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Jamil S, Ahmad S, Shahzad R, Umer N, Kanwal S, Rehman HM, Rana IA, Atif RM. Leveraging Multiomics Insights and Exploiting Wild Relatives' Potential for Drought and Heat Tolerance in Maize. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 38980762 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Climate change, particularly drought and heat stress, may slash agricultural productivity by 25.7% by 2080, with maize being the hardest hit. Therefore, unraveling the molecular nature of plant responses to these stressors is vital for the development of climate-smart maize. This manuscript's primary objective was to examine how maize plants respond to these stresses, both individually and in combination. Additionally, the paper delved into harnessing the potential of maize wild relatives as a valuable genetic resource and leveraging AI-based technologies to boost maize resilience. The role of multiomics approaches particularly genomics and transcriptomics in dissecting the genetic basis of stress tolerance was also highlighted. The way forward was proposed to utilize a bunch of information obtained through omics technologies by an interdisciplinary state-of-the-art forward-looking big-data, cyberagriculture system, and AI-based approach to orchestrate the development of climate resilient maize genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakra Jamil
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Seed Centre and Plant Genetic Resources Bank Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Riyadh 14712, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rahil Shahzad
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Noroza Umer
- Dr. Ikram ul Haq - Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
| | - Shamsa Kanwal
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Mamoon Rehman
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Rana
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Rana Muhammad Atif
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, California 95616, United States
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Precision Agriculture and Analytics Lab, Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
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Li R, Wang Y, Li D, Guo Y, Zhou Z, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Würschum T, Liu W. Meta-Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis and Candidate Gene Mining for Drought Tolerance-Associated Traits in Maize ( Zea mays L.). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4295. [PMID: 38673880 PMCID: PMC11049847 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084295] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses with a severe negative impact on maize production globally. Understanding the genetic architecture of drought tolerance in maize is a crucial step towards the breeding of drought-tolerant varieties and a targeted exploitation of genetic resources. In this study, 511 quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to grain yield components, flowering time, and plant morphology under drought conditions, as well as drought tolerance index were collected from 27 published studies and then projected on the IBM2 2008 Neighbors reference map for meta-analysis. In total, 83 meta-QTL (MQTL) associated with drought tolerance in maize were identified, of which 20 were determined as core MQTL. The average confidence interval of MQTL was strongly reduced compared to that of the previously published QTL. Nearly half of the MQTL were confirmed by co-localized marker-trait associations from genome-wide association studies. Based on the alignment of rice proteins related to drought tolerance, 63 orthologous genes were identified near the maize MQTL. Furthermore, 583 candidate genes were identified within the 20 core MQTL regions and maize-rice homologous genes. Based on KEGG analysis of candidate genes, plant hormone signaling pathways were found to be significantly enriched. The signaling pathways can have direct or indirect effects on drought tolerance and also interact with other pathways. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in maize towards a more targeted improvement of this important trait in breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronglan Li
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Yueli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dongdong Li
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yuhang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhipeng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Mi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Tobias Würschum
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Wenxin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, The Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Beijing Municipality, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
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Ren Z, Fu J, Abou-Elwafa SF, Ku L, Xie X, Liu Z, Shao J, Wen P, Al Aboud NM, Su H, Wang T, Wei L. Analysis of the molecular mechanisms regulating how ZmEREB24 improves drought tolerance in maize (Zea mays) seedlings. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 207:108292. [PMID: 38215602 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108292] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Drought stress is one of the most limiting factors of maize productivity and can lead to a sharp reduction in the total biomass when it occurs at the seedling stage. Improving drought tolerance at the seedling stage is of great importance for maize breeding. The AP2/ERF transcription factor family plays a critical role in plant response to abiotic stresses. Here, we used a preliminary previously-generated ranscriptomic dataset to identify a highly drought-stress-responsive AP2 gene, i.e., ZmEREB24. Compared to the wild type, the overexpression of ZmEREB24 in maize significantly promotes drought tolerance of transgenic plants at the seedling stage. CRISPR/Cas9-based ZmEREB24-knockout mutants showed a drought-sensitive phenotype. RNA-seq analysis and EMSA assay revealed AATGG.CT and GTG.T.GCC motifs as the main binding sites of ZmEREB24 to the promoters of downstream target genes. DAP-seq identified four novel target genes involved in proline and sugar metabolism and hormone signal transduction of ZmEREB24. Our data indicate that ZmEREB24 plays important biological functions in regulating drought tolerance by binding to the promoters of drought stress genes and modulating their expression. The results further suggest a role of ZmEREB24 in regulating drought adaptation in maize, indicating its potential importance for employing molecular breeding in the development of high-yield drought-tolerant maize cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Ren
