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Identification of MYB transcription factor genes and their expression during abiotic stresses in maize

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  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The MYB transcription factor superfamily is a large gene family that plays central roles in developmental processes and defence responses in plants. Unlike in Arabidopsis, only few members of the R2R3-MYB gene family have been functionally well characterized in maize, especially in abiotic stress-response pathways. Subgroup-specific conserved motifs outside the MYB domain may reflect functional conservation. A comparative genomics study using Arabidopsis abiotic stress-responsive MYB protein sequences identified 46 ZmMYB genes that may be involve in abiotic stress responses of Zea mays. An expression pattern analysis of the 46 ZmMYB genes under abiotic stress treatments was used to identify 22 MYB genes that were induced by one or more of the stress treatments. ZmMYB30 was highly upregulated under the four stress treatments. The ectopic expression of ZmMYB30 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants promoted salt-stress tolerance and also increased the expression of a number of abiotic stress-related genes, allowing the plants to overcome adverse conditions.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

CaMV:

cauliflower mosaic virus

DBD:

DNA binding domain

ML:

maximum likelihood

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

NJ:

neighbor-joining

ORFs:

open reading frames

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

qPCR:

quantitative PCR

TFs:

transcription factors

WT:

wild type

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science, Nantong University, Jiangsu, 226019, P. R. China

    Y. H. Chen, Y. Y. Cao, L. J. Wang, L. M. Li & J. Yang

  2. School of Public Health, Nantong University, Jiangsu, 226019, P. R. China

    M. X. Zou

Authors
  1. Y. H. Chen
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  2. Y. Y. Cao
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  3. L. J. Wang
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  4. L. M. Li
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  5. J. Yang
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  6. M. X. Zou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y. H. Chen.

Additional information

Acknowledgments: This study was supported by grants from the Jiangsu Overseas Research & Training Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents, the Science and Technology Fund of Nantong City (MS12015091) and the Undergraduate Innovative Training Program of Nantong University.

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Chen, Y.H., Cao, Y.Y., Wang, L.J. et al. Identification of MYB transcription factor genes and their expression during abiotic stresses in maize. Biol Plant 62, 222–230 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-017-0756-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-017-0756-1

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