Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Measuring Gene Expression in Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers with Increased Throughput
Published on: March 30, 2018
A previously unknown zinc finger protein, DST, regulates drought and salt tolerance in rice via stomatal aperture
Xin-Yuan Huang1, Dai-Yin Chao, Ji-Ping Gao
1National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Abiotic stresses, such as drought and salinity, lead to crop growth damage and a decrease in crop yields. Stomata control CO(2) uptake and optimize water use efficiency, thereby playing crucial roles in abiotic stress tolerance. Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is an important signal molecule that induces stomatal closure. However, the molecular pathway that regulates the H(2)O(2) level in guard cells remains largely unknown. Here, we clone and characterize DST (drought and salt tolerance)-a previously unknown zinc finger transcription factor that negatively regulates stomatal closure by direct modulation of genes related to H(2)O(2) homeostasis-and identify a novel pathway for the signal transduction of DST-mediated H(2)O(2)-induced stomatal closure. Loss of DST function increases stomatal closure and reduces stomatal density, consequently resulting in enhanced drought and salt tolerance in rice. These findings provide an interesting insight into the mechanism of stomata-regulated abiotic stress tolerance, and an important genetic engineering approach for improving abiotic stress tolerance in crops.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
Responses to Salt Stress
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Cell Signaling in Plants