A cDNA clone, CaRZFPl, was isolated from high temperature-stressed hot pepper plants. This gene contains an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a RING zinc finger protein of 219 amino acids. Our C3HC4 type protein has the C-X2-C-X11-C-X1-H-X2-C-X2-C-X13-C-X2-C sequence motif. Phylogenetic analysis based on the deduced amino acid sequence of CaRZFP1 cDNA revealed significant sequence similarity (87.2%) to the Capsicum chinense zinc finger protein. The putative protein, hydrophilic by nature, encoded by CaRZFP1 also shared 66.9% homology with an Arabidopsis thaliana RING zinc finger protein and 61.2% homology with an Oryza sativa RING finger protein. Transcripts were preferentially induced in response to high or low temperatures, drought, and high salinity, but were not detectable in response to heavy-metal treatment. When plants were exposed to high temperature, two strong signals appeared, one for CaRZFP1, the other apparently from a family gene of CaRZFP1. This demonstrates that high temperatures induce a zinc finger type putative transcription factor from red pepper.