Characterization and Primary Functional Analysis of BvCIGR, a Member of the GRAS Gene Family in Bambusa ventricosa

In Gramineae plants, carbon sequestration is closely related to the internodes development which is regulated by the gibberellins (GAs). Chitin-inducible gibberellin-responsive genes (CICR) are a member of the GRAS superfamily involved in the gibberellin signal transduction pathway and play roles in the development and defense of the plant. In this study, a CICR homolog gene (named BvCIGR) was cloned from the shoot tip of Bambusa ventricosa McClure with shorten internodes by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, which was 2143 bp in length encoding 545 amino acids with typical plant GRAS domain. Expression levels of BvCIGR varied in different positions of internodes in B. ventricosa (highest in the upper, followed by the middle and lowest in the bottom internodes). The results indicated that BvCIGR is possibly involved in the regulation of the internodal elongation of B. ventricosa, and has possible influence on the carbon sequestration potential in bamboo plantations.