[Identification of transcription start site of waxy gene in O. sativa subsp. indica 232]

Analysis of Northern blot and the cDNA sequence of rice waxy gene showed that the transcript of rice waxy gene may extend beyond 1.2kb upstream of the tranlation start site. So a 21 nts oligonucleotide was designed as primer. The transcription start site of the waxy gene in O. sativa subsp. indica 232 cultiva was determined by primer extension reaction with the endosperm RNA of indica 232 as template. The context sequence of transcription start site, CTCACCA, fits well with the consensus sequence CTCATCA from higher plant genes with only one base change. The transcription start site of F. spontanea No. 1 waxy gene and the putative TATA boxs of two rices are discussed by comparison of sequence.