Characterization and expression analysis of the SNF2 family genes in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses in rice

Abstract

The function of SNF2 ATPases, the major catalytic subunits of chromatin remodeling complexes, in plants is not sufficiently understood. Here we identified 39 putative SNF2 genes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by homology analyses and analyzed the expression profiles of eight of them in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses. Our results indicated that expression of the SNF2 genes was affected by auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene, and some abiotic stresses such as heat, chilling, darkness, drought and salinity. It suggests that, like Arabidopsis SNF2s, rice SNF2 proteins may function in phytohormone signaling pathways and/or be associated with the resistance to abiotic stresses, but in distinct manners from their Arabidopsis orthologs. Some SNF2 proteins in rice may be involved in cross-talk of the signaling pathways between phytohormones and abiotic stresses. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.