Scholarlink

Background <p>Dehydrin (DHN) proteins, belong to subfamily members of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, are widely recognized as key determinants in plant abiotic stress tolerance.</p> Results <p>In this study, we identified eleven <i>DHN</i> genes in <i>Zea mays</i> and systematically analyzed their evolutionary relationships, structural features, <i>cis</i>-acting elements, expression patterns, protein interaction relation, and function validation in drought resistance. All ZmDHN proteins contained K-segment, and were classified into three subgroups, i.e., KnS-, SKn-, and YnSKn-type. Promoter analysis results showed abundant stress-responsive <i>cis</i>-elements were identified in <i>ZmDHN</i> promoter regions, especially MBS and ABRE elements. Consistently, the most <i>ZmDHN</i>s were induced by cold, heat, salt, and drought stresses, except <i>ZmDHN7</i> to <i>ZmDHN11</i>. Protein interaction and transcriptome data analysis suggested that ZmDHN1 might interact with cell division protein, ZmDHN3 interacted with nucleic acid binding protein, ZmDHN4 interacted with alpha/beta-hydrolases, ZmDHN5 interacted with ATP synthase, ZmDHN6 interacted with glycine-rich RNA-binding protein, ZmDHN8 and ZmDHN9 interacted with late embryogenesis abundant protein Lea14-A under drought stress. Functional validation results demonstrated that ZmDHN3 was located in the cytoplasm, and overexpression of <i>ZmDHN3</i> in maize enhanced drought tolerance, with higher relative water content and lower relative electrolyte leakage compared with wild-type maize plants.</p> Conclusions <p>This study increases our understanding of DHN proteins, demonstrates that ZmDHN3 improves drought tolerance in maize, and provides candidate genes for further molecular breeding to improve maize drought stress tolerance.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Comprehensive analysis of dehydrin genes reveals ZmDHN3 contributes to drought resistance in maize (Zea Mays L.)

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月2日

查看全文
  • Yongfeng Xie,
  • Yuyi Ma,
  • Xin Sun,
  • Hao Liu,
  • Zhiquan Qiang

摘要

Background

Dehydrin (DHN) proteins, belong to subfamily members of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, are widely recognized as key determinants in plant abiotic stress tolerance.

Results

In this study, we identified eleven DHN genes in Zea mays and systematically analyzed their evolutionary relationships, structural features, cis-acting elements, expression patterns, protein interaction relation, and function validation in drought resistance. All ZmDHN proteins contained K-segment, and were classified into three subgroups, i.e., KnS-, SKn-, and YnSKn-type. Promoter analysis results showed abundant stress-responsive cis-elements were identified in ZmDHN promoter regions, especially MBS and ABRE elements. Consistently, the most ZmDHNs were induced by cold, heat, salt, and drought stresses, except ZmDHN7 to ZmDHN11. Protein interaction and transcriptome data analysis suggested that ZmDHN1 might interact with cell division protein, ZmDHN3 interacted with nucleic acid binding protein, ZmDHN4 interacted with alpha/beta-hydrolases, ZmDHN5 interacted with ATP synthase, ZmDHN6 interacted with glycine-rich RNA-binding protein, ZmDHN8 and ZmDHN9 interacted with late embryogenesis abundant protein Lea14-A under drought stress. Functional validation results demonstrated that ZmDHN3 was located in the cytoplasm, and overexpression of ZmDHN3 in maize enhanced drought tolerance, with higher relative water content and lower relative electrolyte leakage compared with wild-type maize plants.

Conclusions

This study increases our understanding of DHN proteins, demonstrates that ZmDHN3 improves drought tolerance in maize, and provides candidate genes for further molecular breeding to improve maize drought stress tolerance.