Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lingyu Jiang, Wenjing Hu, Yexiong Qian, Qiaoyu Ren, Jing Zhang
Summary: Heat shock factors (Hsfs) and heat shock proteins (Hsps) are crucial in plant development and defense against abiotic stress. This study identified 25 ZmHsf and 22 ZmHsp70 genes in maize, and analyzed their structural characteristics and phylogenetic relationships. Most of the ZmHsf and ZmHsp70 genes showed different expression patterns during maize development stages and responded to heat stress. Co-expression and protein-protein interaction network analyses provided insights into the regulatory network associated with these genes in maize. Subcellular location analysis revealed functional diversification in heat stress response for maize Hsp70 proteins.
Review
Plant Sciences
Ahmed H. El-Sappah, Shabir A. Rather, Shabir Hussain Wani, Ahmed S. Elrys, Muhammad Bilal, Qiulan Huang, Zahoor Ahmad Dar, Mohamed M. A. Elashtokhy, Nourhan Soaud, Monika Koul, Reyazul Rouf Mir, Kuan Yan, Jia Li, Khaled A. El-Tarabily, Manzar Abbas
Summary: An increase in temperature and extreme heat stress cause a global reduction in maize yield. Heat stress affects the plasma membrane functioning of mitochondria and chloroplast, leading to the over-accumulation of reactive oxygen species. This activates a signal cascade that induces the transcription of heat shock proteins. The denaturation and accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins generate cell toxicity and result in the death of maize plants. Therefore, the development of heat-tolerant maize varieties is urgently needed.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Guorui Wang, Huihui Su, Salah Fatouh Abou-Elwafa, Pengyu Zhang, Liru Cao, Jiaxu Fu, Xiaowen Xie, Lixia Ku, Pengfei Wen, Tongchao Wang, Li Wei
Summary: Maize is an important crop for global food security, and developing drought-tolerant genotypes is crucial. Through transcriptomic analysis, we identified a drought-responsive gene, ZmNHL1, which belongs to the LEA-2 protein family. Overexpression of ZmNHL1 in transgenic plants improved ROS scavenging and cell membrane permeability, enhancing maize tolerance to drought stress.
JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mikhail A. Filyushin, Elena Z. Kochieva, Anna Shchennikova
Summary: In this study, a new DREB gene, ZmDREB2.9, was identified and characterized in maize. It was found to have two splice isoforms and showed differential expression in various tissues. Comparison with other genes revealed that ZmDREB2.9-S, ZmDREB2.2, and ZmDREB2.1/2A may play important roles in maize stress resistance.
Review
Soil Science
Iviwe Notununu, Lucy Moleleki, Ashira Roopnarain, Rasheed Adeleke
Summary: Drought and heat are common environmental stresses that negatively affect maize growth and productivity. The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a promising strategy to enhance drought and heat stress tolerance in maize by influencing molecular, metabolic, and physiological stress responses. This review provides an assessment of current knowledge on the ability of PGPR to induce drought and heat stress tolerance in maize plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dominika Radzikowska, Przemyslaw Lukasz Kowalczewski, Monika Grzanka, Romana Glowicka-Woloszyn, Marcin Nowicki, Zuzanna Sawinska
Summary: Improvements in agricultural production are necessary due to the increasing human population and its impact on climate. Water scarcity limits maize yield in many regions. Seed mortars, particularly those containing succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors, can mitigate the negative effects of drought on maize development. This study compared 12 seed treatments and found that treatments with SDHI significantly improved root system development, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in maize under drought stress.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alden C. Perkins, Jonathan P. Lynch
Summary: The research shows that seminal roots can improve the acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorus in maize seedlings, with increased seed size associated with maize domestication possibly facilitating the increase in seminal root number. The study also suggests that the optimal number of seminal roots for nutrient acquisition in teosinte is constrained by its limited seed carbohydrate reserves.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ioana V. Ardelean, Loredana Balacescu, Oana Sicora, Ovidiu Balacescu, Lia Mladin, Voichita Has, Mihai Miclaus
Summary: This study investigated the gene expression changes in response to heat stress in maize using three different cytoplasmic environments. The results revealed a variety of new differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Furthermore, specific DEGs and GO terms unique to each cytoline were identified, highlighting the intercellular signaling. The findings also showed a correlation between the genetic distances of mitochondrial genomes (but not chloroplast) and the number of DEGs and GO terms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Wenjing Hu, Qiaoyu Ren, Yali Chen, Guoliang Xu, Yexiong Qian
Summary: This study identified 140 ZmWRKY proteins encoded by 125 ZmWRKY genes in maize, which were divided into three main groups and further classified into five subgroups. The genes displayed specific exon-intron structures and conserved protein motifs. RNA-seq analysis revealed differential expression patterns of ZmWRKY genes at different developmental stages and under abiotic stress treatments.
