Project description:Drought represents a major constraint on maize production worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis for natural variation in drought tolerance of maize may facilitate efforts to improve this trait in cultivated germplasm. Here, using a genome-wide association study, we show that a miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE) inserted in the promoter of a NAC gene (ZmNAC111) is significantly associated with natural variation in maize drought tolerance. For maize RNA-seq analysis, pooled tissues from three, eight-day-old maize seedlings were collected from transgenic and wild-type plants, prior to or after 2-hour dehydration, to conduct the RNA-seq analysis.
Project description:This was a comparative transcriptome analysis by using high throughput sequencing. To assess the effects of heat stress on maize we used a controlled environment facility called the Enviratron to simulate field conditions. For our experiments, maize plants were subjected to conditions simulating normal diurnal rhythms of light and temperature, with increasing maximal daily temperature (MDT). Maize plants were grown continuously under four different temperature regimes with simulated morning temperatures ramped up over 6 hr to the MDT of 31°C, 33°C, 35°C or 37°C and simulated evening/night time temperatures ramped down over 8 hr to 10°C below the MDT. We tracked the gene expression events of maize W22 seedlings grow under different temperatures (MDT of 31°C, 33°C, 35°C or 37°C) to evaluate how different MDTs affect the program of gene expression in maize. At the same time, we analyzed the effects of temperature on gene expression in bzip60-2 and W22 V4 plants (20 DAG) and V5 plants (27 DAG) in the Enviratron as the temperature reached its MDT to investigate whether and how bZIP60 confers heat stress tolerance in maize. RNA was extracted from small strips of leaf lamina excised from the first fully expanded leaf of V4 and V5 W22 plants (at 20 and 27 DAG, respectively). Plants were sampled in triplicates.
Project description:The two Arabidopsis ecotypes that are adapted to Italy and Sweden, respectively, showed different degree of freezing tolerance. By comparing the low temperature transcriptomes of the IT and SW ecotypes, we showed CBF pathway plays a significant role in natural variation of freezing tolerance.
Project description:The two Arabidopsis ecotypes that are adapted to Italy and Sweden, respectively, showed different degree of freezing tolerance. By comparing the low temperature transcriptomes of the IT and SW ecotypes with the CBF pathway being knocked out, we showed the CBF pathway plays a significant role in natural variation of freezing tolerance.
2018-07-30 | GSE106284 | GEO
Project description:Low temperature tolerance of maize
Project description:<p>Cold stress negatively affects maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) growth, development and yield. Metabolic adjustments contribute to the adaptation of maize under cold stress. We show here that the transcription factor INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION 1 (ZmICE1) plays a prominent role in reprogramming amino acid metabolome and <em>COLD-RESPONSIVE</em> (<em>COR</em>) genes during cold stress in maize. Derivatives of amino acids glutamate/asparagine (Glu/Asn) induce a burst of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which suppress the cold-mediated induction of <em>DEHYDRATION RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN 1</em> (<em>ZmDREB1</em>) genes and impair cold tolerance. ZmICE1 blocks this negative regulation of cold tolerance by directly repressing the expression of the key Glu/Asn biosynthesis genes, <em>ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASEs</em>. Moreover, ZmICE1 directly regulates the expression of <em>DREB1s</em>. Natural variation at the <em>ZmICE1</em> promoter determines the binding affinity of the transcriptional activator ZmMYB39, a positive regulator of cold tolerance in maize, resulting in different degrees of <em>ZmICE1</em> transcription and cold tolerance across inbred lines. This study thus unravels a mechanism of cold tolerance in maize and provides potential targets for engineering cold-tolerant varieties.</p>