Two calcium-dependent protein kinases enhance maize drought tolerance by activating anion channel ZmSLAC1 in guard cells.

ABSTRACT: Stomatal closure is an important process to prevent water loss in plants response to drought stress, which is finely modulated by ion channels together with their regulators in guard cells, especially the S-type anion channel AtSLAC1 in Arabidopsis. However, the functional characterization and regulation analyses of anion channels in gramineous crops, such as in maize guard cells are still limited. In this study, we identified an S-type anion channel ZmSLAC1 that was preferentially expressed in maize guard cells and involved in stomatal closure under drought stress. We found that two Ca²⁺ -dependent protein kinases ZmCPK35 and ZmCPK37 were expressed in maize guard cells and localized on the plasma membrane. Lesion of ZmCPK37 resulted in drought-sensitive phenotypes. Mutation of

SUBMITTER: Li XD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8710898 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature