The C2H2 -type Zinc Finger Protein ZFP182 is Involved in Abscisic Acid-Induced Antioxidant Defense in Rice

C₂H₂‐type zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are thought to play important roles in modulating the responses of plants to drought, salinity and oxidative stress. However, direct evidence is lacking for the involvement of these ZFPs in abscisic acid (ABA)‐induced antioxidant defense in plants. In this study, the role of the rice (Oryza sativa L. sub. japonica cv. Nipponbare) C₂H₂‐type ZFP ZFP182 in ABA‐induced antioxidant defense and the relationship between ZFP182 and two rice MAPKs, OsMPK1 and OsMPK5 in ABA signaling were investigated. ABA treatment induced the increases in the expression of ZFP182, OsMPK1 and OsMPK5, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in rice leaves. The transient gene expression analysis and the transient RNA interference (RNAi) analysis in protoplasts showed that ZFP182, OsMPK1 and OsMPK5 are involved in ABA‐induced up‐regulation in the activities of SOD and APX. Besides, OsMPK1 and OsMPK5 were shown to be required for the up‐regulation in the expression of ZFP182 in ABA signaling, but ZFP182 did not mediate the ABA‐induced up‐regulation in the expression of OsMPK1 and OsMPK5. These results indicate that ZFP182 is required for ABA‐induced antioxidant defense and the expression of ZFP182 is regulated by rice MAPKs in ABA signaling.