中国农业大学秦峰团队取得一项新突破。他们开发出玉米的泛基因组为抗旱性提供了遗传信息。相关论文于2025年10月27日发表于国际顶尖学术期刊《自然—遗传学》杂志上。

在这里，该课题组人员获得了25个玉米种质的高质量基因组组合，这些种质在抗旱性方面表现出很大的差异。结合另外31个玉米基因组序列，进行了全面的泛基因组分析。脱落酸相关基因和干旱相关基因存在罕见的等位基因变异和广泛的调控多样性，这可能是造成种质间抗旱性多样性的原因之一。

此外，研究小组还发现ZmUGE2、ZmSIL2和ZmASI3三个基因分别通过加强细胞壁的机械支持、调控胁迫响应基因表达和协调雌雄花序发育来增强玉米抗旱性。因此，本研究为玉米不同生育期抗旱性的遗传调控提供了有价值的见解。扩增的玉米全基因组信息为玉米基因组研究提供了宝贵的参考依据。

据了解，干旱对农作物产量的稳定构成严重威胁。确定作物抗旱性的遗传资源和破译抗旱性的分子机制是至关重要的。

附：英文原文

Title: A pangenome of maize provides genetic insights into drought resistance

Author: Yang, Shiping, Wang, Yijie, Huang, Qin, Wang, Mengyuan, Wang, Shuhui, Fu, Xiaomeng, Zhu, Chaohui, Cheng, Jinkui, Liu, Shengxue, Yang, Zhirui, Yang, Ning, Yan, Jianbing, Yang, Xiaohong, Qin, Feng

Issue&Volume: 2025-10-27

Abstract: Drought poses a severe threat to the stability of crop yields. It is crucial to identify genetic resources and decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying drought resistance in crops. Here we generated high-quality genome assemblies of 25 maize germplasms exhibiting substantial variation in drought resistance. Combined with 31 additional maize genome sequences, a comprehensive pangenome analysis was performed. Rare allelic variations and extensive regulatory diversity were revealed in abscisic acid-related or drought-related genes, which may contribute to the diversity in drought resistance among germplasms. Furthermore, we identified three genes, ZmUGE2, ZmSIL2 and ZmASI3, that enhance maize drought resistance by strengthening mechanical support of the cell wall, regulating stress-responsive gene expression and coordinating male and female inflorescence development, respectively. Thus, this study provides valuable insight into the genetic control of drought resistance in maize at different growing stages. The expanded maize pangenome information serves as a valuable resource for maize genomic research.

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02378-w

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02378-w