Abstract: A homeodomain leucine-zipper (HD-Zip) gene BnHB6 (GenBank accession No. AY336103) was isolated from oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) following drought treatment through rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of BnHB6 was 1 611 bp and contained a 936-bp open reading frame encoding 311 amino acids. Sequence analysis indicated that BnHB6 belonged to the HD-Zip I subfamily. High-stringency Southern boltting analysis showed that BnHB6 appeared in rape as a single copy but had homologous genes. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that BnHB6 was expressed in several tissues tested under control conditions, but that expression was significantly upregulated in shoots by mannitol, NaCl, cold treatment, anaerobic culture, wounding, H2O2, abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA) treatments, but not by ultraviolet treatment. Further RT-PCR analysis revealed that BnHB6 was a late-responsive gene, the expression of which was not activated by NaCl, cold treatment, H2O2, ABA, and SA at an early time point (20 min) of treatment in the shoot. However, after a certain period of treatment, the induced expression culminated and then declined until the next peak occurred. Tissue-specific analysis revealed that BnHB6 was expressed at certain levels in the roots, shoots, and flowers, and the roots were found to respond to the osmotic stimuli more rapidly than shoots to increase the expression of BnHB6. The present study implies that BnHB6 plays a positive role as a regulator of biotic and abiotic stresses on growth during seedling establishment.

Key words: Brassica napus, homeodomain leucine-zipper gene, water stress.