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Yang Y, Li Z, Zhang J. ZmNF-YA1 Contributes to Maize Thermotolerance by Regulating Heat Shock Response. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6275. [PMID: 38892463 PMCID: PMC11173165 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Zea mays (maize) is a staple food, feed, and industrial crop. Heat stress is one of the major stresses affecting maize production and is usually accompanied by other stresses, such as drought. Our previous study identified a heterotrimer complex, ZmNF-YA1-YB16-YC17, in maize. ZmNF-YA1 and ZmNF-YB16 were positive regulators of the drought stress response and were involved in maize root development. In this study, we investigated whether ZmNF-YA1 confers heat stress tolerance in maize. The nf-ya1 mutant and overexpression lines were used to test the role of ZmNF-YA1 in maize thermotolerance. The nf-ya1 mutant was more temperature-sensitive than the wild-type (WT), while the ZmNF-YA1 overexpression lines showed a thermotolerant phenotype. Higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation were observed in the mutant, followed by WT and overexpression lines after heat stress treatment, while an opposite trend was observed for chlorophyll content. RNA-seq was used to analyze transcriptome changes in nf-ya1 and its wild-type control W22 in response to heat stress. Based on their expression profiles, the heat stress response-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in nf-ya1 compared to WT were grouped into seven clusters via k-means clustering. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the DEGs in different clades was performed to elucidate the roles of ZmNF-YA1-mediated transcriptional regulation and their contribution to maize thermotolerance. The loss function of ZmNF-YA1 led to the failure induction of DEGs in GO terms of protein refolding, protein stabilization, and GO terms for various stress responses. Thus, the contribution of ZmNF-YA1 to protein stabilization, refolding, and regulation of abscisic acid (ABA), ROS, and heat/temperature signaling may be the major reason why ZmNF-YA1 overexpression enhanced heat tolerance, and the mutant showed a heat-sensitive phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaling Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environment Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China;
| | - Zhaoxia Li
- Agronomy College, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
| | - Juren Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environment Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China;
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Bai Y, Yang Q, Gan Y, Li M, Zhao Z, Dong E, Li C, He D, Mei X, Cai Y. The ZmNF-YC1-ZmAPRG pathway modulates low phosphorus tolerance in maize. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:2867-2881. [PMID: 38393826 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and yield. Low phosphate use efficiency makes it important to clarify the molecular mechanism of low P stress. In our previous studies, a P efficiency gene ZmAPRG was identified. Here, we further screened the upstream regulator ZmNF-YC1 of ZmAPRG by yeast one hybrid (Y1H) assay, and found it was a low inorganic phosphorus (Pi)-inducible gene. The results of dual luciferase assays, expression analysis, and ChIP-qPCR assays showed that ZmNF-YC1 is a positive regulator of ZmAPRG. Overexpression of ZmNF-YC1 improved low P tolerance, whereas knockout of ZmNF-YC1 decreased low P tolerance in maize. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), yeast two hybrid (Y2H) assay, and yeast three hybrid (Y3H) assay further showed that ZmNF-YC1 can interact with ZmNF-YB14, and recruit ZmNF-YA4/10 to form NF-Y complexes. Transcriptional activation assay confirmed that the NF-Y complexes can activate the promoters of ZmAPRG. Meanwhile, transcriptome and metabolome analyses indicated that overexpression of ZmAPRG improves low P tolerance by regulating lipid composition and photosynthetic capacity, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters provided evidence in support of this hypothesis. Furthermore, overexpression of ZmAPRG increased grain yield in inbred and hybrid maize under low P conditions. Taken together, our research revealed a low P tolerance mechanism of the ZmNF-YC1-ZmAPRG pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bai
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qiuyue Yang
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuling Gan
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mei Li
- Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Guangxi Agricultural Vocational University, Nanning 530007, Guangxi, China
| | - Zikun Zhao
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Erfei Dong
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chaofeng Li
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Di He
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiupeng Mei
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yilin Cai
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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Wang J, Mao L, Li Y, Lu K, Qu C, Tang Z, Li J, Liu L. Natural variation in BnaA9.NF-YA7 contributes to drought tolerance in Brassica napus L. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2082. [PMID: 38453909 PMCID: PMC10920887 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46271-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is one of the important oil crops worldwide. Its production is often threatened by drought stress. Here, we identify a transcription factor (BnaA9.NF-YA7) that negatively regulates drought tolerance through genome-wide association study in B. napus. The presence of two SNPs within a CCAAT cis element leads to downregulation of BnaA9.NF-YA7 expression. In addition, the M63I (G-to-C) substitution in the transactivation domain can activate low level expression of BnaA4.DOR, which is an inhibitory factor of ABA-induced stomatal closure. Furthermore, we determine that Bna.ABF3/4s directly regulate the expression of BnaA9.NF-YA7, and BnaA9.NF-YA7 indirectly suppresses the expression of Bna.ABF3/4s by regulation of Bna.ASHH4s. Our findings uncover that BnaA9.NF-YA7 serves as a supplementary role for ABA signal balance under drought stress conditions, and provide a potential molecular target to breed drought-tolerant B. napus cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lin Mao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yangyang Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kun Lu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Cunmin Qu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhanglin Tang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiana Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Liezhao Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Zhao H, Huang X, Yang Z, Li F, Ge X. Synergistic optimization of crops by combining early maturation with other agronomic traits. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:1178-1191. [PMID: 37208203 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Many newly created early maturing varieties exhibit poor stress resistance and low yield, whereas stress-resistant varieties are typically late maturing. For this reason, the polymerization of early maturity and other desired agronomic qualities requires overcoming the negative connection between early maturity, multi-resistance, and yield, which presents a formidable challenge in current breeding techniques. We review the most salient constraints of early maturity breeding in current crop planting practices and the molecular mechanisms of different maturation timeframes in diverse crops from their origin center to production areas. We explore current breeding tactics and the future direction of crop breeding and the issues that must be resolved to accomplish the polymerization of desirable traits in light of the current obstacles and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China; College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China
| | - Xianzhong Huang
- Center for Crop Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
| | - Zhaoen Yang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Fuguang Li
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, 831100 Xinjiang, China; Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya 572000, Hainan, China.
