Expressions of rice sucrose non-fermenting-1 related protein kinase 1 genes are differently regulated during the caryopsis development

The rice sucrose non-fermenting-1 related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) family consists of three genes, which were named OSK1, OSK24 and OSK35. In order to elucidate the distinct functions of OSK genes, we identified precise regions for their expression by the promoter: GUS expression analyses as well as in situ mRNA localization experiments. At first, we isolated genomic clones corresponding to each member of OSKs in order to obtain the promoter sequences. All OSK genes house 11 exons and 10 introns and the positions of introns within the coding regions are fully conserved in all these genes. Histochemical analyses using OSK promoter: β-glucronidase (OSKP:GUS) reporter genes showed that expression patterns of OSK1P:GUS and OSK24P:GUS were quite different in the developing caryopsis. The expression of OSK1P:GUS was nearly restricted in the vascular tissues during the caryopsis development. In contrast, the OSK24P:GUS expression was detected in the pericarp at the early stage with a shift to the endosperm as the endosperm cells were formed, and GUS staining was confined to both aleurone layer and endosperm cells around 15 days after flowering, when cell division of cellular endosperm were almost finished. The shifting pattern of the OSK24 expression was correlated with the appearance of starch granules in each tissue. Similar correlation between OSK24 expression and emergence of starch granules was also observed at another temporal sink organ, the basal part of leaf sheath. These results suggest that OSK24 (rice SnRK1b) most probably have a special role in carbohydrate metabolism of the sink organs.