The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and low nitrogen negatively affect maize growth and development, leading to significant yield reductions. In previous studies, we successfully cloned the maize transcription factor gene ZmCCT and demonstrated its role in flowering regulation through the ph...

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Main Authors: Yanbing Zhang, Zhihuan Zhou, Senlin Xiao, Yipu Li, Suxiao Hao, Fan Que, Zhongjia Liu, Liyu Shi, Yingying Shi, Zhaoheng Zhang, Yang Xu, Tonghui Li, Yaxing Shi, Chun Yin, Wei Song, Ronghuan Wang, Weixiang Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Plant Stress
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001617
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author Yanbing Zhang
Zhihuan Zhou
Senlin Xiao
Yipu Li
Suxiao Hao
Fan Que
Zhongjia Liu
Liyu Shi
Yingying Shi
Zhaoheng Zhang
Yang Xu
Tonghui Li
Yaxing Shi
Chun Yin
Wei Song
Ronghuan Wang
Weixiang Wang
author_facet Yanbing Zhang
Zhihuan Zhou
Senlin Xiao
Yipu Li
Suxiao Hao
Fan Que
Zhongjia Liu
Liyu Shi
Yingying Shi
Zhaoheng Zhang
Yang Xu
Tonghui Li
Yaxing Shi
Chun Yin
Wei Song
Ronghuan Wang
Weixiang Wang
author_sort Yanbing Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and low nitrogen negatively affect maize growth and development, leading to significant yield reductions. In previous studies, we successfully cloned the maize transcription factor gene ZmCCT and demonstrated its role in flowering regulation through the photocycle pathway. Additionally, we found that transposable element (TE) insertions in the ZmCCT promoter region reduce maize resistance to stem rot. However, although ZmCCT was cloned years ago, its key molecular mechanisms in response to biotic and abiotic stresses remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that ZmCCT plays important roles in salt and low-nitrogen stress tolerance in maize, using the Y331/Y331-ΔTE inbred line and 83B28H1/H1/83B28H5/H5 haplotypes. Through DAB staining and H2O2 content analysis, we confirmed that Y331-ΔTE and 83B28H5/H5 exhibited less membrane system damage and greater stress tolerance following high-salt and low-nitrogen treatments. Under high salt and low nitrogen stress conditions, the Y331-ΔTE and 83B28H5/H5 inbred lines demonstrated superior phenotypic performance compared to the Y331 and 83B28H1/H1 lines. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing ZmCCT showed enhanced tolerance to salt and low nitrogen stress compared with wild-type plants. In addition, RNA-Seq analysis indicated that ZmCCT can directly activate these salt inducible genes of ZmNADP, ZmPP2C, ZmbHLH55, ZmPIP1–1, ZmPIP2–4 and some low nitrogen involved genes of ZmWRKY47, ZmMYB44, ZmMYB36, ZmPIN10 and ZmbHLH83 when respond to high salt and low nitrogen tolerance. Taken together, our results have provided that ZmCCT functions as important roles in high salt and low nitrogen stress tolerance and further highlight that ZmCCT has multiple abiotic stress roles. These results indicate that ZmCCT may be a potential candidate to enhance plant salt and low nitrogen stresses in mazie molecular design breeding.
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spelling doaj-art-a7953d558afa417aab9f896c574acf632025-08-20T02:26:14ZengElsevierPlant Stress2667-064X2025-06-011610089310.1016/j.stress.2025.100893The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in MaizeYanbing Zhang0Zhihuan Zhou1Senlin Xiao2Yipu Li3Suxiao Hao4Fan Que5Zhongjia Liu6Liyu Shi7Yingying Shi8Zhaoheng Zhang9Yang Xu10Tonghui Li11Yaxing Shi12Chun Yin13Wei Song14Ronghuan Wang15Weixiang Wang16Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaNo. 11, Middle Shuguang Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China; Agricultural College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR China; Science City Branch of Beijing Yuying School, Su Si Road, Sujiatuo Town, Haidian District, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR ChinaShichang Village, Jiugao Town, Song County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, (ieneng Building No.42 Xizhimen North Street, Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China), PR ChinaNo. 11, Middle Shuguang Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, PR ChinaAgricultural College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, PR ChinaNo. 11, Middle Shuguang Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, PR China; Corresponding authors.No. 11, Middle Shuguang Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100190, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, PR China; Corresponding authors.Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, PR China; Corresponding authors.Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and low nitrogen negatively affect maize growth and development, leading to significant yield reductions. In previous studies, we successfully cloned the maize transcription factor gene ZmCCT and demonstrated its role in flowering regulation through the photocycle pathway. Additionally, we found that transposable element (TE) insertions in the ZmCCT promoter region reduce maize resistance to stem rot. However, although ZmCCT was cloned years ago, its key molecular mechanisms in response to biotic and abiotic stresses remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that ZmCCT plays important roles in salt and low-nitrogen stress tolerance in maize, using the Y331/Y331-ΔTE inbred line and 83B28H1/H1/83B28H5/H5 haplotypes. Through DAB staining and H2O2 content analysis, we confirmed that Y331-ΔTE and 83B28H5/H5 exhibited less membrane system damage and greater stress tolerance following high-salt and low-nitrogen treatments. Under high salt and low nitrogen stress conditions, the Y331-ΔTE and 83B28H5/H5 inbred lines demonstrated superior phenotypic performance compared to the Y331 and 83B28H1/H1 lines. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing ZmCCT showed enhanced tolerance to salt and low nitrogen stress compared with wild-type plants. In addition, RNA-Seq analysis indicated that ZmCCT can directly activate these salt inducible genes of ZmNADP, ZmPP2C, ZmbHLH55, ZmPIP1–1, ZmPIP2–4 and some low nitrogen involved genes of ZmWRKY47, ZmMYB44, ZmMYB36, ZmPIN10 and ZmbHLH83 when respond to high salt and low nitrogen tolerance. Taken together, our results have provided that ZmCCT functions as important roles in high salt and low nitrogen stress tolerance and further highlight that ZmCCT has multiple abiotic stress roles. These results indicate that ZmCCT may be a potential candidate to enhance plant salt and low nitrogen stresses in mazie molecular design breeding.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001617MaizeZmCCTHigh salt stressLow nitrogen stressArabidopsis thalianaAbiotic
spellingShingle Yanbing Zhang
Zhihuan Zhou
Senlin Xiao
Yipu Li
Suxiao Hao
Fan Que
Zhongjia Liu
Liyu Shi
Yingying Shi
Zhaoheng Zhang
Yang Xu
Tonghui Li
Yaxing Shi
Chun Yin
Wei Song
Ronghuan Wang
Weixiang Wang
The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
Plant Stress
Maize
ZmCCT
High salt stress
Low nitrogen stress
Arabidopsis thaliana
Abiotic
title The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
title_full The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
title_fullStr The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
title_full_unstemmed The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
title_short The nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in Maize
title_sort nuclear transcription factor zmcct positively regulates salt and low nitrogen stress response in maize
topic Maize
ZmCCT
High salt stress
Low nitrogen stress
Arabidopsis thaliana
Abiotic
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001617
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