Induction of a C-repeat binding factor gene by calcium to resist low temperature stress in rice

Adaptation to stress is an important phenomenon in plants. C–repeat binding factor (CBF), an Apetela 2 domain transcriptional activator, helps the plant in combating cold stress. Here, we cloned and purified a CBF family gene (OsDREB1B) from Oryza sativa. This gene (OsDREB1B) is induced by calcium in absence of cold. The bioinformatics analysis reveals that the induction of OsDREB1B is probably mediated through an EF hand calcium binding protein. This result establishes a link between rise in calcium and CBF induction in cold acclimation.   Key words: C–repeat binding factor (CBF), abiotic stress, calcium, CBF regulon.