中国农业大学秦峰团队近日取得一项新成果。经过不懈努力，他们发现富亮氨酸重复受体样激酶（LRR-RLKs）蛋白调节玉米（Zea mays）的干旱和盐胁迫反应。2024年11月13日出版的《遗传学报》发表了这项成果。

探究人员揭示了拟南芥LRR-RLK MALE DISCOVERER 1 (MDIS1)-INTERACTING RECEPTOR LIKE KINASE 2 (MIK2) 的同源物LRR-RLK ZmMIK2，在玉米抗旱和抗盐胁迫中的作用。Zmmik2植物对这两种胁迫的抗性都有所增强，而过表达ZmMIK2则会产生相反的表型。

此外，研究还发现了与ZmMIK2细胞内区域存在相互作用的含C2蛋白结构域蛋白1（ZmC2DP1）。值得注意的是，ZmMIK2的该区域介导了ZmC2DP1的磷酸化，可能是通过增加其稳定性发挥功能。ZmMIK2和ZmC2DP1主要在根中表达。与ZmMIK2一样，敲除ZmC2DP1也会增强玉米对干旱和盐胁迫的抗性。该研究表明ZmMIK2-ZmC2DP1是玉米干旱和盐胁迫响应中的一个负调控模块。

据介绍，玉米是全球重要的粮食、饲料和能源原料来源，具有提高产量的巨大潜力。然而，包括干旱和盐胁迫在内的环境胁迫严重限制了玉米植株的生长和发育，导致其大量减产。LRR-RLKs在模式植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）的生物和非生物胁迫响应中发挥作用，但它们在玉米非生物胁迫响应中的作用还不完全清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: An LRR-RLK protein modulates drought- and salt-stress responses in maize

Author: Feng Qin

Issue&Volume: 2024/11/13

Abstract: Maize (Zea mays), which is a vital source of food, feed, and energy feedstock globally, has significant potential for higher yields. However, environmental stress conditions, including drought and salt stress, severely restrict maize plant growth and development, leading to great yield losses. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) function in biotic and abiotic stress responses in the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), but their roles in abiotic stress responses in maize are not entirely understood. In this study, we determine that the LRR-RLK ZmMIK2, a homolog of the Arabidopsis LRR-RK MALE DISCOVERER 1 (MDIS1)- INTERACTING RECEPTOR LIKE KINASE 2 (MIK2), functions in resistance to both drought and salt stress in maize. Zmmik2 plants exhibit enhanced resistance to both stresses, whereas overexpressing ZmMIK2 confers the opposite phenotypes. Furthermore, we identify C2-DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN 1 (ZmC2DP1), which interacts with the intracellular region of ZmMIK2. Notably, that region of ZmMIK2 mediates the phosphorylation of ZmC2DP1, likely by increasing its stability. Both ZmMIK2 and ZmC2DP1 are mainly expressed in roots. As with ZmMIK2, knockout of ZmC2DP1 enhanced resistance to both drought and salt stress. We conclude that ZmMIK2–ZmC2DP1 act as a negative regulatory module in maize drought- and salt-stress responses.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.10.016

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1673852724002935