Abstract
We describe two Oryza sativa stress-related CCCH-type Zinc Finger protein genes (OsSCZF1 and OsSCZF2), involved in drought, salt and cold stress responses in rice. The expression of OsSCZF1 was induced by drought and NaCl treatments, whereas OsSCZF2 was induced by drought and cold. GFP localization analyses showed that OsSCZF1 seemed to move between the nucleus and cytoplasm, while OsSCZF2 was mainly localized in the nucleus. Transgenic plants over-expressing OsSCZF1 showed a lesion mimic phenotype upon maturity, had an increased expression of pathogenesis related genes and were sensitive to salicylic acid and insensitive to jasmonic acid. Transgenic plants over-expressing OsSCZF2 were short in height, exhibited reduced seed setting and improved tolerance to drought and cold stress. A number of biotic and abiotic stress related genes were up-regulated in OsSCZF2 over-expressing rice plants. These results demonstrate that OsSCZF1 and OsSCZF2 encode functional proteins involved in modulating stress tolerance in rice.