| | - Xiaoyang Ge
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, 831100 Xinjiang, China; Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya 572000, Hainan, China.
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Mei X, Zhao Z, Bai Y, Yang Q, Gan Y, Wang W, Li C, Wang J, Cai Y. Salt Tolerant Gene 1 contributes to salt tolerance by maintaining photosystem II activity in maize. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:1833-1848. [PMID: 36891878 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Salt stress is a major environmental factor limiting crop growth and productivity. Here, we show that Salt-Tolerant Gene 1 (ZmSTG1) contributes to salt tolerance by maintaining photosystem activity in maize. ZmSTG1 encodes an endoplasmic reticulum localized protein and retrotransposon insertion in the promoter region causes differential expression levels in maize inbred lines. Overexpression of ZmSTG1 improved plant growth vigor, and knockout of ZmSTG1 weakened plant growth under normal and salt stress conditions. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses indicated that ZmSTG1 might regulate the expression of lipid trafficking-related genes dependent on the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, thereby increasing the galactolipids and phospholipid concentrations in the photosynthetic membrane under salt stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed that the knockout of ZmSTG1 led to significant impairment of plant photosystem II (PSII) activity under normal and salt stress conditions, whereas overexpression of ZmSTG1 dramatically improved plant PSII activity under salt stress conditions. We also demonstrated that the application of the salt-tolerant locus could enhance salt tolerance in hybrid maize plants. Taken together, we propose that ZmSTG1 may modulate the lipid composition in the photosynthetic membrane by affecting the expression of lipid trafficking-related genes to maintain the photosynthetic activity of plants under salt stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiupeng Mei
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Zikun Zhao
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiuyue Yang
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuling Gan
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenqin Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Chaofeng Li
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiuguang Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Yilin Cai
- Maize Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
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Le L, Guo W, Du D, Zhang X, Wang W, Yu J, Wang H, Qiao H, Zhang C, Pu L. A spatiotemporal transcriptomic network dynamically modulates stalk development in maize. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:2313-2331. [PMID: 36070002 PMCID: PMC9674325 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) is an important cereal crop with suitable stalk formation which is beneficial for acquiring an ideal agronomic trait to resist lodging and higher planting density. The elongation pattern of stalks arises from the variable growth of individual internodes driven by cell division and cell expansion comprising the maize stalk. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and regulatory network of the maize stalk development and differentiation process remain unclear. Here, we report spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomes using all internodes of the whole stalks from developing maize at the elongation and maturation stages. We identified four distinct groups corresponding to four developmental zones and nine specific clusters with diverse spatiotemporal expression patterns among individual internodes of the stalk. Through weighted gene coexpression network analysis, we constructed transcriptional regulatory networks at a fine spatiotemporal resolution and uncovered key modules and candidate genes involved in internode maintenance, elongation, and division that determine stalk length and thickness in maize. Further CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout validated the function of a cytochrome P450 gene, ZmD1, in the regulation of stalk length and thickness as predicted by the WGCN. Collectively, these results provide insights into the high genetic complexity of stalk development and the potentially valuable resources with ideal stalk lengths and widths for genetic improvements in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Le
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
- National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya)Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesSanyaChina
| | - Weijun Guo
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Danyao Du
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoyuan Zhang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Weixuan Wang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jia Yu
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Huan Wang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hong Qiao
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTXUSA
| | - Chunyi Zhang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
- Sanya InstituteHainan Academy of Agricultural SciencesSanyaChina
| | - Li Pu
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
- National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya)Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesSanyaChina
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