Analysis of the rrl3 Mutants Reveals the Importance of Arginine Biosynthesis in the Maintenance of Root Apical Meristem in Rice

Abstract

We characterized reduced root length3(rrl3) mutantsof rice that exhibit a short-root phenotype under conditions producing mechanical impediments to growth, such as aerated water culture medium. The mutants were not able to maintain the quiescent center (QC) identity and produced disorganized root apical meristem (RAM) under aeration because of impaired cell division. A map-based cloning approach showed that RRL3 encodes carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS) which is thought to be required for the conversion of ornithine into citrulline during arginine biosynthesis. The RRL3 gene is expressed highly at the root tip area that includes the root cap and division zone. The RRL3 gene expression level was greatly affected by aeration treatment, indicating that the spatiotemporal expression of the RRL3 gene with respect to the aeration is important for the maintenance of RAM. Furthermore, the application of citrulline and arginine could rescue the root phenotype, which implied that arginine biosynthesis was impaired in the rrl3-1 mutant. These results suggest that the RRL3 regulated arginine biosynthesis is important for the maintenance of RAM organization in the presence of mechanical impediments.