AUTHOR=Huang Liyu , Wang Yinxiao , Wang Wensheng , Zhao Xiuqin , Qin Qiao , Sun Fan , Hu Fengyi , Zhao Yan , Li Zichao , Fu Binying , Li Zhikang 

TITLE=Characterization of Transcription Factor Gene OsDRAP1 Conferring Drought Tolerance in Rice

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.00094

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2018.00094

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>HIGHLIGHTS</bold><list list-type="bullet"><list-item><p>Overexpressing and RNA interfering <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> transgenic rice plants exhibited significantly improved and reduced drought tolerance, but accompanied with negative effects on development and yield.</p></list-item></list></p><p>The dehydration responsive element binding (DREBs) genes are important transcription factors which play a crucial role in plant abiotic stress tolerances. In this study, we functionally characterized a DREB2-like gene, <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> conferring drought tolerance (DT) in rice. <italic>OsDRAP1</italic>, containing many <italic>cis</italic>-elements in its promoter region, was expressed in all organs (mainly expressed in vascular tissues) of rice, and induced by a variety of environmental stresses and plant hormones. Overexpressing <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> transgenic plants exhibited significantly improved DT; while <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> RNA interfering plants exhibited significantly reduced DT which also accompanied with significant negative effects on development and yield. Overexpression of <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> has a positive impact on maintaining water balance, redox homeostasis and vascular development in transgenic rice plants under drought stress. <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> interacted with many genes/proteins and could activate many downstream DT related genes, including important transcription factors such as <italic>OsCBSX3</italic> to response drought stress, indicating the <italic>OsDRAP1</italic>-mediated pathways for DT involve complex genes networks. All these results provide a basis for further complete understanding of the <italic>OsDRAP1</italic> mediated gene networks and their related phenotypic effects.</p>