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Author

Shozo Ohta

Bio: Shozo Ohta is an academic researcher from Japan Tobacco. The author has contributed to research in topics: Gene & Reporter gene. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 17 publications receiving 4893 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A large number of morphologically normal, fertile, transgenic rice plants were obtained by co-cultivation of rice tissues with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and sequence analysis revealed that the boundaries of the T-DNA in transgenic Rice plants were essentially identical to those intransgenic dicotyledons.
Abstract: Summary A large number of morphologically normal, fertile, transgenic rice plants were obtained by co-cultivation of rice tissues with Agrobacterium tumefaciens The efficiency of transformation was similar to that obtained by the methods used routinely for transformation of dicotyledons with the bacterium Stable integration, expression and inheritance of transgenes were demonstrated by molecular and genetic analysis of transformants in the R0, R1 and R2 generations Sequence analysis revealed that the boundaries of the T-DNA in transgenic rice plants were essentially identical to those in transgenic dicotyledons Calli induced from scutella were very good starting materials A strain of A tumefaciens that carried a so-called ‘super-binary’ vector gave especially high frequencies of transformation of various cultivars of japonica rice that included Koshihikari, which normally shows poor responses in tissue culture

3,475 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Transformants of maize inbred A188 were efficiently produced from immature embryos cocultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens that carried “super-binary” vectors that carried stable integration, expression, and inheritance of the transgenes.
Abstract: Transformants of maize inbred A188 were efficiently produced from immature embryos cocultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens that carried "super-binary" vectors. Frequencies of transformation (independent transgenic plants/embryos) were between 5% and 30%. Almost all transformants were normal in morphology, and more than 70% were fertile. Stable integration, expression, and inheritance of the transgenes were confirmed by molecular and genetic analysis. Between one and three copies of the transgenes were integrated with little rearrangement, and the boundaries of T-DNA were similar to those in transgenic dicotyledons and rice. F1 hybrids between A188 and five other inbreds were transformed at low frequencies.

1,053 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present findings may facilitate not only elucidating the mechanisms of male sterility by the BT cytoplasm and its restoration by Rf-1 but also isolating other restorer genes from cereal crops, especially rice.
Abstract: Summary A rice nuclear gene, Rf-1, restores the pollen fertility disturbed by the BT-type male sterile cytoplasm, and is widely used for commercial seed production of japonica hybrid varieties. Genomic fragments carrying Rf-1 were identified by conducting chromosome walking and a series of complementation tests. Isolation and analysis of cDNA clones corresponding to the fragments demonstrated that Rf-1 encodes a mitochondrially targeted protein containing 16 repeats of the 35-aa pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif. Sequence analysis revealed that the recessive allele, rf-1, lacks one nucleotide in the putative coding region, presumably resulting in encoding a truncated protein because of a frame shift. Rice Rf-1 is the first restorer gene isolated from cereal crops that has the property of reducing the expression of the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-associated mitochondrial gene like many other restorer genes. The present findings may facilitate not only elucidating the mechanisms of male sterility by the BT cytoplasm and its restoration by Rf-1 but also isolating other restorer genes from cereal crops, especially rice.

270 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The gain of cis-acting elements conferring high-level expression and mesophyll cell specificity was necessary for establishment of a C4-type Pdk gene during the course of evolution from C3 to C4 plants.
Abstract: Summary In a previous study, we identified the C4-like pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase gene (Pdk) in the C3 plant rice, with a similar structure to the C4-type Pdk in the C4 plant maize. In order to elucidate the differences between C4-type and C4-like Pdk genes in C4 and C3 plants, we have produced chimeric constructs with the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene under the control of the Pdk promoters. In transgenic rice, both rice and maize promoters directed GUS expression in photosynthetic organs in a light-dependent manner. However, the maize promoter exhibited a much higher transcriptional activity than the rice promoter did. These results indicate that the rice C4-like Pdk gene resembles the maize C4-type Pdk gene in terms of regulation of expression. We also tested the activity of the rice promoter in transgenic maize. GUS activity was seen in both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organs. Thus, the rice promoter does not confer a strict organ-specific gene expression, as the maize promoter does. Moreover, the rice promoter directed GUS expression not only in mesophyll cells but also in bundle sheath cells, whereas the maize promoter directed expression only in mesophyll cells. Taken together, the results obtained from both transgenic maize and rice demonstrate that the rice and maize promoters differ not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively, in terms of their cell- and organ-specificity. Experiments with swapped promoters using the rice and maize promoters further demonstrated that a limited sequence region from −330 to −76 of the maize promoter confers light-regulated, high-level expression to the rice promoter in maize mesophyll protoplasts. We conclude the gain of cis-acting elements conferring high-level expression and mesophyll cell specificity was necessary for establishment of a C4-type Pdk gene during the course of evolution from C3 to C4 plants.

64 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that the rice promoter contains some cis-acting elements responding in an organ-pecific and light-inducible regulation manner in maize but does not contain element for bundle sheath cell-specific expression, while the maize promoter does contain such element(s).
Abstract: The small subunit of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), encoded by rbcS, is essential for photosynthesis in both C3 and C4 plants, even though the cell specificity of rbcS expression is different between C3 and C4 plants. The C3 rbcS is specifically expressed in mesophyll cells, while the C4 rbcS is expressed in bundle sheath cells, and not mesophyll cells. Two chimeric genes were constructed consisting of the structural gene encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS) controlled by the two promoters from maize (C4) and rice (C3) rbcS genes. These constructs were introduced into a C4 plant, maize. Both chimeric genes were specifically expressed in photosynthetic organs, such as leaf blade, but not in non-photosynthetic organs. The expressions of the genes were also regulated by light. However, the rice promoter drove the GUS activity mainly in mesophyll cells and relatively low in bundle sheath cells, while the maize rbcS promoter induced the activity specifically in bundle sheath cells. These results suggest that the rice promoter contains some cis-acting elements responding in an organ-pecific and light-inducible regulation manner in maize but does not contain element(s) for bundle sheath cell-specific expression, while the maize promoter does contain such element(s). Based on this result, we discuss the similarities and differences between the rice (C3) and maize (C4) rbcS promoter in terms of the evolution of the C4 photosynthetic gene.

