Global expression pattern of bundle sheath strand and mesophyll in IR64 mature leaf

To gain insight into the function of the bundle sheath in the C3 crop rice, laser capture microdissection protocol was used to isolate RNA from rice bundle sheath strands (BSS) and mesopyll (M) cells from mature leaves of IR64 (Oryza sativa subsp. indica). Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of transcripts encoding water transport, sulphur and nitrogen metabolism in BSS. However, promoters from the most differentially expressed genes in BSS produced GUS pattern primarily in vein cells, not specifically in the bundle sheath. Overall, these findings highlight the role of bundle sheath strands but emphasize the need for caution when identifying bundle sheath-specific promoters, as vein cells are included in BSS samples.