Over-Expression of ICE1 Gene in Transgenic Rice Improves Cold Tolerance

ICE1, an Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor gene, was cloned by RT-PCR and successfully transformed into rice variety Kenjiandao 10 by the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. PCR amplification and Southern blot analysis indicated that ICE1 had been integrated into rice genome. Compared with the non-transgenic plants, the transgenic plants exhibited high resistance to hygromycin B and were consistent with the Mendelian inheritance of a single copy of the transgenic ICE1. Under the low temperature stress, the transgenic plants showed the lower mortality rate and the increased proline content. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis ICE1 is functional in rice and the over-expression of ICE1 improves the tolerance to cold stress in rice.