Functional Analysis Of A CCCH-type Zinc-finger Protein Gene OsZF142 In Rice

Zinc-finger protein transcription factors arc one of the most abundant transcription factors in plants, and they widely regulate gene expression in different growth phases and environmental stress. By RT-PCR and transgene techniques, we analyzed expression profile, promoter activity and gene function of OsZF142, a novel CCCH-type zinc finger protein gene in rice (Oryza sativa L). The OsZF142 transcripts were detected in roots, culms, leaves, flowers and immature seed in rice plant using RT-PCR. The results were found that the OsZF142 gene was preferentially expressed in developmental seed and its spatial expression profile was preferentially expressed in rice embryo, but not in rice endosperm. A full-length of the OsZF142 gene promoter was cloned and a fusion expression vector was constructed with gus gene. Analysis of transgenic rice showed expression pattern of gus gene in these transgenic plants was similar to that of the RT-PCR analysis of the OsZF142 transcript. It suggested that the OsZF142 promoter activity was preferentially in rice embryo, but not in rice endosperm. The comparation analysis was conducted between wild type plants and transgenic plants carrying the sense and antisese OsZF142 gene in Nipponbare rice.The transgenic plants with the antisense OsZF142 gene were not remarkable difference with the wild type. But the transgenic plants with the sense OsZF142 gene indicated significance mutation in rice growth and development. They included that the whole growth phase of rice was delayed, such as the delay of seed germination and seedling growth, the slowness of leaves growth and tillering in main culm, the restraint of the tiller ability, the lateness of heading, the postponement of leaves senescence, shorter statue and uppermost internode, and so on, which indicated that the sense OsZF142 had a pleiotropic impact on rice growth and development. Together, these results demonstrated that OsZF142 protein was a negative regulation factor for the growth and development of rice.