[Isolation, expression analysis of a chilling induced cDNA from rice root with differential display: an evidence role...

Chilling-sensitive rice varieties acquire chilling tolerance when their roots are exposed to water stress for short time. Caffeine-sensitive calcium signal was involved in this procedure. By using total RNA differential display, a chilling induced cDNA(ICT: induction of chilling treatment) was isolated from roots of chilling-sensitive rice variety. It was determined that it is a novel cDNA by homology searching. The transcript level of ict mRNA is up-regulated under chilling stress, it is decreased to low level when the samples were transferred to standard culture conditions. Pre-treated with mannitol for two hours is beneficial to inducing ICT level of expression. This chilling induction was inhibited by caffeine, suggesting that it may play a putative role in signal transduction of caffeine-sensitive calcium.