Rice as a model for comparative genomics of plants

Rapid progress in rice genomics is making it possible to undertake detailed structural and functional comparisons of genes involved in various biological processes among rice and other plant species, such as Arabidopsis. In this review, we summarize the current status of rice genomics. We then select two important areas of research, reproductive development and defense signaling, and compare the functions of rice and orthologous genes in other species involved in these processes. The analysis revealed that apparently orthologous genes can also display divergent functions. Changes in functions and regulation of orthologous genes may represent a basis for diversity among plant species. Such comparative genomics in other plant species will provide important information for future work on the evolution of higher plants.