Farid Babar, Saddique Muhammad Abu Bakar, Tahir Muhammad Hammad Nadeem, Ikram Rao Muhammad, Ali Zulfiqar, Akbar Waseem
Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
Department of Agronomy, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Jan 4;25(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12870-024-06020-5.
Heat stress poses a significant challenge for maize production, especially during the spring when high temperatures disrupt cellular processes, impeding plant growth and development. The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) associated athanogene (BAG) gene family is known to be relatively conserved across various species. It plays a crucial role as molecular chaperone cofactors that are responsible for programmed cell death and tumorigenesis. Once the plant is under heat stress, the BAG genes act as co-chaperones and modulate the molecular functions of HSP70/HSC70 saving the plant from the damage of high temperature stress. The study was planned to identify and characterize the BAG genes for heat stress responsiveness in maize. Twenty-one (21) BAG genes were identified in the latest maize genome. The evolutionary relationship of Zea mays BAGs (ZmBAGs) with Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum, Theobroma cacao, Sorghum bicolor, Ananas comosus, Physcomitrium patens, Oryza sativa and Populus trichocarpa were represented by the phylogenetic analysis. Differential expressions of BAG gene family in leaf, endosperm, anther, silk, seed and developing embryo depict their contribution to the growth and development. The in-silico gene expression analysis indicated ZmBAG-8 (Zm00001eb170080), and ZmBAG-11 (Zm00001eb237960) showed higher expression under abiotic stresses (cold, heat and salinity). The RT-qPCR further confirmed the expression of ZmBAG-8 and ZmBAG-11 in plant leaf tissue across the contrasting inbred lines and their F hybrid (DR-139, UML-1 and DR-139 × UML-1) when exposed to heat stress. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction networks of ZmBAG-8 and ZmBAG-11 further elucidated their role in stress tolerance related pathways. This research offers a roadmap to plan functional research and utilize ZmBAG genes to enhance heat tolerance in grasses.
热应激对玉米生产构成重大挑战，尤其是在春季，高温会扰乱细胞过程，阻碍植物生长发育。已知B细胞淋巴瘤2（Bcl-2）相关抗凋亡基因（BAG）基因家族在不同物种中相对保守。它作为分子伴侣辅因子发挥关键作用，负责程序性细胞死亡和肿瘤发生。一旦植物受到热应激，BAG基因就作为共伴侣发挥作用，调节HSP70/HSC70的分子功能，使植物免受高温胁迫的损害。本研究旨在鉴定和表征玉米中对热应激有反应的BAG基因。在最新的玉米基因组中鉴定出21个BAG基因。通过系统发育分析展示了玉米BAG（ZmBAG）与拟南芥、番茄、可可树、高粱、菠萝、小立碗藓、水稻和毛果杨的进化关系。BAG基因家族在叶片、胚乳、花药、花丝、种子和发育中的胚中的差异表达表明了它们对生长发育的贡献。电子基因表达分析表明，ZmBAG-8（Zm00001eb170080）和ZmBAG-11（Zm00001eb237960）在非生物胁迫（寒冷、高温和盐胁迫）下表现出较高的表达。RT-qPCR进一步证实了ZmBAG-8和ZmBAG-11在不同自交系及其F1杂种（DR-139、UML-1和DR-139×UML-1）的植物叶片组织中在热应激下的表达。此外，ZmBAG-8和ZmBAG-11的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络进一步阐明了它们在胁迫耐受相关途径中的作用。本研究为规划功能研究和利用ZmBAG基因提高禾本科植物的耐热性提供了路线图。
