Os09g02650

The rice Brittle Culm 12(BC12) gene encodes a dual-targeting kinesin-4 protein, controls cell-cycle progression and wall properties in rice.

Function

This gene encodes a kinesin-4 protein, which is participated in cell-cycle progression, cellulose microfibril deposition and cell wall composition in the monocot plant rice. bc12 mutants display dwarfism resulting from a significant reduction in cell number and brittleness due to an alteration in cellulose microfibril orientation and wall composition. Similar to the typical kinesin-4 in animals,BC12 has an nuclear locational signal (NLS) and functions in mitosis. BC12 is present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm and associated with microtubule arrays during cell division. BC12 interacts with CDKA;3 (cyclin-dependent kinase) and probably undergoing phosphorylation for the purpose of regulation. BC12 is essential to exert multiple roles in cell division and cell wall biogenesis in rice.