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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Imaging and Analysis for Quantifying Maize (Zea mays) Abiotic Stress Phenotypes
Published on: March 28, 2025
Bacillus velezensis D103 enhances maize drought tolerance via ROS-scavenging and phenylpropanoid pathway activation
Yating Zhang1,2, Yingfeng An1, Zhiyong Zhang2
1College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, People's Republic of China.
Bacillus velezensis D103 enhances maize drought tolerance by boosting antioxidant activity and lignin. This involves key genes like ZmAPX3, ZmAOX1B, ZmPER72, and ZmPRX74, offering a microbial solution for water-limited agriculture.
Area of Science:
- Plant Science
- Microbiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Drought stress significantly impacts global crop yields.
- Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) show potential for enhancing crop drought tolerance.
- Molecular mechanisms underlying PGPR-mediated drought tolerance require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Bacillus velezensis D103 in conferring drought tolerance to maize.
- To identify physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in D103-mediated drought resistance.
Main Methods:
- Maize physiological and transcriptomic analyses under drought stress with and without D103 inoculation.
- Measurement of relative water content (RWC), lignin deposition, and antioxidant enzyme activities.
- Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to assess gene function.
Main Results:
- D103 inoculation improved maize growth and RWC under drought, reducing RWC deficit from 12.4% to 5.1%.
- D103 treatment increased lignin deposition by 28.5% and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed activation of glutathione metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways.
Conclusions:
- Bacillus velezensis D103 enhances maize drought tolerance via improved antioxidant capacity and lignin accumulation.
- ZmAPX3, ZmAOX1B, ZmPER72, and ZmPRX74 are identified as key genes contributing to D103-mediated drought resistance.
- Strain D103 is a promising microbial inoculant for improving maize resilience in water-limited environments.
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