Histone Deacetylases in Rice Development and Stress Responses

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) repress gene transcription by deacetylating histone lysine residues in eukaryotes; histone acetyltransferases have the opposite role, adding acetyl groups to histone lysine residues. HDACs have been identified in many plant species and these plant HDACs have diverse biological functions, modulating the expression of genes involved in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. The roles of HDACs have been intensively investigated in the model dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana , but their functions are less well understood in other plant species. In rice ( Oryza sativa ), HDACs have regulatory roles in various processes such as root and leaf development, flowering time, seed germination, and the responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. The biological roles of HDACs are relatively conserved in Arabidopsis and rice, but many aspects of their regulatory mechanisms differ between the two species. In addition, several studies in rice revealed novel regulatory functions that have not yet been reported in other plants. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of rice HDACs.