Incorporated Administrative Agency, National Agriculture and Bio-oriented Research Organization

Other

Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution

Independent Administrative Institute, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science

Incorporated Administrative Agency, National Agrilculture and Bio-oriented Research Organization

Kazuko Shinozaki

Yusuke Ito

Mie Kasuga

Yoh Sakuma

Koji Katsura

Identification of a gene from monocotyledonous plants such as rice, which codes for a transcription factor specific to a stress tolerant gene and provision of a novel environmental stress tolerant plant using the gene. From the rice genome, a gene, which binds to a cis element existing upstream of the gene encoding a stress responsive protein and for a transcription factor to activate the transcription of the gene, is identified. Further, the gene of the transcription factor is used to transform a plant, thereby improving tolerance against environmental stresses such as low temperature, dehydration, and salt stresses.

Genes encoding plant transcription factors

This invention provides a stress-inducible promoter that effectively functions in monocotyledonous plants such as rice, and environmental stress-tolerant plants using the promoter. Such promoter is derived from rice and consists of the following DNA (a) or (b): (a) DNA that consists of the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 10; or (b) DNA that hybridizes under stringent conditions with DNA consisting of a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to the DNA consisting of the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 10 and that expresses stress-inducible promoter activity. Such environmental stress-tolerant plant has had such promoter introduced therein.

Stress-induced promoter and method of using the same

The present invention relates to an environmental stress-tolerant plant. The invention discloses a transgenic plant containing a gene in which a DNA encodes a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 4 with the deletion of amino acids from positions 136-165 thereof, the DNA being operably linked downstream of a stress responsive promoter.

Environmental stress-tolerant plants

The invention relates to an isolated stress-induced promoter which effectively functions in monocotyledonous plants such as rice, and of environmental stress tolerant plants using the promoter.

Stress-induced promoter derived from rice

According to the present invention, a protein which binds to DRE to activate the transcription of genes located downstream of the DRE, a gene encoding the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the gene, a transformant comprising the recombinant vector, a transgenic plant comprising the gene, and a method for producing the gene using the transformant are provided. The present invention is useful for creating a stress tolerant plant.

According to the present invention, there is provided a transgenic plant transformed with a DNA coding for the DREB A transcription factor of SEQ ID NO: that binds to a stress responsive element, and regulates the transcription of genes located downstream of the element, the transgenic plant having improved tolerance to environmental stresses such as dehydration, low temperature and salt, and being free from dwarfing.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Kazuko Shinozaki