OXIDATIVE STRESS RESISTANCE GENE

The invention relates to plants, especially transgenic plants, plant parts and plant cells overproducing an iron binding protein (e.g., ferritin) and having an enhanced resistance against a wide range of abiotic and biotic oxidative stress conditions (e.g., against treatment with paraquat or fusaric acid and against viral, bacterial or fungal infections). The invention also comprises nucleic acid sequences encoding an alfalfa ferritin or functional variants thereof and the use of such sequences for rendering plants resistant against oxidative stress conditions. The invention is useful for reducing environmental damages of crops caused by a wide variety of stress conditions.