Characterization of a Tos 17 Insertion Mutant of Rice Auxin Signal Transcription Factor Gene, OsARF 24

Abstract

Auxin signaling plays a key role in the regulation of various growth and developmental processes in higher plants. Auxin response factors (ARFs) are transcription factors that regulate the expression of auxin-response genes. The osarf24-1 mutant contains a truncation of domain IV in the C-terminal dimerization domain of a rice ARF protein, OsARF24. This mutant showed auxin-deficient phenotypes and reduced sensitivity to auxin. However, OsARF24 protein contains an SPL-rich repression domain in its middle region and acts as a transcriptional repressor. These results imply that the C-terminal dimerization domain, especially the C-terminal half of domain IV, is essential for the proper regulation of OsARF24 function as a transcriptional repressor in rice.