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Abstract <p>The WRKY gene family is one of the most crucial families of transcription factors found in plants, significantly influencing the regulation of plant growth, development, and responses to stress. Analyzing the functional characteristics of maize WRKY family genes can provide important candidate genes for maize germplasm innovation. In this research, the maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) WRKY transcription factor gene <i>ZmWRKY114</i> (GRMZM2G005278) was cloned, and its key features, expression profiles across tissues, and response to stress were evaluated using bioinformatics approaches and quantitative real-time PCR. The findings revealed that <i>ZmWRKY114</i> has a coding sequence of 1035 bp, which encodes 344 amino acids that include the typical WRKY conserved domain. Additionally, within the promoter sequence, diverse regulatory motifs involved in abiotic stress adaptation and phytohormone signal transduction were identified. The expression levels of <i>ZmWRKY114</i> reached its peak in tassels and roots during the silk stage and exhibited differential induction under various stress conditions, such as high salinity, drought, low temperatures, and dehydration. The heterologous expression of <i>ZmWRKY114</i> in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> led to a notable enhancement of root growth in comparison to wild-type plants, particularly when plants were maintained on 1/2 MS agar plates amended with a range of concentrations of NaCl, mannitol, abscisic acid, and jasmonic acid. Moreover, transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i> lines displayed improved growth performance under conditions of salt and drought stress in soil. Experiments utilizing a yeast two-hybrid system established and validated the physical interaction between ZmWRKY114 and ZmJAZ13, indicating that ZmWRKY114 may play a role in regulating plant resilience to abiotic stress via the jasmonic acid signaling pathway. Overall, this research sheds light on the molecular mechanisms through which <i>ZmWRKY114</i> mediates drought and salt tolerance in plants, offering a valuable candidate target gene for maize molecular breeding.</p>

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The WRKY Transcription Factor ZmWRKY114 Enhances Plant Resilience to Drought and Salt Stress in Maize

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月29日

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  • J. Wang,
  • Y. Gao,
  • S. Zhang,
  • D. Zheng,
  • J. Zhao,
  • Y. Wu,
  • Z. Wu,
  • Y. Lu,
  • C. Zhang

摘要

Abstract

The WRKY gene family is one of the most crucial families of transcription factors found in plants, significantly influencing the regulation of plant growth, development, and responses to stress. Analyzing the functional characteristics of maize WRKY family genes can provide important candidate genes for maize germplasm innovation. In this research, the maize (Zea mays L.) WRKY transcription factor gene ZmWRKY114 (GRMZM2G005278) was cloned, and its key features, expression profiles across tissues, and response to stress were evaluated using bioinformatics approaches and quantitative real-time PCR. The findings revealed that ZmWRKY114 has a coding sequence of 1035 bp, which encodes 344 amino acids that include the typical WRKY conserved domain. Additionally, within the promoter sequence, diverse regulatory motifs involved in abiotic stress adaptation and phytohormone signal transduction were identified. The expression levels of ZmWRKY114 reached its peak in tassels and roots during the silk stage and exhibited differential induction under various stress conditions, such as high salinity, drought, low temperatures, and dehydration. The heterologous expression of ZmWRKY114 in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a notable enhancement of root growth in comparison to wild-type plants, particularly when plants were maintained on 1/2 MS agar plates amended with a range of concentrations of NaCl, mannitol, abscisic acid, and jasmonic acid. Moreover, transgenic Arabidopsis lines displayed improved growth performance under conditions of salt and drought stress in soil. Experiments utilizing a yeast two-hybrid system established and validated the physical interaction between ZmWRKY114 and ZmJAZ13, indicating that ZmWRKY114 may play a role in regulating plant resilience to abiotic stress via the jasmonic acid signaling pathway. Overall, this research sheds light on the molecular mechanisms through which ZmWRKY114 mediates drought and salt tolerance in plants, offering a valuable candidate target gene for maize molecular breeding.