Cai Ronghao, Yan Haidong, Zhu Xueru, Fang Xiu, Zhao Dongxu, Zhang Xueshi, Min Yongwei, Ma Zhongxian, Ma Qing
National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Engineering Research Center for Maize of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Planta. 2025 Jul 13;262(2):49. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04777-z.
ZmWRKY107 plays a role in salt stress response by binding to the ZmPOD52 promoter and regulating its gene expression, providing a WRKY candidate gene for improving salt stress resistance in maize. Plants are affected by various environmental factors throughout their growth stages, with salinity being a particularly significant stressor. WRKY transcription factors play an essential role in plant responses to stress. In this study, ZmWRKY107 in maize (Zea mays L.) was revealed to belong to the WRKY transcription factor group II subfamily. ZmWRKY107 expression was induced to varying degrees by salt stress. ZmWRKY107 was localized in the nucleus and showed transcriptional activity in yeast. Additionally, luciferase assays and yeast one-hybrid experiments confirmed that ZmWRKY107 binds specifically to the W-box (TTGACC) sequence. Comparative analyses indicated that wrky107 mutants are more sensitive to salt stress than B73, with decreased relative water content and peroxidase (POD) and catalase activities, but increased malondialdehyde accumulation and relative electrolyte leakage. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, we conducted transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative real-time PCR analyses to clarify how ZmWRKY107 responds to salt stress and affects the expression of stress response-related genes. Moreover, luciferase reporter gene assays and yeast one-hybrid experiments showed that ZmWRKY107 can bind directly to the W-box element in the ZmPOD52 promoter. This interaction likely forms part of a regulatory network that activates ZmPOD52 expression, contributing to the maize response to salt stress. In conclusion, we propose a mechanism for the maize response to salt stress involving the ZmWRKY107-ZmPOD52 molecular module, thereby enhancing our understanding of how WRKY transcription factors regulate salt tolerance in maize.
ZmWRKY107通过与ZmPOD52启动子结合并调节其基因表达，在盐胁迫响应中发挥作用，为提高玉米的耐盐性提供了一个WRKY候选基因。植物在其整个生长阶段受到各种环境因素的影响，盐度是一个特别重要的胁迫因素。WRKY转录因子在植物对胁迫的响应中起着至关重要的作用。在本研究中，玉米（Zea mays L.）中的ZmWRKY107被揭示属于WRKY转录因子第II组亚家族。ZmWRKY107的表达受到盐胁迫的不同程度诱导。ZmWRKY107定位于细胞核，并在酵母中表现出转录活性。此外，荧光素酶检测和酵母单杂交实验证实ZmWRKY107特异性结合W-box（TTGACC）序列。比较分析表明，wrky107突变体比B73对盐胁迫更敏感，相对含水量、过氧化物酶（POD）和过氧化氢酶活性降低，但丙二醛积累和相对电解质渗漏增加。为了探索潜在的分子机制，我们进行了转录组测序（RNA-seq）和定量实时PCR分析，以阐明ZmWRKY107如何响应盐胁迫并影响胁迫响应相关基因的表达。此外，荧光素酶报告基因检测和酵母单杂交实验表明，ZmWRKY107可以直接结合ZmPOD52启动子中的W-box元件。这种相互作用可能构成激活ZmPOD52表达的调控网络的一部分，有助于玉米对盐胁迫的响应。总之，我们提出了一种玉米对盐胁迫的响应机制，涉及ZmWRKY107-ZmPOD52分子模块，从而增强了我们对WRKY转录因子如何调节玉米耐盐性的理解。
