OsCDPK13, a calcium-dependent protein kinase gene from rice, is induced in response to cold and gibberellin

Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) (EC 2.7.1.37) are the predominant Ca2+-regulated serine/threonine protein kinase in plants and their genes are encoded by a multigene family. CDPKs are important components in signal transduction, but the precise role of each individual CDPK is still largely unknown. A CDPK gene designated as OsCDPK13 was cloned from rice seedlings and it showed a high level of sequence similarities to rice and other plant CDPK genes. OsCDPK13 contains all conserved regions found in CDPKs. It was a single copy gene and was highly expressed in root and leaf sheath tissues of rice seedlings. OsCDPK13 expression was increased in leaf sheath segments treated with gibberellin or subjected to cold stress. The results in this investigation, together with our previous studies, suggest that OsCDPK13 may be an important signaling component in rice seedlings under cold stress condition and in response to gibberellin. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.