Molecular cloning and characterization of a rice blast-inducible RING-H2 type zinc finger gene

A novel blast-inducible RING-H2 type zinc finger protein gene OsRING-1 was cloned from rice by cDNA library screening. OsRING-1 is 1670 bp in length and encodes a 46.6 kDa basic protein with two transmembrane (TM) domains, a basic domain (BD), a conserved domain (CD), a RING finger domain and a serine rich (S-rich) domain. By database search, OsRING-1 was mapped on chromosome 2 and clustered together with other six zinc finger genes. The promoter sequence analysis of OsRING-1 gene revealed that some ABA, GA, ethylene, wound, drought, heat stress and pathogen infection responsive elements were found within the OsRING-1 promoter region. Northern analysis showed that OsRING-1 was induced in different degree by pathogen infections, SA, ABA, JA and ethephon (ET) treatments. Tissue expression analysis showed that OsRING-1 was constitutively strongly expressed in roots, but faintly in stems, leaves and sheaths. Taken together, OsRING-1, as a novel C3H2C3-type zinc finger protein involved in many stress responses in rice might plays a role as a transcription regulator in plant stress response signal transduction pathways.