Abstract:

Zinc finger proteins play important roles in regulating gene expression in both prokaryote and eukaryotice. A zinc finger protein gene was isolated from leaves of Bambusa oldhamii with RT-PCR and RACE methods, and designed as BoBZF (GenBank No. EU606025). The full length cDNA of BoBZF is 1 076 bp containing an open reading frame which encodes 256 amino acids. The protein encoded by BoBZF has two B-Box domains, which indicates BoBZF belongs to B-Box zinc finger protein. Tissue specific expression showed that BoBZF expressed in leaf, sheath, stem and root, with the highest level in leaf. BoBZF gene was subcloned into the multiple cloning sites of pBI121 vector driven by 35S promoter, and transferred into Arabidopsis thaliana. RT-PCR analysis showed that BoBZF was expressed in the Arabidopsis. The transgenic plant was more drought tolerance than control, indicating that BoBZF was related to the drought tolerance ability of the bamboo.

Key words: Bambusa oldhamii, zinc finger protein gene, tissue specific expression, ectopic expression, drought tolerance