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Jiaxu Fu
- Henna Technology Innovation Centre of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | | | - Lixia Ku
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Xiaowen Xie
- Henna Technology Innovation Centre of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Zhixue Liu
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Jing Shao
- Henna Technology Innovation Centre of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Pengfei Wen
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Nora M Al Aboud
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huihui Su
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Tongchao Wang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Li Wei
- Henna Technology Innovation Centre of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
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Pang Y, Cao L, Ye F, Ma C, Liang X, Song Y, Lu X. Identification of the Maize PP2C Gene Family and Functional Studies on the Role of ZmPP2C15 in Drought Tolerance. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:340. [PMID: 38337873 PMCID: PMC10856965 DOI: 10.3390/plants13030340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The protein phosphatase PP2C plays an important role in plant responses to stress. Therefore, the identification of maize PP2C genes that respond to drought stress is particularly important for the improvement and creation of new drought-resistant assortments of maize. In this study, we identified 102 ZmPP2C genes in maize at the genome-wide level. We analyzed the physicochemical properties of 102 ZmPP2Cs and constructed a phylogenetic tree with Arabidopsis. By analyzing the gene structure, conserved protein motifs, and synteny, the ZmPP2Cs were found to be strongly conserved during evolution. Sixteen core genes involved in drought stress and rewatering were screened using gene co-expression network mapping and expression profiling. The qRT-PCR results showed 16 genes were induced by abscisic acid (ABA), drought, and NaCl treatments. Notably, ZmPP2C15 exhibited a substantial expression difference. Through genetic transformation, we overexpressed ZmPP2C15 and generated the CRISPR/Cas9 knockout maize mutant zmpp2c15. Overexpressing ZmPP2C15 in Arabidopsis under drought stress enhanced growth and survival compared with WT plants. The leaves exhibited heightened superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT) activities, elevated proline (Pro) content, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Conversely, zmpp2c15 mutant plants displayed severe leaf dryness, curling, and wilting under drought stress. Their leaf activities of SOD, POD, APX, and CAT were lower than those in B104, while MDA was higher. This suggests that ZmPP2C15 positively regulates drought tolerance in maize by affecting the antioxidant enzyme activity and osmoregulatory substance content. Subcellular localization revealed that ZmPP2C15 was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments demonstrated ZmPP2C15's interaction with ZmWIN1, ZmADT2, ZmsodC, Zmcab, and ZmLHC2. These findings establish a foundation for understanding maize PP2C gene functions, offering genetic resources and insights for molecular design breeding for drought tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Pang
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Liru Cao
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Feiyu Ye
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chenchen Ma
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xiaohan Liang
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yinghui Song
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
| | - Xiaomin Lu
- Grain Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate T&R Base of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; (Y.P.); (L.C.); (F.Y.); (C.M.); (X.L.); (Y.S.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Singh A, Pandey H, Pandey S, Lal D, Chauhan D, Aparna, Antre SH, B S, Kumar A. Drought stress in maize: stress perception to molecular response and strategies for its improvement. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:296. [PMID: 37697159 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Given the future demand for food crops, increasing crop productivity in drought-prone rainfed areas has become essential. Drought-tolerant varieties are warranted to solve this problem in major crops, with drought tolerance as a high-priority trait for future research. Maize is one such crop affected by drought stress, which limits production, resulting in substantial economic losses. It became a more serious issue due to global climate change. The most drought sensitive among all stages of maize is the reproductive stages and the most important for overall maize production. The exact molecular basis of reproductive drought sensitivity remains unclear due to genes' complex regulation of drought stress. Understanding the molecular biology and signaling of the unexplored area of reproductive drought tolerance will provide an opportunity to develop climate-smart drought-tolerant next-generation maize cultivars. In recent decades, significant progress has been made in maize to understand the drought tolerance mechanism. However, improving maize drought tolerance through breeding is ineffective due to the complex nature and multigenic control of drought traits. With the help of advanced breeding techniques, molecular genetics, and a precision genome editing approach like CRISPR-Cas, candidate genes for drought-tolerant maize can be identified and targeted. This review summarizes the effects of drought stress on each growth stage of maize, potential genes, and transcription factors that determine drought tolerance. In addition, we discussed drought stress sensing, its molecular mechanisms, different approaches to developing drought-resistant maize varieties, and how molecular breeding and genome editing will help with the current unpredictable climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashutosh Singh
- Centre for Advanced Studies On Climate Change, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, 848125, India.
