Phosphorylation of ZmAL14 by ZmSnRK2.2 regulates drought resistance through derepressing ZmROP8 expression

• Published in: Journal of integrative plant biology 2024-07, Vol.66 (7), p.1334-1350
• Main Authors: Wang, Yalin, Cheng, Jinkui, Guo, Yazhen, Li, Zhen, Yang, Shuhua, Wang, Yu, Gong, Zhizhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscisic acid; Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Acid resistance; Crop growth; Crop production; Dehydration; Drought; Drought Resistance; drought tolerance; Droughts; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene silencing; Hydrogen peroxide; Kinases; maize; Peroxidase; Phosphorylation; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Signal transduction; Stress, Physiological - genetics; transcription factor; Transcription factors; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - metabolism; ZmAL14
• ISSN: 1672-9072; 1744-7909; 1744-7909
• DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13677

ABSTRACT Drought stress has negative effects on crop growth and production. Characterization of transcription factors that regulate the expression of drought‐responsive genes is critical for understanding the transcriptional regulatory networks in response to drought, which facilitates the improvement of crop drought tolerance. Here, we identified an Alfin‐like (AL) family gene ZmAL14 that negatively regulates drought resistance. Overexpression of ZmAL14 exhibits susceptibility to drought while mutation of ZmAL14 enhances drought resistance. An abscisic acid (ABA)‐activated protein kinase ZmSnRK2.2 interacts and phosphorylates ZmAL14 at T38 residue. Knockout of ZmSnRK2.2 gene decreases drought resistance of maize. A dehydration‐induced Rho‐like small guanosine triphosphatase gene ZmROP8 is directly targeted and repressed by ZmAL14. Phosphorylation of ZmAL14 by ZmSnRK2.2 prevents its binding to the ZmROP8 promoter, thereby releasing the repression of ZmROP8 transcription. Overexpression of ZmROP8 stimulates peroxidase activity and reduces hydrogen peroxide accumulation after drought treatment. Collectively, our study indicates that ZmAL14 is a negative regulator of drought resistance, which can be phosphorylated by ZmSnRK2.2 through the ABA signaling pathway, thus preventing its suppression on ZmROP8 transcription during drought stress response. Under drought stress or abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, a kinase cascade regulates the Alfin‐like family protein ZmAL14, removing its repression of the dehydration‐induced Rho‐like small guanosine triphosphatase gene ZmROP8, thus activating drought stress responses.