Overexpression of the trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase OsTPP3 increases drought tolerance in rice

Trehalose plays an important role in mediating stress responses in plants, and trehalose-6-phosphate synthases and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatases are essential for trehalose biosynthesis. Here, we address the function of rice (Oryza sativa) OsTPP3. We analyzed the expression of OsTPP3 in different tissues and stress conditions, and generated OsTPP3-overexpressing rice plants. These plants showed a higher tolerance to simulated drought conditions (10% PEG treatment) than wild-type (WT) plants. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis indicated that transcript levels of genes related to stress responses and abscisic acid biosynthesis were significantly higher in the OsTPP3 overexpressors than in WT plants. These results highlight the importance of OsTPP3 in conferring drought tolerance in rice.