| | | | - Saurabh Pandey
- Department of Agriculture, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, 143005, India.
| | - Dalpat Lal
- College of Agriculture, Jodhpur Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 342304, India
| | - Divya Chauhan
- Banasthali University, Radha Kishanpura, Rajasthan, 304022, India
| | - Aparna
- Departments of Agriculture, Jagan Nath University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303901, India
| | - Suresh H Antre
- Advanced Centre of Plant Biotechnology, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560065, India
| | - Santhosh B
- Centre for Advanced Studies On Climate Change, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, 848125, India
| | - Amarjeet Kumar
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, MTTC & VTC, Selesih, CAU, Imphal, 795001, India
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Tang H, Zhang R, Wang M, Xie X, Zhang L, Zhang X, Liu C, Sun B, Qin F, Yang X. QTL mapping for flowering time in a maize-teosinte population under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2023; 43:67. [PMID: 37601731 PMCID: PMC10435433 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-023-01413-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Maize grain yield can be greatly reduced when flowering time coincides with drought conditions, which delays silking and consequently increases the anthesis-silking interval. Although the genetic basis of delayed flowering time under water-stressed conditions has been elucidated in maize-maize populations, little is known in this regard about maize-teosinte populations. Here, 16 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for three flowering-time traits, namely days to anthesis, days to silk, and the anthesis-silking interval, were identified in a maize-teosinte introgression population under well-watered and water-stressed conditions; these QTL explained 3.98-32.61% of phenotypic variations. Six of these QTL were considered to be sensitive to drought stress, and the effect of any individual QTL was small, indicating the complex genetic nature of drought resistance in maize. To resolve which genes underlie the six QTL, 11 candidate genes were identified via colocalization analysis of known associations with flowering-time-related drought traits. Among the 11 candidate genes, five were found to be differentially expressed in response to drought stress or under selection during maize domestication, and thus represented the most likely candidates underlying the drought-sensitive QTL. The results lay a foundation for further studies of the genetic mechanisms of drought resistance and provide valuable information for improving drought resistance during maize breeding. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01413-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaijun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
- Institute of Grain Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Renyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Xiaoqing Xie
- Institute of Grain Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Institute of Grain Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Institute of Grain Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Baocheng Sun
- Institute of Grain Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091 China
| | - Feng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience and National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
- Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
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Adel S, Carels N. Plant Tolerance to Drought Stress with Emphasis on Wheat. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12112170. [PMID: 37299149 DOI: 10.3390/plants12112170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stresses, such as drought, have negative effects on crop yield. Drought is a stress whose impact tends to increase in some critical regions. However, the worldwide population is continuously increasing and climate change may affect its food supply in the upcoming years. Therefore, there is an ongoing effort to understand the molecular processes that may contribute to improving drought tolerance of strategic crops. These investigations should contribute to delivering drought-tolerant cultivars by selective breeding. For this reason, it is worthwhile to review regularly the literature concerning the molecular mechanisms and technologies that could facilitate gene pyramiding for drought tolerance. This review summarizes achievements obtained using QTL mapping, genomics, synteny, epigenetics, and transgenics for the selective breeding of drought-tolerant wheat cultivars. Synthetic apomixis combined with the msh1 mutation opens the way to induce and stabilize epigenomes in crops, which offers the potential of accelerating selective breeding for drought tolerance in arid and semi-arid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Adel
- Genetic Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11241, Egypt
| | - Nicolas Carels
