A maize gene keeps roots growing when the soil dries out
Xu H, Ma L, Zhang Q, Zheng Z, Li J
Climate Adaptation
Roots that keep pushing downward through dry spells are what keep a corn patch, a sunflower row, or any thirsty garden crop alive in a hot August, and this study shows how one gene tunes that response.
Corn roots use a growth hormone to decide how far to stretch, but too much of it during a drought actually shuts down growth at the root tip. A gene called ZmSPL12 holds that hormone at a steady, moderate level, so roots keep growing when water gets scarce. Corn carrying extra copies handled dry field conditions better and kept its yields steadier.
Key Findings
ZmSPL12 overexpression shortens roots under well-watered conditions but sustains root elongation under drought stress.
ZmSPL12 binds directly to the promoter of the auxin biosynthesis gene ZmYUC5 and suppresses it, preventing drought-triggered auxin overaccumulation that inhibits root meristem activity.
Field drought trials showed overexpression improved drought resilience in inbred lines and stabilized grain yield in commercial hybrids under water-limited conditions.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found a gene in maize that acts like a dimmer switch for the growth hormone auxin in root tips. Plants with extra copies keep their roots growing during drought and held up better in field trials, including in commercial hybrids.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Coordination of drought-adaptive root growth plasticity through auxin homeostasis by the ZmSPL12-ZmYUC5 module in maize.
Climate change-induced drought increasingly threatens global maize production. Drought-adaptive root plasticity in maize depends on auxin signaling, yet how auxin homeostasis is dynamically tuned i...
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Maize, also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern ...