The Zm4CL2 gene regulates drought stress response in Zea mays L

IF 5.7 2区生物学 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110389

Yuankai Wang , Jiayi Fan , Zhaohao Guo , Tianyu Wang , Ruijie Duan , Zhipeng Luo , Peng Jiao , Siyan Liu , Shuyan Guan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

4-Coumarate coenzyme A ligase (4CL), a core enzyme in the lignin biosynthesis route, has a significant role of regulation in plant capacity to cope with drought. 4CL has been less studied in corn resistance to drought stress. This study screened the maize drought tolerance-related gene Zm4CL2 by pre-laboratory transcriptome sequencing data (PRJNA793522). The dynamics of Zm4CL2 gene expression in maize leaves was studied under three different abiotic stress conditions (drought, salinity and exogenous ABA). The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that Zm4CL2 positively regulates drought stress responses in maize. Yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation assays confirmed the interaction between Zm4CL2 and ZmCCoAOMT proteins. Transgenic plants overexpressing Zm4CL2 exhibited significantly lower malondialdehyde content, H₂O₂ levels, and O²⁻content compared to wild-type and knockout plants. Subsequently, We propose that Zm4CL2 enhances drought stress resilience by mitigating reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Additionally, Zm4CL2 modulates drought stress adaptation by regulating lignin biosynthesis-related gene expression, thereby altering lignin accumulation. This investigation identifies novel candidate genes for strategic breeding of drought-tolerant maize cultivars.

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Zm4CL2基因调控玉米干旱胁迫响应

4-香豆酸辅酶A连接酶（4CL）是木质素生物合成途径中的核心酶，对植物的抗旱能力具有重要的调控作用。4CL在玉米抗旱性中的研究较少。本研究通过实验室前转录组测序数据筛选玉米抗旱相关基因Zm4CL2 （PRJNA793522）。研究了干旱、盐胁迫和外源ABA胁迫下Zm4CL2基因在玉米叶片中的表达动态。qRT-PCR分析显示，Zm4CL2正调控玉米干旱胁迫响应。酵母双杂交和荧光素酶互补实验证实了Zm4CL2和ZmCCoAOMT蛋白之间的相互作用。与野生型和敲除植株相比，过表达Zm4CL2的转基因植株丙二醛含量、H2O2水平和O2−含量显著降低。随后，我们提出Zm4CL2通过减少活性氧（ROS）积累来增强干旱胁迫的抗逆性。此外，Zm4CL2通过调节木质素生物合成相关基因表达，从而改变木质素积累，从而调节干旱胁迫适应。本研究为玉米抗旱品种的战略选育确定了新的候选基因。

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来源期刊

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 生物-植物科学

CiteScore

11.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

410

审稿时长

33 days

期刊介绍： Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes original theoretical, experimental and technical contributions in the various fields of plant physiology (biochemistry, physiology, structure, genetics, plant-microbe interactions, etc.) at diverse levels of integration (molecular, subcellular, cellular, organ, whole plant, environmental). Opinions expressed in the journal are the sole responsibility of the authors and publication does not imply the editors'' agreement. Manuscripts describing molecular-genetic and/or gene expression data that are not integrated with biochemical analysis and/or actual measurements of plant physiological processes are not suitable for PPB. Also "Omics" studies (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) reporting descriptive analysis without an element of functional validation assays, will not be considered. Similarly, applied agronomic or phytochemical studies that generate no new, fundamental insights in plant physiological and/or biochemical processes are not suitable for publication in PPB. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes several types of articles: Reviews, Papers and Short Papers. Articles for Reviews are either invited by the editor or proposed by the authors for the editor''s prior agreement. Reviews should not exceed 40 typewritten pages and Short Papers no more than approximately 8 typewritten pages. The fundamental character of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry remains that of a journal for original results.