The invention discloses a PHD-finger family transcription factor gene KT496 which is derived from rice and related to the stress tolerance. Experiments show that by using the gene to transform rice, the tolerances of rice to low temperature, high salinity and drought stress can be obivously increased. The protein and the coding genes of the protein have theoretical and practical significances forthe research of the stress tolerance mechanism of plant, the increase of the stress tolerance of plant and the improvement of the related characters, can play an important role in the improvement of the stress-resisting gene engineering of plant, especially cereal plant, and can have wide application prospect.