The W2 domain is a conserved domain found firstly at the C-terminus of several translation initiation factors, but its roles are unknown. Here we identified three W2 genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) which were located to the nucleus. The expression profiles of the three genes in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses were also analyzed. OsW2-1 expression was mainly affected by two classes of phytohormones, including abscisic acid and cytokinin, and some abiotic stresses such as dark, drought and hypersaline, while both OsW2-2 and OsW2-3 expression levels were down-regulated by 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid treatment. Besides, OsW2-2 under chilling stress, and OsW2-3 under 3-indolebutyric acid, kinetin ... More
The W2 domain is a conserved domain found firstly at the C-terminus of several translation initiation factors, but its roles are unknown. Here we identified three W2 genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) which were located to the nucleus. The expression profiles of the three genes in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses were also analyzed. OsW2-1 expression was mainly affected by two classes of phytohormones, including abscisic acid and cytokinin, and some abiotic stresses such as dark, drought and hypersaline, while both OsW2-2 and OsW2-3 expression levels were down-regulated by 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid treatment. Besides, OsW2-2 under chilling stress, and OsW2-3 under 3-indolebutyric acid, kinetin and salt treatments, also showed slight transcription reduction. Our results first suggest that the three W2 genes function in phytohormone signaling pathways, and OsW2-1 also interrelated with the resistance to abiotic stresses in rice. It implies that the homologs of translation initiation factors in nuclei have different functions from those in the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells.
