activation/repression of transcription. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) catalyzes the deacetylation of histones. In animals and yeast, HDACs function as regulators of gene transcription and gene silencing and they also regulate life span. In this study, we identified several HDAC genes in rice and examined the organ specificity and stress responses of their expressions by RT-PCR. In rice, at least 14 HDAC genes are in RPD3/HDA1 family, 2 genes are in SIR2 family and 2 genes are in plant-specific HD2 family. The RT-PCR analysis revealed that different HDACs are expressed in different organs and that different HDACs are expressed in response to stress.