A POLYCOMB group gene of rice (Oryza sativa L. subspecies indica), OsiEZ1, codes for a nuclear-localized protein expressed preferentially in young seedlings and during reproductive development.

The SET domains are conserved amino acid sequences present in chromosomal proteins that contribute to the epigenetic control of gene expression by altering regional organization of the chromatin structure. The SET domain proteins are divided into four subgroups as categorized by their Drosophila members; enhancer of zeste (E(Z)), trithorax (TRX), absent small or homeotic 1 (ASH1) and supressor of variegation (SU(VAR)3-9). Homologs of all four classes have been characterized in yeast, mammals and plants. We report here the isolation and characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L. subspecies indica) cDNA, OsiEZ1, as a monocot member of this family. The OsiEZ1 cDNA is 3133 bp long with an ORF of 2799 bp, and the predicted amino acid sequence (895 residues) corresponds to a protein of ca. 98 kDa. All the characteristic domains known to be conserved in E(Z) homologs (subgroup I) of SET domain containing proteins are present in OsiEZ1. In the rice genome, a 7499 bp long OsiEZ1 sequence is split into 17 exons interrupted by 16 introns. Southern analysis indicates that OsiEZ1 is represented as single copy in the rice genome. Expression studies revealed that the OsiEZ1 transcript level was highest in rice flowers, almost undetectable in developing seeds of 1-2 days post-fertilization but increased significantly in young seeds of 3-5 days post-fertilization. The OsiEZ1 transcript was barely detectable in mature zygotic embryos, but its levels were significantly higher in callus derived from rice scutellum, somatic embryos and young seedlings. The OsiEZ1/GUS recombinant protein was confined to the nucleus in living cells of particle-bombarded onion peels. The expression of OsiEZ1 complemented a set1Delta Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant that is impaired in telomeric silencing. We suggest that the nuclear-localized OsiEZ1 has a role in regulating various aspects of plant development, and this control is most likely brought about by repressing the activity of downstream regulatory genes.