AUTHOR=Ge Hongliang , Chen Chu , Jing Wen , Zhang Qun , Wang Hong , Wang Rong , Zhang Wenhua 

TITLE=The Rice Diacylglycerol Kinase Family: Functional Analysis Using Transient RNA Interference

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2012

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2012.00060

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2012.00060

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is a pivotal enzyme that phosphorylates diacylglycerol (DAG) to form phosphatidic acid (PA). The production of PA from phospholipase D (PLD) and the coupled phospholipase C/DGK route is an important signaling process in animal and plant cells. In this study, we report a genomic analysis of eight putative rice DGKs encoded by a gene family (<italic>OsDGKs</italic>) grouped into three clusters. To further investigate the functions of the <italic>OsDGKs</italic>, a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-induced RNA silencing method was established. Introduction of <italic>in vitro</italic>-synthesized dsRNAs corresponding to a unique or conserved region of <italic>OsDGKs</italic> into rice protoplasts abolished or diminished the expression of individual or multiple <italic>OsDGK</italic> genes. Suppressing the expression of <italic>OsDGKs</italic> resulted in a distinct depletion of the transcripts of the defense gene <italic>OsNPR1</italic> and the salt-responsive gene <italic>OsCIPK15</italic>. Our primary results suggest that <italic>OsDGKs</italic> are involved in the signaling of stress responses.</p>