ZmLSD1 Enhances Salt Tolerance by Regulating the Expression of ZmWRKY29 in Maize

Salt stress significantly impairs plant growth, presenting a challenge to agricultural productivity. Exploring the regulatory mechanisms underlying salt stress responses is critically important. Here, we identified a significant role for the maize LESION-SIMULATING DISEASE transcription factor, ZmLSD1, in enhancing salt stress response. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that ZmLSD1-GFP was localized in the nucleus in the maize protoplast. Overexpressing ZmLSD1 in maize obviously enhanced the tolerance of plants to salt stress. Physiological analysis indicated that overexpressed ZmLSD1 in maize could mitigate the accumulation of H₂O₂ and MDA content exposed to salt stress. RNA-seq and qPCR-PCR analyses showed that ZmLSD1 positively regulated ZmWRKY29 expression. ChIP-qPCR and EMSA experiments demonstrated that ZmLSD1 could directly bind to the promoter of ZmWRKY29 through the GTAC motif both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our findings suggest that ZmLSD1 plays a positive role in enhancing the tolerance of maize to salt by affecting ZmWRKY29 expression.