水稻LRK基因簇与产量密切相关，在杂合子中呈等位基因单倍型表达特点。我们发现LRK基因簇5’-端存在一个反向转录本，序列分析表明它具有长非编码RNA特点，命名为LIAR RNA。将正义和反义LIAR RNA转入水稻植株发现LIAR RNA过表达导致植株生长旺盛，促进LRK1和LRK4基因表达，并能激活它们的启动子；反之，干扰正常LIAR RNA表达使植株生长受抑制，同时8个LRK基因表达水平降低。本项目将研究：1、进一步肯定非编码RNA对LRK基因簇的调控作用；2、分析LIAR RNA对不同遗传背景来源的LRK启动子激活能力差异，分析杂合子中LRK基因簇单倍型表达的分子机理；3、多种分子相互作用技术相结合发现与LIAR RNA互作的调节蛋白及复合物，并且分析这些蛋白质与LRK基因簇所在基因组区段的关系，构建LIAR RNA激活LRK基因簇表达的分子模型。这为水稻遗传改良提供新思路及途径。

LRK gene cluster was associated with yield traits in rice and showed haplotype divergence in hybrids. We found that there exists an antisense transcript at the 5’-terminal locus of LRK gene cluster. Sequence analysis showed that the transcript has the structural characterization of long non-coding RNA, named as LRK cluster intergenic antisense RNA (LIAR RNA). Sense and antisense LIAR RNA were transformed into rice callus cells. Overexpression of LIAR RNA enhanced plant growth, increased expression levels of LRK1 and LRK4 genes, and activated the promoters of LRK1 and LRK4 genes. By contraries, interfering expression of LIAR RNA inhibited growth, decreased expression levels of 8 members of LRK gene cluster. Our application project will further study as following: 1. We will further confirm LIAR RNA as transcriptional activator to regulate the expression of LRK gene cluster; 2. To determine the regulatory mechanism of the LRK gene cluster’s allelic expression differences in hybrids, we will analyze the discrepancy that LIAR RNA activated promoter elements of LRK genes from different genetic backgrounds; 3. To present a new model for long non-coding RNA regulating gene expression in plant, various techniques analyzing interaction between biological molecules, such as, RNA immunoprecipitation, CHIP assay and so on, will be used to screen proteins interacting with LIAR RNA and to address the relationship among LIAR RNA, proteins and genomic DNA located in LRK gene cluster. This work will supply a new idea and way to improve rice yield.