The ZOS7-MYB60 module confers drought-stress tolerance in rice

Shanlan upland rice is an important landrace resource with high drought stress (DS) tolerance. Despite its importance, genes responsible for yield in Shanlan upland rice have yet to be discovered. Our previous study identified a drought-responsive zinc finger protein, ZOS7, as highly expressed in Shanlandao upland rice. However, the function of this gene in controlling drought tolerance remains largely unexplored. In this study, we found that overexpressing ZOS7, a drought-responsive zinc finger protein, in rice increased biomass and yield under drought stress. Co-overexpressing ZOS7 and MYB60, encoding a protein with which ZOS7 interacted, intensified the yield increase. ZOS7 and MYB60 appear to form a module that confers drought tolerance by regulating stomatal density and wax biosynthesis. The ZOS7-MYB60 module could be used in molecular breeding for drought tolerance in rice.