Hunan Agricultural University researchers reported a chalcone isomerase gene
that confers drought tolerance
[www.isaaa.org] to
rice through scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) via flavonoid and SBA
metabolic pathways. Their findings are published in the March 2025 issue of
The Crop Journal.

Chalcone isomerase gene (OsCHI) is a vital gene in flavonoid production and
in the abiotic stress response of rice plants. Thus, the researchers
investigated the specific role of OsCHI3 in drought tolerance. They
overexpressed the gene in rice plants and observed significant improvement
in drought stress tolerance. On the other hand, deletion of the gene using
CRISPR led to a reduction in the drought tolerance of rice plants. This
response was reversed when the plants were exposed to ABA treat.



[www.sciencedirect.com]