Abiotic stress is one of the major limiting factors in plant productivity, so it is important to identify stress resistant genes for crop genetic improvement.MYB transcription factors is a large family in plant, and many members of this family were reported to function in transcriptional regulation in abiotic stress responses.In this study, a MYB gene designated as M3 was characterized for its regulatory role in cold tolerance in dce (Oryza sativa).