Numerous studies have shown that array of transcription factors has a role in regulating plant responses to environmental stresses. Only a small portion of them however, have been Identified or characterized. More than 2 300 putative transcription factors were predicted In the rice genome and more than half of them were supported by expressed sequences. With an attempt to Identify novel transcription factors involved in the stress responses, a cDNA array containing 753 putative rice transcription factors was generated to analyze the transcript profiles of these genes under drought and salinity stresses and absclsic acid treatment at seedling stage of rice. About 80% of these transcription factors showed detectable levels of transcript in seedling leaves. A total of 18 up-regulated transcription factors and 29 down-regulated transcription factors were detected with the folds of changes from 2.0 to 20.5 in at least one stress treatment. Most of these stress-responsive genes have not been reported and the expression patterns for five genes under stress conditions were further analyzed by RNA gel blot analysis. These novel stress-responsive transcription factors provide new opportunities to study the regulation of gene expression In plants under stress conditions.
Cong-Qing Wu Hong-Hong Hu Ya Zeng Da-Cheng Liang Ka-Bin Xie Jian-Wei Zhang Zhao-Hui Chu Li-Zhong Xiong
