Cloning and Characterization of Protein Prenyltransferase Alpha Subunit in Rice

Abstract Protein prenylation plays a crucial role in plant development and stress response. We report the function of prenyltransferase α-subunit in rice. Protein-protein interactions showed that the farnesyl- transferase (OsPFT)/geranylgeranyltransferase-I (OsPGGT I-α) protein interacted together with OsPFT-β and OsPGGT I-β. The α- and β-subunits of OsPFT formed a heterodimer for the transfer of a farnesyl group from farnesyl pyrophosphate to the CaaX-box-containing peptide N-dansyl-GCVLS. Furthermore, the tissue expression patterns of the OsPFT and OsPGGT I subunits were similar, and these subunits were localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Moreover, OsPFT/OsPGGT I-α-deletion homozygous rice mutants had a lethal phenotype, and the heterozygous mutants exhibited reduced pollen viability. These results indicated that prenylation plays an important role in rice development.