We found novel vesicles derived from rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in rice endosperm. The novel vesicles had characteristic structures different from that of the ER-derived protein body type I and the Golgi-derived dense vesicles. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the novel vesicles are derived directly from the aggregates of vacuolar storage proteins in the rough ER. In addition, BiP, an ER-resident molecular chaperone, was localized in the novel vesicles, but also in protein storage vacuoles (PSVs). These results suggest that the novel vesicles mediate transport of vacuolar storage proteins directly from the ER to PSVs in rice endosperm.

Tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) belong to an aquaporin family of proteins that function as water-transport channels. In this study, we isolated and characterized three novel rice cDNAs for OsTIP1, OsTIP2, and OsTIP3 that are homologous to rice gamma-TIP cDNA. Northern blot hybridization analyses revealed that rice gamma-TIP was expressed in all plant organs. OsTIP1 was expressed in mature seed embryos and during early seed germination. OsTIP2 was expressed exclusively in roots. OsTIP3 was specifically expressed in seeds. These results suggest that the OsTIP1, OsTIP2, and OsTIP3 genes encode discrete, functionally specialized TIPs. Immunocytochemical analysis in rice endosperm cells revealed that rice gamma-TIP was localized only on the protein body type II (PB-II) membranes, whereas OsTIP3 was localized on the PB-II and the aleurone grain membranes. Although both the PB-II and the aleurone grain are derived from vacuoles, these results suggest that they may be derived from different types of vacuoles.