Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal
Abstract Background Maize (Zea mays L.) is a widely cultivated cereal and has been used as an optimum heavy metal phytoremediation crop. Metallothionein (MT) proteins are small, cysteine-rich, proteins that play important roles in plant growth and development, and the regulation of stress response t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Biological Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40659-021-00368-w |
| _version_ | 1798026421944188928 |
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| author | Canhong Gao Kun Gao Huixian Yang Tangdan Ju Jingyi Zhu Zailin Tang Liangxia Zhao Qingquan Chen |
| author_facet | Canhong Gao Kun Gao Huixian Yang Tangdan Ju Jingyi Zhu Zailin Tang Liangxia Zhao Qingquan Chen |
| author_sort | Canhong Gao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Maize (Zea mays L.) is a widely cultivated cereal and has been used as an optimum heavy metal phytoremediation crop. Metallothionein (MT) proteins are small, cysteine-rich, proteins that play important roles in plant growth and development, and the regulation of stress response to heavy metals. However, the MT genes for maize have not been fully analyzed so far. Methods The putative ZmMT genes were identified by HMMER.The heat map of ZmMT genes spatial expression analysis was generated by using R with the log2 (FPKM + 1).The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses were quantified by using qRT-PCR. The metallothionein proteins was aligned using MAFFT and phylogenetic analysis were constructed by ClustalX 2.1. The protein theoretical molecular weight and pI, subcellular localization, TFs binding sites, were predicted using ProtParam, PSORT, PlantTFDB, respectively. Results A total of 9 ZmMT genes were identified in the whole genome of maize. The results showed that eight of the nine ZmMT proteins contained one highly conserved metallothio_2 domain, while ZmMT4 contained a Metallothio_PEC domain. All the ZmMT proteins could be classified into three major groups and located on five chromosomes. The ZmMT promoters contain a large number of hormone regulatory elements and hormone-related transcription factor binding sites. The ZmMT genes exhibited spatiotemporal specific expression patterns in 23 tissues of maize development stages and showed the different expression patterns in response to Cu, Cd, and Pb heavy metal stresses. Conclusions We identified the 9 ZmMT genes, and explored their conserved motif, tissue expression patterns, evolutionary relationship. The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses (Cu, Cd, Pb) were analyzed. In summary, the expression of ZmMTs have poteintial to be regulated by hormones. The specific expression of ZmMTs in different tissues of maize and the response to different heavy metal stresses are revealed that the role of MT in plant growth and development, and stress resistance to heavy metals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:35:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b3df5aa36b849cc96bff10a3efb72e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0717-6287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:35:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Biological Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b3df5aa36b849cc96bff10a3efb72e92022-12-22T04:09:17ZengBMCBiological Research0717-62872022-01-0155111310.1186/s40659-021-00368-wGenome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metalCanhong Gao0Kun Gao1Huixian Yang2Tangdan Ju3Jingyi Zhu4Zailin Tang5Liangxia Zhao6Qingquan Chen7School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversitySchool of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural UniversityAbstract Background Maize (Zea mays L.) is a widely cultivated cereal and has been used as an optimum heavy metal phytoremediation crop. Metallothionein (MT) proteins are small, cysteine-rich, proteins that play important roles in plant growth and development, and the regulation of stress response to heavy metals. However, the MT genes for maize have not been fully analyzed so far. Methods The putative ZmMT genes were identified by HMMER.The heat map of ZmMT genes spatial expression analysis was generated by using R with the log2 (FPKM + 1).The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses were quantified by using qRT-PCR. The metallothionein proteins was aligned using MAFFT and phylogenetic analysis were constructed by ClustalX 2.1. The protein theoretical molecular weight and pI, subcellular localization, TFs binding sites, were predicted using ProtParam, PSORT, PlantTFDB, respectively. Results A total of 9 ZmMT genes were identified in the whole genome of maize. The results showed that eight of the nine ZmMT proteins contained one highly conserved metallothio_2 domain, while ZmMT4 contained a Metallothio_PEC domain. All the ZmMT proteins could be classified into three major groups and located on five chromosomes. The ZmMT promoters contain a large number of hormone regulatory elements and hormone-related transcription factor binding sites. The ZmMT genes exhibited spatiotemporal specific expression patterns in 23 tissues of maize development stages and showed the different expression patterns in response to Cu, Cd, and Pb heavy metal stresses. Conclusions We identified the 9 ZmMT genes, and explored their conserved motif, tissue expression patterns, evolutionary relationship. The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses (Cu, Cd, Pb) were analyzed. In summary, the expression of ZmMTs have poteintial to be regulated by hormones. The specific expression of ZmMTs in different tissues of maize and the response to different heavy metal stresses are revealed that the role of MT in plant growth and development, and stress resistance to heavy metals.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40659-021-00368-wMaizeMetallothionein gene familyIdentificationExpression patternsHeavy metal stress |
| spellingShingle | Canhong Gao Kun Gao Huixian Yang Tangdan Ju Jingyi Zhu Zailin Tang Liangxia Zhao Qingquan Chen Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal Biological Research Maize Metallothionein gene family Identification Expression patterns Heavy metal stress |
| title | Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| title_full | Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| title_fullStr | Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| title_short | Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| title_sort | genome wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal |
| topic | Maize Metallothionein gene family Identification Expression patterns Heavy metal stress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40659-021-00368-w |
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