Genome-Wide Analysis of <i>Zm4CL</i> Genes Identifies <i>Zm4CL8</i> Regulating Drought and Salt Tolerance in Maize
Despite substantial progress in elucidating the stress-responsive mechanisms of 4-coumarate-CoA ligases (4CL) in various plant species, the maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) <i>4CL</i> gene family remains underexplored, leaving a significant gap in our comprehension of its potential...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/5/1100 |
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| Summary: | Despite substantial progress in elucidating the stress-responsive mechanisms of 4-coumarate-CoA ligases (4CL) in various plant species, the maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) <i>4CL</i> gene family remains underexplored, leaving a significant gap in our comprehension of its potential roles in abiotic stress tolerance and adaptive strategies. Through comprehensive genome-wide analysis, we identified and characterized 32 putative <i>4CL</i> genes in maize, which were phylogenetically classified into seven distinct clades. Members within the same clade exhibited conserved gene structures and motif compositions. Expression profiling across various maize tissues and under multiple abiotic stress conditions revealed specific <i>4CL</i> genes associated with stress tolerance. Notably, promoter analysis identified numerous stress-responsive cis-regulatory elements in <i>Zm4CL</i> genes. Among the identified genes, six exhibited significant induction under salt stress, while five showed upregulation during drought conditions. Particularly, <i>Zm4CL8</i>, a member of the 4CL clade, demonstrated dual responsiveness to both drought and salt stresses. Functional characterization through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) revealed that <i>Zm4CL8</i>-silenced plants displayed enhanced sensitivity to both drought and salt stresses, as evidenced by significantly reduced chlorophyll content and survival rate, which collectively suggests its positive regulatory role in stress adaptation mechanisms. These findings establish <i>Zm4CL8</i> as a promising molecular target for enhancing drought and salt tolerance in maize, while significantly advancing our understanding of the functional characterization of <i>4CL</i> genes in this crucial crop species. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |