According to the present invention, a transformant and a gene-disrupted strain are provided which exhibit growth superior to that of ordinary plants in calcareous soil, and which can accumulate iron and zinc in large quantities in both calcareous soil and good soil also provided are a gene, vector, protein, and antibody used for constructing these, and a method of construction, a composition for construction, a kit for construction, and a breeding method for a plant with improved iron deficiency tolerance, and enhanced iron and zinc accumulation in an edible part. The protein of the present invention is an iron- and zinc-binding regulatory factor, and includes any one of the following amino acid sequences of (a) to (c): (a) an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or 2 (b) an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, substitution, or addition of one to several amino acids in the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or 2 or (c) an amino acid sequence which has 80% or more identity with the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or 2.本発明により、石灰質土壌において通常の植物よりも優れた生育を示し、石灰質土壌及び優良土壌の双方において鉄及び亜鉛を多量に蓄積できる形質転換体及び遺伝子破壊株、並びに、これらを作出するために用いられる遺伝子、ベクター、タンパク質、抗体、鉄欠乏耐性及び可食部への鉄・亜鉛蓄積が向上した植物の作出方法・作出用組成物・作出用キット・育種方法が提供される。本発明のタンパク質は、以下の(a)~(c)のいずれか一つのアミノ酸配列からなり、かつ鉄・亜鉛結合性制御因子であることを特徴とする。(a)配列番号1又は2で表されるアミノ酸配列、(b)配列番号1又は2で表されるアミノ酸配列において、1~数個のアミノ酸が欠失、置換又は付加されているアミノ酸配列、(c)配列番号1又は2で表されるアミノ酸配列と同一性が80%以上であるアミノ酸配列。