55 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The pGreen plasmid system allows any arrangement of selectable marker and reporter gene at the right and left T-DNA borders without compromising the choice of restriction sites for cloning, since the pGreen cloning sites are based on the well-known pBluescript general vector plasmids.
Abstract: Binary Ti vectors are the plasmid vectors of choice in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation protocols. The pGreen series of binary Ti vectors are configured for ease-of-use and to meet the demands of a wide range of transformation procedures for many plant species. This plasmid system allows any arrangement of selectable marker and reporter gene at the right and left T-DNA borders without compromising the choice of restriction sites for cloning, since the pGreen cloning sites are based on the well-known pBluescript general vector plasmids. Its size and copy number in Escherichia coli offers increased efficiencies in routine in vitro recombination procedures. pGreen can replicate in Agrobacterium only if another plasmid, pSoup, is co-resident in the same strain. pSoup provides replication functions in trans for pGreen. The removal of RepA and Mob functions has enabled the size of pGreen to be kept to a minimum. Versions of pGreen have been used to transform several plant species with the same efficiencies as other binary Ti vectors. Information on the pGreen plasmid system is supplemented by an Internet site (http://www.pgreen.ac.uk) through which comprehensive information, protocols, order forms and lists of different pGreen marker gene permutations can be found.

1,519 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A robust CRISPR/Cas9 vector system, utilizing a plant codon optimized Cas9 gene, for convenient and high-efficiency multiplex genome editing in monocot and dicot plants and provides examples of loss-of-function gene mutations in T0 rice and Arabidopsis plants.

1,451 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
30 Mar 2006-Nature
TL;DR: The identification of a silicon transporter provides both an insight into the silicon uptake system in plants, and a new strategy for producing crops with high resistance to multiple stresses by genetic modification of the root's silicon uptake capacity.
Abstract: Silicon is beneficial to plant growth and helps plants to overcome abiotic and biotic stresses by preventing lodging (falling over) and increasing resistance to pests and diseases, as well as other stresses. Silicon is essential for high and sustainable production of rice, but the molecular mechanism responsible for the uptake of silicon is unknown. Here we describe the Low silicon rice 1 (Lsi1) gene, which controls silicon accumulation in rice, a typical silicon-accumulating plant. This gene belongs to the aquaporin family and is constitutively expressed in the roots. Lsi1 is localized on the plasma membrane of the distal side of both exodermis and endodermis cells, where casparian strips are located. Suppression of Lsi1 expression resulted in reduced silicon uptake. Furthermore, expression of Lsi1 in Xenopus oocytes showed transport activity for silicon only. The identification of a silicon transporter provides both an insight into the silicon uptake system in plants, and a new strategy for producing crops with high resistance to multiple stresses by genetic modification of the root's silicon uptake capacity.

1,398 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that overexpression of stress responsive gene SNAC1 (STRESS-RESPONSIVE NAC 1) significantly enhances drought resistance in transgenic rice in the field under severe drought stress conditions at the reproductive stage while showing no phenotypic changes or yield penalty.
Abstract: Drought and salinity are major abiotic stresses to crop production. Here, we show that overexpression of stress responsive gene SNAC1 (STRESS-RESPONSIVE NAC 1) significantly enhances drought resistance in transgenic rice (22–34% higher seed setting than control) in the field under severe drought stress conditions at the reproductive stage while showing no phenotypic changes or yield penalty. The transgenic rice also shows significantly improved drought resistance and salt tolerance at the vegetative stage. Compared with WT, the transgenic rice are more sensitive to abscisic acid and lose water more slowly by closing more stomatal pores, yet display no significant difference in the rate of photosynthesis. SNAC1 is induced predominantly in guard cells by drought and encodes a NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC) transcription factor with transactivation activity. DNA chip analysis revealed that a large number of stress-related genes were up-regulated in the SNAC1-overexpressing rice plants. Our data suggest that SNAC1 holds promising utility in improving drought and salinity tolerance in rice.

1,376 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Xian-Jun Song1, Wei Huang1, Min Shi1, Mei-Zhen Zhu1, Hong-Xuan Lin1 
TL;DR: The cloning and characterization of GW2 is reported, a new QTL that controls rice grain width and weight and suggests that GW2 negatively regulates cell division by targeting its substrate(s) to proteasomes for regulated proteolysis.
Abstract: Grain weight is one of the most important components of grain yield and is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) derived from natural variations in crops. However, the molecular roles of QTLs in the regulation of grain weight have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of GW2, a new QTL that controls rice grain width and weight. Our data show that GW2 encodes a previously unknown RING-type protein with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, which is known to function in the degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Loss of GW2 function increased cell numbers, resulting in a larger (wider) spikelet hull, and it accelerated the grain milk filling rate, resulting in enhanced grain width, weight and yield. Our results suggest that GW2 negatively regulates cell division by targeting its substrate(s) to proteasomes for regulated proteolysis. The functional characterization of GW2 provides insight into the mechanism of seed development and is a potential tool for improving grain yield in crops.

1,308 citations