Vascular plant one zinc-finger (VOZ) transcription factors: novel regulators of abiotic stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The vascular plant one zinc-finger (VOZ) transcription factors have been found to be associated with several important traits in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.), including regulation of stress signaling, flowering and photoperiodic pathways. The VOZ2 protein has particularly been revealed to regulate the expression of the target genes. However, the role of VOZ gene family in the elucidation of stress responses and other aspects of growth and development remains uncharacterized in the other plant species. This article therefore attempts to get a preliminary idea about the possible involvement of VOZ gene family in rice (Oryza sativa L.) abiotic stress tolerance. Digital expression of this rice gene family has revealed its high responsiveness to various abiotic stress conditions, including drought, salinity, cold, heat, submergence and phosphorus stresses. The highest expression of OsVOZ2 in submergence tolerant M202 (Sub1) rice genotype under submergence stress prompted us to analyze the promoters of three highly submergence-responsive genes of rice for the presence of different VOZ-binding sites. Interestingly, VOZ-binding sites were found in all these genes with Sub1A promoter having the maximum number of them. Lastly, the alleles of OsVOZ genes were mined from the wild species of rice which could serve as beneficial genomic resources for the improvement of rice abiotic stress tolerance. Taken together, VOZ genes can be postulated to have an immense promise for rice improvement under abiotic stresses. The different ideas generated by this article will stimulate the researchers to explore the potential of VOZ genes in the abiotic stress tolerance of rice and other plant species.