Rice gene is expressed in mitotic cells and regulates pleiotropic features during vegetative phase.

Cell division is important for organisms to grow and repair damaged tissues. A mutant screen in rice has identified dwarf () mutants that code for a novel protein potentially involved in mitosis including cytokinesis in rice. The gene is expressed during the mitotic phase and a defect in the gene induces cells with two nuclei. Analysis of mutants suggests that the gene promotes cell division in the rice leaf primordia for a period after initiation, and maintains proper cell morphology especially in non-meristematic tissues. Additionally, mutants showed a delayed transition from juvenile phase to adult phase. Future research will shed light on the relationship between the mitotic defect and other features observed in the mutants.