Article
Agronomy
Henderson Castelo Sousa, Geocleber Gomes de Sousa, Thales Vinicius de Araujo Viana, Arthur Prudencio de Araujo Pereira, Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa, Maria Vanessa Pires de Souza, Jose Marcelo da Silva Guilherme, Geovana Ferreira Goes, Francisco Gleyson da Silveira Alves, Silas Primola Gomes, Fred Denilson Barbosa da Silva
Summary: The use of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is an option to mitigate abiotic constraints in tropical semi-arid regions. These bacteria have mechanisms to combat water stress and promote plant growth. Bacillus aryabhattai inoculation in maize plants alleviated salt stress and improved leaf gas exchange. However, irrigation with brackish water reduced water-use efficiency. Inoculating with PGPR is a potential solution for regions with limited access to low-salinity water.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhijia Yu, Xiaopeng Sun, Ziqi Chen, Qi Wang, Chuang Zhang, Xiangguo Liu, Weilin Wu, Yuejia Yin
Summary: Armadillo (ARM) gene family plays important roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, the structure and evolution of ARM-repeat protein family members in maize were analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The analysis revealed that the maize genome contains 56 ARM genes distributed over 10 chromosomes. Physicochemical properties analysis showed that most of these proteins were acidic and hydrophilic. The ARM genes in maize were divided into eight subgroups based on their evolutionary analysis, and each subgroup exhibited similar gene structures and conserved motifs. The findings also demonstrated the significant roles of ZmARM genes in maize development and abiotic stress, particularly drought stress. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analysis further confirmed the impact of drought stress on specific members of the ZmARM family. This comprehensive profiling of ZmARM genes in the genome provides a foundation for further exploration of plant gene function in the context of abiotic stress and reproductive development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiqi Ling, Jiayao Liao, Xiang Liu, Yue Zhou, Yexiong Qian
Summary: Histone methylation is an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism in plants, affecting gene expression by altering the methylation status of histone tails. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are responsible for histone methylation of specific residues, important for plant development and stress adaptation. This study identified and characterized eight PRMT genes in maize, with ZmPRMT1-8 categorized into three subfamilies based on phylogenetic analyses. Overexpression of ZmPRMT1 in transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in earlier flowering and enhanced heat tolerance, indicating its role in regulating flowering time and heat stress response. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the functional roles and epigenetic mechanisms of ZmPRMT genes in maize growth, development, and responses to abiotic stresses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ndiaye Ibra Ndiate, Qudsia Saeed, Fasih Ullah Haider, Cai Liqun, Jackson Nkoh Nkoh, Adnan Mustafa
Summary: This study investigated the effects of biochar and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on maize plants grown under saline stress. The combination of biochar and AMF showed the most significant improvement in plant growth under saline stress. The superior mitigating effect of biochar + AMF was attributed to its ability in improving soil nutrient content, enhancing plant nutrient uptake, and increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes.
Article
Agronomy
Xiaowei Wang, Xiaoyu Li, Jiatong Gu, Wenqi Shi, Haigen Zhao, Chen Sun, Songcai You
Summary: This study used in situ maize-phenology data from three different sources to establish a maize-phenology data set, including nine phenological stages and phenological stage maps. The relationship between each phenological stage and date, longitude, latitude, and altitude was revealed using multiple stepwise regression and the spatial variation of each phenological stage was explored using ArcGIS. The validated data set can be used for various purposes, including real-time warning and prediction of maize-related meteorological hazards.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lumin Qin, Liu Sun, Lin Wei, Jiarui Yuan, Fangfang Kong, Ying Zhang, Xin Miao, Guangmin Xia, Shuwei Liu
Summary: Plants under abiotic stress produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), countered by anthocyanins, which can be detrimental if over-accumulated. The SRO1e gene in maize plays a role in regulating the plant's response to abiotic stress by interfering with anthocyanin synthesis to maintain ROS homeostasis.
