Cereal Research Communications
Volume/Issue:
Volume 47: Issue 2
Salt stress induces genotype-specific DNA hypomethylation in ZmEXPB2 and ZmXET1 genes in maize
Authors:
F. Kaleem COMSATS University, Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan

Search for other papers by F. Kaleem in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
M. Shahzad COMSATS University, Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan

Search for other papers by M. Shahzad in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
G. Shabir Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

Search for other papers by G. Shabir in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
K. Aslam Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

Search for other papers by K. Aslam in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
S.M. Shah COMSATS University, Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan

Search for other papers by S.M. Shah in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
A.R. Khan COMSATS University, Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan

Search for other papers by A.R. Khan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Pages:
216–227
Online Publication Date:
Jun 2019
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2019
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/0806.46.2018.70
Keywords:
salinity; DNA methylation; expansins; xyloglucan endotransglucosylase; Zea mays L.
Restricted access
Get Permissions

Maize, a moderately salt sensitive crop, first experiences osmotic stress that cause reduction in plant growth under salt stress. Fluctuation in cell wall elongation is one of the reasons of this reduction. Along with others, two important proteins expansins and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase are involved in regulation of cell wall elasticity, but the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating the cell wall related genes is still elusive. The present study was conducted with the aim of understanding the role of DNA methylation in regulating ZmEXPB2 and ZmXET1 genes. One salt sensitive and one salt tolerant maize cultivar was grown under hydroponic conditions at different levels of salt stress: T1 = 1 mM (control), T2 = 100 mM and T3 = 200 mM in three replicates. DNA and RNA were extracted from roots. After bisulfite treatment, Methyl Sensitive PCR was used for the DNA methylation analysis. It was revealed that fragment in promoter of ZmEXPB2 gene showed high level of DNA methylation under T1 in both varieties. Comparison of different stress treatments revealed decrease in DNA methylation with the increase in salt stress, significantly lower methylation appearing in T3. Similarly, the fragment in promoter of ZmXET1 gene also showed high levels of DNA methylation in T1. When different treatments were analysed, this gene significantly hypomethylated at T2 which continued to decrease in T3 in sensitive variety but remain stable in tolerant variety. Although, further in-depth analysis is required, our results demonstrate region-specific and genotype-specific methylation shift in the promoter of the ZmEXPB2 and ZmXET1 genes when subjected to the salt stress confirming the epigenetic regulation of these genes under stress conditions.

Supplementary Materials

    • Supplementary Material
  • Collapse
  • Expand
Cover Cereal Research Communications
Cereal Research Communications A Quarterly of the Cereal Research Non-Profit Ltd. Company
Print ISSN:
0133-3720
Online ISSN:
1788-9170

 

 

 

Cereal Research Communications
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation		 1973
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 4
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0133-3720 (Print)
ISSN 1788-9170 (Online)

Monthly Content Usage

Abstract Views Full Text Views PDF Downloads
Jan 2025 38 1 0
Feb 2025 48 0 0
Mar 2025 49 0 0
Apr 2025 10 0 0
May 2025 15 0 0
Jun 2025 16 0 0
Jul 2025 0 0 0