2. Academic Validation
  3. Natural variation in a cortex/epidermis-specific transcription factor bZIP89 determines lateral root development and drought resilience in maize

Natural variation in a cortex/epidermis-specific transcription factor bZIP89 determines lateral root development and drought resilience in maize

  • Sci Adv. 2025 Apr 11;11(15):eadt1113. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adt1113.
Pengcheng Li 1 2,  Tianze Zhu 1 2,  Yunyun Wang 1 2,  Xiaomin Zhang 3,  Xiaoyi Yang 1 2,  Shuai Fang 1 2,  Wei Li 1 2,  Wenye Rui 1 2,  Aiqing Yang 1 2,  Yamin Duan 1 2,  Yuxing Yan 1 2,  Qingchun Pan 4,  Zhongtao Jia 4,  Houmiao Wang 1 2,  Zefeng Yang 1 2,  Peng Yu 5 6,  Chenwu Xu 1 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Agriculture College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
  • 2 Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
  • 3 State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
  • 4 State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
  • 5 Emmy Noether Group Root Functional Biology, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany.
  • 6 Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany.
PMID: 40215297 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt1113
Abstract

Lateral roots (LRs) branching is crucial for water and nutrient acquisition in Plants, ultimately determining the overall plant performance and productivity. However, the transcriptional regulation of LR development in crops and its role in stress resilience remain largely unexplored. Leveraging integrated transcriptome-wide association study and single-cell RNA Sequencing data, we identified a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor ZmbZIP89 as an important regulator of LR elongation and mapped its spatial expression pattern in cortex/epidermis cell types. ZmbZIP89 can activate the expression of ZmPRX47 to regulate the production of root Reactive Oxygen Species homeostasis, contributing to increased lateral root length (LRL) and enhanced drought resistance. Natural variations in the 3' untranslated region of ZmbZIP89 enhance gene expression by increasing mRNA stability, leading to increases in LRL and drought tolerance. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying LR development and provide potential gene targets for breeding stress-resilient crops.

Figures
Products
嗨！很高兴为您提供帮助！

尊敬的 MCE 客户您好，
请您选择所在区域，我们将转接对应客服为您服务！

热门区域

A

B

C

F

G

H

J

L

N

Q

S

T

X

Y

Z

热 A B C F G H J L N Q S T X Y Z