Zinc finger-containing glycine-rich RNA-binding protein in Oryza sativa has an RNA chaperone activity under cold stress conditions.
The rice (Oryza sativa) genome harbours three genes encoding CysCysHisCys (CCHC)-type zinc finger-containing glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins, designated OsRZ proteins, but their importance and physiological functions remain largely unknown. Here, the stress-responsive expression patterns of OsRZs were assessed, and the biological and cellular functions of OsRZs were evaluated under low temperature conditions. The expression levels of the three OsRZs were up-regulated by cold stress, whereas drought or high salt stress did not significantly alter its transcript level. OsRZ2 complemented the cold sensitivity of BX04 Escherichia coli cells under low temperatures, and had DNA-melting activity and transcription anti-termination activity, thereby indicating that OsRZ2 possesses an RNA chaperone activity. By contrast, neither OsRZ1 nor OsRZ3 harboured these activities. Ectopic expression of OsRZ2, but not OsRZ3, in cold-sensitive Arabidopsis grp7 knockout plants rescued the grp7 plants from cold and freezing damage, and OsRZ2 complemented the defect in mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in grp7 mutant during cold stress. The present findings support the emerging idea that the regulation of mRNA export is one of the adaptive processes in plants under stress conditions, and RNA chaperone functions as a regulator in mRNA export under cold stress conditions.
Kim
Joo Y
JY
Department of Plant Biotechnology and Agricultural Plant Stress Research Center, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, 300 Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-757, Korea.
Kim
Won Y
WY
Kwak
Kyung J
KJ
Oh
Seung H
SH
Han
Yeon S
YS
Kang
Hunseung
H
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003080:Cold Temperature; D055864:Droughts; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034443:RNA Transport; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010940:Plant Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride