Involvement of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor RERJ1 in wounding and drought stress responses in rice plants

The jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive gene RERJ1 isolated from suspension-cultured rice cells encodes a transcription factor with a basic helix-loop-helix motif. In this study, we found that RERJ1 is also expressed in rice plants in response to JA, and that its expression in rice leaves is up-regulated by exposure to wounding and drought stress. It is also suggested that JA but not abscisic acid is involved in the up-regulation of RERJ1 expression caused by wounding and drought stress.