Abstract
We report two stress-related CCCH-type Zinc Finger proteins (OsSCZF1 and OsSCZF2), involved in drought-, salt- and cold-stress responses in Oryza sativa. The expression of OsSCZF1 was quickly and transiently induced by drought and NaCl treatments, whereas OsSCZF2 was induced by drought and cold. Further, the expression of both genes was also induced by 5μM Methyl Jasmonate and 5μM Salicyclic acid. GFP localization showed that OsSCZF1 was localized to tonoplast and OsSCZF2 was mainly localized to nucleus. Transgenic plants over-expressing OsSCZF1 showed a mimic lesion mutant phenotype with accelerated age-depend senescence. These transgenic plants had an increased expression of pathogenesis related genes, PR1 and PBZ1, compared to control. Transgenic plants over-expressing OsSCZF2 were defective in their floral reproductive organ, and seed setting was reduced more than 50%. Taken together, these results demonstrate that OsSCZF1 and OsSCZF2 encode functional proteins and play important role in modulating rice tolerance to different abiotic stresses.
