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Maize ZmBES1/BZR1-7 Transcription Factor Positively Regulates Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis and Rice
Huaming Duan1, Xin Zhang1, Yiran Zhao1
1Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Maize gene ZmBES1/BZR1-7 enhances drought tolerance in crops. Overexpressing this gene improves survival, water content, and root growth under drought, offering solutions for food security.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Crop science
- Genetics
Background:
- Drought stress severely impacts crop yields and global food security.
- Understanding plant stress response mechanisms is vital for developing resilient crops.
- The BES1/BZR1 family of transcription factors plays a role in plant growth and stress adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clone and characterize the maize ZmBES1/BZR1-7 gene.
- To investigate the function of ZmBES1/BZR1-7 in drought stress tolerance.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying ZmBES1/BZR1-7-mediated drought response.
Main Methods:
- Gene cloning and transformation into Arabidopsis and rice.
- Phenotypic analysis of transgenic plants under drought stress.
- Molecular assays including RNA-seq and qRT-PCR for expression profiling.
Main Results:
- ZmBES1/BZR1-7 protein possesses a bHLH domain, nuclear localization, and transcriptional activation activity.
- ZmBES1/BZR1-7 expression is induced by drought stress in maize.
- Transgenic Arabidopsis and rice overexpressing ZmBES1/BZR1-7 exhibited enhanced drought tolerance, including higher survival rates, improved water status, longer roots, and reduced cellular damage.
Conclusions:
- ZmBES1/BZR1-7 is a key regulator of drought stress tolerance in maize.
- The gene enhances crop resilience by modulating stress-responsive gene transcription.
- ZmBES1/BZR1-7 represents a promising target for genetic engineering to improve crop drought resistance and ensure food security.
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