PROTEIN WITH RNP-1 MOTIF HAVING ACTIVITY OF IMPROVING SALT OR HEAT STRESS TOLERANCE AND DNA ENCODING THE SAME PROTEIN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gene of a protein having an activity of improving environmental stress tolerance such as salt or heat stress, a protein having the activity of improving the environmental stress tolerance, a transgenic plant, or the like, having enhanced environmental stress tolerance.

SOLUTION: Mc-RBP (1,162 bp of cDNA full length) composed of 306 amino acids and Mc-PABP (2,577 bp of cDNA full length) composed of 665 amino acids both having an activity of enhancing the salt tolerance are prepared from Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) growing in soil at a high salt concentration or an arid zone. The proteins comprise an RNP-1 [Eukaryotic RNA Recognition motif (RRM) RNP-1 region signature] motif required for binding to a plurality of single-stranded nucleic acids. The Mc-RBP has the activity of enhancing the salt tolerance only with a region containing two RNP-1 motifs. The proteins containing the region have even an activity of enhancing the salt and heat tolerances on Escherichia coli. The proteins containing the region have functions to enhance the salt tolerance of yeasts. Furthermore, the proteins containing the region have functions to enhance the salt tolerance of plants.

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