- Laboratory of Biological System Modeling, Center of Technological Development for Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-361, Brazil
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Yang Z, Qin F. The battle of crops against drought: Genetic dissection and improvement. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:496-525. [PMID: 36639908 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
With ongoing global climate change, water scarcity-induced drought stress remains a major threat to agricultural productivity. Plants undergo a series of physiological and morphological changes to cope with drought stress, including stomatal closure to reduce transpiration and changes in root architecture to optimize water uptake. Combined phenotypic and multi-omics studies have recently identified a number of drought-related genetic resources in different crop species. The functional dissection of these genes using molecular techniques has enriched our understanding of drought responses in crops and has provided genetic targets for enhancing resistance to drought. Here, we review recent advances in the cloning and functional analysis of drought resistance genes and the development of technologies to mitigate the threat of drought to crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Feng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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McMillen MS, Mahama AA, Sibiya J, Lübberstedt T, Suza WP. Improving drought tolerance in maize: Tools and techniques. Front Genet 2022; 13:1001001. [PMID: 36386797 PMCID: PMC9651916 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1001001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Drought is an important constraint to agricultural productivity worldwide and is expected to worsen with climate change. To assist farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), to adapt to climate change, continuous generation of stress-tolerant and farmer-preferred crop varieties, and their adoption by farmers, is critical to curb food insecurity. Maize is the most widely grown staple crop in SSA and plays a significant role in food security. The aim of this review is to present an overview of a broad range of tools and techniques used to improve drought tolerance in maize. We also present a summary of progress in breeding for maize drought tolerance, while incorporating research findings from disciplines such as physiology, molecular biology, and systems modeling. The review is expected to complement existing knowledge about breeding maize for climate resilience. Collaborative maize drought tolerance breeding projects in SSA emphasize the value of public-private partnerships in increasing access to genomic techniques and useful transgenes. To sustain the impact of maize drought tolerance projects in SSA, there must be complementary efforts to train the next generation of plant breeders and crop scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony A. Mahama
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Julia Sibiya
- School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | | | - Walter P. Suza
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Linkage Mapping Reveals QTL for Flowering Time-Related Traits under Multiple Abiotic Stress Conditions in Maize. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158410. [PMID: 35955541 PMCID: PMC9368988 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in flowering plays a major role in maize photoperiod adaptation during long-term domestication. It is of high value to investigate the genetic basis of maize flowering under a wide range of environmental conditions in order to overcome photoperiod sensitivity or enhance stress tolerance. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Huangzaosi and Mo17, composed of 121 lines and genotyped by 8329 specifically developed markers, was field evaluated in two consecutive years under two planting densities (67,500 and 120,000 plants ha−1) and two water treatments (normal irrigation and drought stress at the flowering stage). The days to silking (DTS), days to anthesis (DTA), and anthesis to silking interval (ASI) were all evaluated. Within the RIL population, DTS and DTA expanded as planting density and water deficit increased. For DTA, DTS, ASI, and ASI-delay, a total of 22, 17, 21, and 11 QTLs were identified, respectively. More than two significant QTLs were identified in each of the nine chromosomal intervals. Under diverse conditions and locations, six QTLs (quantitative trait locus) for DTS and DTA were discovered in Chr. 8: 118.13–125.31 Mb. Three chromosome regions, Chr. 3: 196.14–199.89 Mb, Chr. 8: 169.02–172.46 Mb, and Chr. 9: 128.12–137.26 Mb, all had QTLs for ASI-delay under normal and stress conditions, suggesting their possible roles in stress tolerance enhancement. These QTL hotspots will promote early-maturing or multiple abiotic stress-tolerant maize breeding, as well as shed light on the development of maize varieties with a broad range of adaptations.
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