연구보문 : 자연과학 ; 자포니카 벼의 종자 저장단백질 유전자 구조 및 발현분석 연구 현황

Based on the outcome of the rice genome sequencing, a lot of researches for identification of genes underlying useful traits and their utilization are being carried out recently. Especially, rice seed storage proteins are used as a main nutrition source for human while they are used as the nitrogen source for plant growth during seed germination. Rice seed storage proteins are divided by solubility in solvent into weak acid and alkali soluble glutelin, alcohol soluble prolamin, and salt soluble globulin. The rice genome contains 11 glutelin genes and 33 prolamin genes. In the case of prolamin genes, 15 genes are located in 15 Mb region on the chromosome 5. Clustering of seed storage protein genes on the same chromosomal region indicates that they are evolved from the same chromosome or they share similar gene expression regulatory region. Only single globulin gene existed on the chromosome 5. As a result of tissue- specific expression pattern analysis of seed storage protein genes using microarray, glutelin and most of prolamin genes were expressed only in seed endosperm, while a few prolamin and the globulin genes are expressed in seed endosperm and germinating seed. As a result of isolating promoter regions of the seed storage protein genes and analyzing their expression pattern in seed, glutelin type C1 promoter showed expression in whole seed, and glutelin type B5 and α-globulin promoter showed strong expression. This paper reviewed on the structure and expression profile of rice seed storage protein genes, and will provide information on the recent research status to the researchers who are studying on the improvement of seed traits and production of substances.