Intrinsically disordered protein, DNA binding with one finger transcription factor (OsDOF27) implicates thermotolerance in yeast and rice

Abstract

Intrinsically disorder regions or proteins (IDRs or IDPs) constitute a large subset of the eukaryotic proteome, which challenges the protein structure–function paradigm. These IDPs lack a stable tertiary structure, yet they play a crucial role in the diverse biological process of plants. This study represents the intrinsically disordered nature of a plant-specific DNA binding with one finger transcription factor (DOF-TF). Here, we have investigated the role of OsDOF27 and characterized it as an intrinsically disordered protein. Furthermore, the molecular role of OsDOF27 in thermal stress tolerance has been elucidated. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that OsDOF27 was significantly upregulated under different abiotic stress treatments in rice, particularly under heat stress. The stress-responsive transcript induction of OsDOF27 was further correlated with enriched abiotic stress-related cis-regulatory elements present in its promoter region. The in vivo functional analysis of the potential role of OsDOF27 in thermotolerance was further studied in yeast and in planta. Ectopic expression of OsDOF27 in yeast implicates thermotolerance response. Furthermore, the rice transgenic lines with overexpressing OsDOF27 revealed a positive role in mitigating heat stress tolerance. Collectively, our results evidently show the intrinsically disorderedness in OsDOF27 and its role in thermal stress response in rice.