Genes for iron–sulphur cluster assembly are targets of abiotic stress in rice, Oryza sativa

Iron–sulphur (Fe–S) cluster assembly occurs in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol, involving dozens of genes in higher plants. In this study, we have identified 41 putative Fe–S cluster assembly genes in rice (Oryza sativa) genome, and the expression of all genes was verified. To investigate the role of Fe–S cluster assembly as a metabolic pathway, we applied abiotic stresses to rice seedlings and analysed Fe–S cluster assembly gene expression by qRT‐PCR. Our data showed that genes for Fe–S cluster assembly in chloroplasts of leaves are particularly sensitive to heavy metal treatments, and that Fe–S cluster assembly genes in roots were up‐regulated in response to iron toxicity, oxidative stress and some heavy metal assault. The effect of each stress treatment on the Fe–S cluster assembly machinery demonstrated an unexpected tissue or organelle specificity, suggesting that the physiological relevance of the Fe–S cluster assembly is more complex than thought. Furthermore, our results may reveal potential candidate genes for molecular breeding of rice.