Li Yuhua, Ohtsu Kazuhiro, Nemoto Keisuke, Tsutsumi Nobuhiro, Hirai Atsushi, Nakazono Mikio
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo,Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
J Exp Bot. 2004 Jan;55(394):145-6. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erh029. Epub 2003 Nov 28.
The rice pyruvate decarboxylase 3 gene (PDC3), which has no introns, was previously postulated to be a pseudogene because no PDC3 mRNA had been detected, even under anaerobic conditions. However, in this study, it was found that rice PDC3 transcripts accumulated in panicles after heading. Within anthers obtained from the panicles, PDC3 was shown to be transcribed in mature pollen by in situ hybridization. These results suggest that the rice PDC3 is a functional gene. Its product may play a role in aerobic alcoholic fermentation in mature pollen.
水稻丙酮酸脱羧酶3基因（PDC3）没有内含子，此前由于即使在厌氧条件下也未检测到PDC3 mRNA，因此被假定为假基因。然而，在本研究中发现，抽穗后水稻PDC3转录本在穗中积累。通过原位杂交表明，在从穗中获得的花药内，PDC3在成熟花粉中被转录。这些结果表明水稻PDC3是一个功能基因。其产物可能在成熟花粉的需氧酒精发酵中发挥作用。
