Chalcone isomerase gene (OsCHI3) increases rice drought tolerance by scavenging ROS via flavonoid and ABA metabolic pathways
Ting Liu,
Ling Liu,
Tianshun Zhou,
Yinke Chen,
Huang Zhou,
Jiahan Lyu,
Di Zhang,
Xiwen Shi,
Dingyang Yuan,
Nenghui Ye,
Meijuan Duan
Affiliations
Ting Liu
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Ling Liu
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Tianshun Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China
Yinke Chen
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Huang Zhou
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Jiahan Lyu
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Di Zhang
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Xiwen Shi
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China
Dingyang Yuan
State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China; Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China; Corresponding authors.
Nenghui Ye
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China; Corresponding authors.
Meijuan Duan
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Rice Stress Biology, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China; Hunan Women’s University, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China; Corresponding authors.
The chalcone isomerase gene OsCHI, one of the key genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, plays an important role in rice (Oryza sativa) resistance to abiotic stresses. This study reveals how the chalcone isomerase gene family member OsCHI3 participates in rice responses to drought stress through the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. Overexpression of OsCHI3 increased the tolerance of rice to drought stress. In contrast, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of OsCHI3 reduced the drought tolerance of rice, an effect that is reversed by exogenous ABA treatment. Transcriptomic and physiological biochemical analyses indicated that flavonoids regulated by OsCHI3 not only scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) but also increase drought tolerance in rice by stimulating ABA biosynthesis through the regulation of OsNCED1 and OsABA8ox3 expression. These findings demonstrate that OsCHI3 increases drought stress tolerance in rice by activating the antioxidant defense system and the ABA metabolic pathway, providing new clues for drought-resistant rice breeding research.
