AUR3 — Oryza sativa Japonica

Summary

OsAUR3 (also known as OsGH3.2, VAS2, and FIN219) on rice chromosome 7 encodes a GH3-domain protein with IAA amido synthetase and jasmonic acid-amino synthetase activities, and is associated with AMP binding and adenylyltransferase activity. In rice, the gene has been linked to defense responses, abscisic acid signaling, mycorrhizal symbiosis, seed and crown root development, root hair formation, dwarfism, drought tolerance, and broad-spectrum disease resistance, as well as jasmonic acid conjugation and insect and blast resistance. It is associated with cellular auxin homeostasis, jasmonic acid metabolism, camalexin biosynthesis, and regulation of defense responses to bacteria. Associations with grain yield, tiller angle, panicle number, photoperiod-sensitive flowering, photosynthetic ability, and plant architecture have also been noted. The protein localizes to the cytosol, plasmalemma, chloroplast envelope, and nuclear ubiquitin ligase complexes. Studies of related genes in other species link the GH3 family to auxin and salicylic acid homeostasis, pathogen defense, and light signaling.