Transgenic Tobacco Expressing a Ring Domain-Containing Protein of Capsicum annuum Confers Improved Cold Tolerance

Zinc finger proteins function in plant tolerances to stresses from cold, dehydration, and salt. To determine the mechanisms for those underlying defenses, we previously used cDNA microarrays and northern blot analysis to identify a gene for the ring zinc finger protein (RDCP1) from hot pepper (Capsicum annuum). In that study, we showed that the RDCP1 gene was strongly induced by cold stress and, to a lesser degree, by ABA and high salt. Here, we have used a Ti-plasmid and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to engineer RDCP1 under the control of the CaMV35S promoter for constitutive expression in tobacco.