Transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of maize cold-drought co-stress response reveal a key role of ZmSnRK2.2-mediated phospho-signaling and identify endocytosis as an important process.
Jing S, Sun Y, Pan M, Gao Y, Zhang T
Crop Improvement
PubMedEarly spring cold snaps paired with dry conditions are a leading cause of corn crop losses, and understanding how corn defends itself could help breed more resilient varieties that protect the food supply and keep grocery prices stable.
Corn plants often face cold and drought hitting at the same time in early spring, which can devastate harvests. Researchers mapped out exactly how corn responds to this double threat in the first few hours, finding that a specific protein acts like a master alarm switch, triggering the plant to close tiny pores on its leaves to stop losing water. They also discovered that the plant reshuffles materials inside its cells as part of its emergency response — a previously underappreciated survival trick.
Key Findings
Researchers identified 1,368 proteins with altered activity patterns in corn during combined cold-drought stress, with chemical 'on/off switches' (phosphorylation) being the dominant rapid response mechanism.
A stress hormone called ABA accumulated specifically under combined cold-drought conditions (not under either stress alone), activating a key protein ZmSnRK2.2 that directly controls a water-channel protein to trigger stomatal closure.
Cellular 'recycling and transport' pathways (endocytosis) were significantly activated within the first 30 minutes of combined stress, revealing membrane trafficking as an early and important adaptation strategy.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered how corn plants survive the deadly combination of cold temperatures and drought at the same time — a common spring threat to crops worldwide. They identified a key molecular switch (a protein called ZmSnRK2.2) that helps corn close its leaf pores to conserve water under these combined stresses.
Abstract Preview
Plants frequently encounter combined abiotic stresses rather than single stressors in nature. As a staple crop grown worldwide, maize is frequently exposed to cold-drought co-stress in early spring...
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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 ...