Table 2.

A hypothesis of tissue- and stage-specific biological cellular events in the developing rice endosperm based on the gene expression profile of distinct 18 modules

Endosperm tissue(s)	Key biological cellular events (modules involved)
	Early storage phase (7DAF)	Middle storage phase (12DAF)
AL	Oil deposition through lipid metabolism (M4, M5, M6, M8, M9, M10) Energy production through TCA cycle (M4, M5, M6, M8, M9) Redox and ROS scavenging though ascorbate–glutathione cycle (M5, M6) Abiotic stress responses and defense mechanism from pathogens (M4, M9, M10) Cell morphogenesis and assimilate transport (M4, M8, M9, M10)
Starchy endosperm (CSE, DSE, LSE)	Development of cell framework (M2, M3)a
	Starch metabolism, facilitation of the polypeptide translocation to amyloplast, protein holding by molecular chaperone for starch synthesis (M2, M7, M12, M13) Storage protein accumulation (M11, M13)b
CSE		Ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation (M14, M15, M16, M17, M18) PCD through autophagy (M15, M17, M18) Lipid metabolism (M14, M15, M16, M17, M18) Dehydration stress response (M17, M18)

Starchy endosperm stands for central starchy endosperm (CSE), dorsal starchy endosperm (DSE), and lateral starchy endosperm (LSE); dorsal aleurone cells (AL). Days after flowering (DAF); Module (M); programmed cell death (PCD); reactive oxygen species (ROS); tri carboxylic acid (TCA)

^aContinue to middle storage phase in DSE and LSE

^bAlmost absent in CSE at middle storage phase