ZmGST2启动子中的CHH去甲基化通过调节活性氧清除和根系生长增强玉米耐旱性。

CHH demethylation in the ZmGST2 promoter enhances maize drought tolerance by regulating ROS scavenging and root growth.

作者信息

Yan Xiaocui, Zhang Mengjie, Zhong Yuan, Zenda Tinashe, Liu Songtao, Dong Anyi, Kou Mengyu, Liu Jialong, Wang Nan, Duan Huijun

机构信息

State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resources of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, China.

Crop Science Department, Faculty of Plant and Animal Sciences and Technology, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, P. O. Box, 35, Marondera, Zimbabwe.

出版信息

BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Aug 18;25(1):1083. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-07012-9.

DOI:10.1186/s12870-025-07012-9

PMID:40826040

Abstract

As an important food crop worldwide, maize is frequently impacted by drought stress. It is of great significance to study its drought resistance genes and mechanisms, in which DNA methylation modification in the promoter region plays a key role in regulating gene expression and stress resistance. In this study, using PEG6000 and 5-azadC to treat different drought-tolerant maize inbred lines (drought-tolerant R99 and drought-sensitive Mo17), combined with transcriptomic analysis, identified the gene ZmGST2 as being related to drought resistance. Subsequently, the methylation changes in its promoter region were further analyzed. The results indicated that the expression level of ZmGST2 was closely related to the methylation status of its promoter region under drought stress. Specifically, in drought-resistant R99, a decrease in methylation (demethylation) occurred within the CpG island of the ZmGST2 promoter region after drought treatment, which facilitated the expression of this gene and thereby enhanced drought resistance in maize. However, in the drought-sensitive Mo17, this demethylation change did not occur, resulting in reduced drought resistance. Further phenotypic analysis revealed that overexpression of ZmGST2 could enhance the reactive oxygen species scavenging ability in maize roots, improve root growth, and significantly enhance drought resistance. Overall, this study provides both a new candidate gene and a novel approach for molecular breeding aimed at enhancing maize drought resistance.

摘要

作为全球重要的粮食作物，玉米经常受到干旱胁迫的影响。研究其抗旱基因和机制具有重要意义，其中启动子区域的DNA甲基化修饰在调节基因表达和抗逆性方面起着关键作用。在本研究中，使用聚乙二醇6000（PEG6000）和5-氮杂胞苷（5-azadC）处理不同耐旱性的玉米自交系（耐旱性R99和干旱敏感型Mo17），结合转录组分析，鉴定出基因ZmGST2与抗旱性相关。随后，进一步分析了其启动子区域的甲基化变化。结果表明，在干旱胁迫下，ZmGST2的表达水平与其启动子区域的甲基化状态密切相关。具体而言，在抗旱性R99中，干旱处理后ZmGST2启动子区域的CpG岛内发生甲基化降低（去甲基化），这促进了该基因的表达，从而增强了玉米的抗旱性。然而，在干旱敏感型Mo17中，这种去甲基化变化并未发生，导致抗旱性降低。进一步的表型分析表明，ZmGST2的过表达可以增强玉米根系的活性氧清除能力，改善根系生长，并显著增强抗旱性。总体而言，本研究为旨在提高玉米抗旱性的分子育种提供了一个新的候选基因和一种新方法。