Analysis of the C2H2 Gene Family in Maize (Zea mays L.) under Cold Stress: Identification and Expression

Abstract

The C2H2 zinc finger protein is one of the most common zinc finger proteins, widely exists in eukaryotes, and plays an important role in plant growth and development, as well as in salt, low-temperature, and drought stress and other abiotic stress responses. In this study, C2H2 members were identified and analyzed from the low-temperature tolerant transcriptome sequencing data of maize seedlings. The chromosome position, physical and chemical properties, evolution analysis, gene structure, conservative motifs, promoter cis elements and collinearity relationships of gene the family members were analyzed using bioinformatics, and the expression of the ZmC2H2 gene family under cold stress was analyzed by fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results showed that 150 members of the C2H2 zinc finger protein family were identified, and their protein lengths ranged from 102 to 1223 bp. The maximum molecular weight of the ZmC2H2s was 135196.34, and the minimum was 10823.86. The isoelectric point of the ZmC2H2s was between 33.21 and 94.1, and the aliphatic index was 42.07–87.62. The promoter cis element analysis showed that the ZmC2H2 family contains many light-response elements, plant hormone-response elements, and stress-response elements. The analysis of the transcriptome data showed that most of the ZmC2H2 genes responded to cold stress, and most of the ZmC2H2 genes were highly expressed in cold-tolerant materials and lowly expressed in cold-sensitive materials. The real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that ZmC2H2-69, ZmC2H2-130, and ZmC2H2-76 were significantly upregulated, and that ZmC2H2-149, ZmC2H2-33, and ZmC2H2-38 were significantly downregulated. It is hypothesized that these genes, which function in different metabolic pathways, may play a key role in the maize cold response. These genes could be further studied as candidate genes. This study provides a theoretical reference for further study on the function analysis of the maize C2H2 gene family.

Unravelling the genetic framework associated with grain quality and yield-related traits in maize (Zea mays L.)

“…In addition to enzymes, some genes also encode for potent transcription factors. An example of such transcription factors is the C2H2-type domain-containing proteins, known as zinc finger proteins, which play a pivotal role in regulating plant growth and development ( Li et al, 2022 ). Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E is involved in translating specific mRNA subsets related to cell proliferation.…”

“…Moreover, certain NAC-TFs, such as ZmNAC128 and ZmNAC130 , have been identified to play crucial roles in the accumulation of starch and protein in maize, as highlighted in a study by Zhang et al (2019) . Pentatricopeptide repeat-containing proteins participate in RNA regulation and metabolism within plant organelles ( Wang X. et al, 2021 ), and they are recognized for their multifaceted roles in plant growth and development ( Li et al, 2022 ). The RING-H2 finger protein ATL80, featuring zinc finger domains, plays a role in stress response ( Gao et al, 2012 ) and has been associated with influencing plant architecture and grain yield in rice ( Yan et al, 2022 ).…”

“…TF PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR-LIKE 13 participates in light-induced transcription and plays a role in plant growth and internode elongation ( Wu et al, 2019 ). Additionally, there are transposition-associated genes and the Zinc finger protein WIP2, which have been linked to plant growth ( Wang et al, 2010 ; Wang B. et al, 2016 ; Li et al, 2022 ).…”

ZmC2H2‐149 negatively regulates drought tolerance by repressing ZmHSD1 in maize

“…Thus far, a total of 150 C2H2‐ZFP coding genes have been identified in the maize's genome (Li et al, 2022). Overexpression of ZmZF1 in Arabidopsis conferred tolerance to drought stress (Huai et al, 2009).…”

The Analysis, Description, and Examination of the Maize LAC Gene Family’s Reaction to Abiotic and Biotic Stress

“…An essential approach to understanding gene origin and predicting gene function is the analysis of gene families [ 48 , 49 , 50 ]. Various gene families, such as C2H2 [ 51 ], GS [ 52 ], LACS [ 53 ], FAR1/FHY3 [ 54 ], and SWEET [ 55 ], have been characterized in maize using high-quality genomic data. Nevertheless, previous investigations of maize LAC family genes were solely based on genomic information from the maize B73_V4 variety [ 43 , 56 ], resulting in an incomplete genome identification of the maize LAC family genes.…”