AUTHOR=Chen Zhengai , Yin Wenjing , Li Xuan , Lu Tao , Ye Hanfei , Dai Gaoxing , Mao Yijian , Li Sanfeng , Duan Penggen , Lu Mei , Rao Yuchun , Wang Yuexing 

TITLE=OsSPL88 Encodes a Cullin Protein that Regulates Rice Growth and Development

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.918973

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2022.918973

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Plant lesion mimics refer to necrotic spots spontaneously produced by the plant without mechanical damage, pathogen invasion, and adversity stress. Here, we isolated and characterized two rice (<italic>Oryza sativa</italic> L) mutants, namely, <italic>spl88-1</italic> (<italic>spotted leaf88</italic>-<italic>1</italic>) and <italic>spl88-2</italic> (<italic>spotted leaf88</italic>-<italic>2</italic>), which were identified from an ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized <italic>japonica</italic> cultivar Xiushui 11 population. Physiological and biochemical experiments indicated that more ROS accumulated in <italic>spl88-1</italic> and <italic>spl88-2</italic> than in wild type. <italic>spl88-1</italic> and <italic>spl88-2</italic> displayed spontaneous cell death and enhanced their resistance to bacterial blight by affecting the expression of defense-related genes. We isolated <italic>SPL88</italic> by map-based cloning, which encoded a highly conserved Cullin protein. A single base deletion was detected in <italic>spl88-1</italic> and <italic>spl88-2</italic>, in which the 132nd base C of <italic>SPL88-1</italic> and the 381th base T of <italic>SPL88-2</italic> were deleted, causing premature termination of protein translation. <italic>SPL88</italic> was expressed in root, stem, leaf, leaf sheath, and panicle. The Cullin protein was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus. The aforementioned results indicate that <italic>SPL88</italic> regulates the growth and development of rice by affecting the expression of defense-related genes.</p>