Cell Type- and Positionally Specific Regulation of the Aldolase P Gene Expression in Rice Seedlings

We describe here different regulation of the AldP gene, a nuclear gene encoding chloroplast aldolase, in different tissues and growth ages of rice seedlings. Expression of the AldP gene is mesophyll cell-specific, and increases from the basal to the upper region in each leaf. The gene expression is repressed in the dark-grown leaf blade, but is induced by a short-term-exposure to light, to a level higher than that seen in the normal leaf blade. However, the light-inducibility differs among the tissues, and shows different patterns among leaf positions; i.e., the extent of light-induction is higher in the third leaf blade as compared with the earlier developed second leaf blade. Such positional differences in the regulation are also seen in the leaf sheath. These responses are not accompanied by changes of the cell type specificity in the expression.