We identified 163 AP2/EREBP (APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element-binding protein) genes in rice. We analyzed gene structures, phylogenies, domain duplication, genome localizations and expression profiles. Conserved amino acid residues and phylogeny construction using the AP2/ERF conserved domain sequence suggest that in rice the OsAP2/EREBP gene family can be classified broadly into four subfamilies [AP2, RAV (related to ABI3/VP1), DREB (dehydration-responsive element-binding protein) and ERF (ethylene-responsive factor)]. The chromosomal localizations of the OsAP2/EREBP genes indicated 20 segmental duplication events involving 40 genes; 58 redundant OsAP2/EREBP genes were involved in tandem duplication events. There were fewer introns after segmental duplication. We investigated expression profiles of this gene family under biotic stresses [infection with rice viruses such as rice stripe virus (RSV), rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) and rice dwarf virus (RDV, three virus strains S, O and D84)], and various abiotic stresses. Symptoms of virus infection were more severe in RSV infection than in RTSV and RDV infection. Responses to biotic stresses are novel findings and these stresses enhance the ability to identify the best candidate genes for further functional analysis. The genes of subgroup B-5 were not induced under abiotic treatments whereas they were activated by the three RDV strains. None of the genes of subgroups A-3 were differentially expressed by any of the biotic stresses. Our 44K and 22K microarray results suggest that 53 and 52 non-redundant genes in this family were up-regulated in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, respectively. We further examined the stress responsiveness of most genes by reverse transcription-PCR. The study results should be useful in selecting candidate genes from specific subgroups for functional analysis.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a unique class of plant steroid hormones that orchestrate myriad growth and developmental processes. Although BRs have long been known to protect plants from a suite of biotic and abiotic stresses, our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is still rudimentary. Aiming to further decipher the molecular logic of BR-modulated immunity, we have examined the dynamics and impact of BRs during infection of rice (Oryza sativa) with the root oomycete Pythium graminicola. Challenging the prevailing view that BRs positively regulate plant innate immunity, we show that P. graminicola exploits BRs as virulence factors and hijacks the rice BR machinery to inflict disease. Moreover, we demonstrate that this immunesuppressive effect of BRs is due, at least in part, to negative cross talk with salicylic acid (SA) and gibberellic acid (GA) pathways. BR-mediated suppression of SA defenses occurred downstream of SA biosynthesis, but upstream of the master defense regulators NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 and OsWRKY45. In contrast, BR alleviated GA-directed immune responses by interfering at multiple levels with GA metabolism, resulting in indirect stabilization of the DELLA protein and central GA repressor SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1). Collectively, these data favor a model whereby P. graminicola coopts the plant BR pathway as a decoy to antagonize effectual SA-and GA-mediated defenses. Our results highlight the importance of BRs in modulating plant immunity and uncover pathogen-mediated manipulation of plant steroid homeostasis as a core virulence strategy.

Rice stripe disease, caused by rice stripe virus (RSV), is one of the major virus diseases in east Asia. Rice plants infected with RSV usually show symptoms such as chlorosis, weakness, necrosis in newly emerged leaves and stunting. To reveal rice cellular systems influenced by RSV infection, temporal changes in the transcriptome of RSV-infected plants were monitored by a customized rice oligoarray system. The transcriptome changes in RSV-infected plants indicated that protein-synthesis machineries and energy production in the mitochondrion were activated by RSV infection, whereas energy production in the chloroplast and synthesis of cell-structure components were suppressed. The transcription of genes related to host-defence systems under hormone signals and those for gene silencing were not activated at the early infection phase. Together with concurrent observation of virus concentration and symptom development, such transcriptome changes in RSV-infected plants suggest that different sets of various host genes are regulated depending on the development of disease symptoms and the accumulation of RSV. INTRODUCTIONRice stripe disease is the most severe virus disease of rice in east Asia. Typical symptoms are chlorosis and weakness on newly emerged leaves. The plant becomes considerably stunted when affected at the early growth stages (Ou, 1972). Rice stripe disease also causes necrosis of newly emerged leaves (Takahashi et al., 1991). The causal virus is Rice stripe virus (RSV), which belongs to the genus Tenuivirus (Falk & Tsai, 1998). RSV is transmitted by small brown planthopper (SBPH; Laodelphax striatellus), Terthron albovittatum, Unkanodes sapporonus and Unkanodes albifascia (Falk & Tsai, 1998;Ou, 1972). RSV has a thin, filamentous shape and no envelope. The genome consists of four single-stranded RNA segments; RNA1 is negative-sense and RNAs 2-4 are ambisense. Viral mRNAs transcribed from viral RNA or viral cRNA by RNA-dependent RNA polymerase are released to the cytoplasm. Subsequently, a 59-capped short ribonucleotide leader cleaved from the host mRNA is added to the viral mRNAs by cap-snatching. The 59-capped RSV RNA is transcribed efficiently in host cells (Falk & Tsai, 1998;Shimizu et al., 1996). Genes encoding a gene-silencing suppressor and movement proteins were also identified in the RSV genome (Lu et al., 2009;Xiong et al., 2008Xiong et al., , 2009. Although extensive functional analysis of the RSV genome has been conducted, there have been no reports on the interaction between RSV and rice plants, which may clarify the mechanisms behind the appearance of disease symptoms.Rice is a model cereal plant, for which many genomic and transcriptome resources and tools are already available (Liang et al., 2008;Ouyang et al., 2007; Rice Annotation Project, 2008; Rice Full-length cDNA Consortium, 2003). The elucidation of genome sequences and structures in diverse organisms has led to the development of various high-throughput genome and transcriptome analytical tools. Numerous transcriptome profiles in...

The complete nucleotide sequence of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) has been determined based on complementary DNA clones derived from the 9,384-nucleotide (nt) RNA of the virus. The genome of WSMV has a 130-nt 5′ leader and 149-nt 3′-untranslated region and is polyadenylated at the 3′ end. WSMV RNA encodes a single polyprotein of 3,035 amino acid residues and has a deduced genome organization typical for a member of the family Potyviridae (5′-P1/HC-Pro/P3/6K1/CI/6K2/VPg-NIa/NIb/CP-3′). Because WSMV shares with ryegrass mosaic virus (RGMV) the biological property of transmission by eriophyid mites, WSMV has been assigned to the genus Rymovirus, of which RGMV is the type species. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted with complete polyprotein or NIb protein sequences of 11 members of the family Potyviridae, including viruses of monocots or dicots and viruses transmitted by aphids, whiteflies, and mites. WSMV and the monocot-infecting, mite-transmitted brome streak mosaic virus (BrSMV) are sister taxa and share a most recent common ancestor with the whitefly-transmitted sweet potato mild mottle virus, the type species of the proposed genus “Ipomovirus.” In contrast, RGMV shares a most recent common ancestor with aphid-transmitted species of the genus Potyvirus. These results indicate that WSMV and BrSMV should be classified within a new genus of the family Potyviridae and should not be considered species of the genus Rymovirus.