Abstract
Water deficit is a key limiting factor for maize (Zea mays L.) productivity. Elucidating the molecular regulatory networks of stress tolerance is crucial for genetic enhancement of drought tolerance. Two genotypes of maize contrasting in their yield response to water deficit were evaluated for tolerance traits of water relations, net CO2 assimilation rate, antioxidative metabolism and grain yield in relation to the expression levels, based on transcription profiling of genes involved in stress signaling, protein processing and energy metabolism to identify functional tolerance mechanisms. In the genotype SNJ201126 upregulation of calcium mediated signaling, plasma membrane and tonoplast intrinsic proteins and the membrane associated transporters contributed to better maintenance of water relations as evident from the higher relative water content and stomatal conductance at seedling and anthesis stages coupled with robust photosynthetic capacity and antioxidative metabolism. Further the protein folding machinery consisting of calnexin/calreticulin (CNX/CRT) cycle was significantly upregulated only in SNJ201126. While the down regulation of genes involved in photosystems and the enzymes of carbon fixation led to the relative susceptibility of genotype HKI161 in terms of reduced net CO2 assimilation rate, biomass and grain yield. Our results provide new insight into intrinsic functional mechanisms related to tolerance in maize.
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Data availability
The transcriptome data of two maize genotypes HKI161 and SNJ201126 under well-watered and water deficit stress conditions has been deposited at NCBI under the BioProject number PRJNA436078. The sequencing data was deposited in the Sequence Read Archive database under the accession number SRP133547.
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Acknowledgements
This research was carried out under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. Authors are thankful to the Indian Institute of Maize Research, CIMMYT, Hyderabad Office and NBPGR Regional Station, Hyderabad for providing maize seed
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Joint first author: Mandapaka Maheswari and Yellisetty Varalaxmi.
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Maheswari, M., Varalaxmi, Y., Sarkar, B. et al. Tolerance mechanisms in maize identified through phenotyping and transcriptome analysis in response to water deficit stress. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 27, 1377–1394 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-021-01003-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-021-01003-4