Natural variation of an EF-hand Ca2+-binding-protein coding gene confers saline-alkaline tolerance in maize

Yibo Cao, Ming Zhang, Xiaoyan Liang, Fenrong Li, Yunlu Shi, Xiaohong Yang and Caifu Jiang ()
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Yibo Cao: China Agricultural University
Ming Zhang: China Agricultural University
Xiaoyan Liang: China Agricultural University
Fenrong Li: China Agricultural University
Yunlu Shi: China Agricultural University
Xiaohong Yang: China Agricultural University
Caifu Jiang: China Agricultural University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Sodium (Na+) toxicity is one of the major damages imposed on crops by saline-alkaline stress. Here we show that natural maize inbred lines display substantial variations in shoot Na+ contents and saline-alkaline (NaHCO3) tolerance, and reveal that ZmNSA1 (Na+ Content under Saline-Alkaline Condition) confers shoot Na+ variations under NaHCO3 condition by a genome-wide association study. Lacking of ZmNSA1 promotes shoot Na+ homeostasis by increasing root Na+ efflux. A naturally occurred 4-bp deletion decreases the translation efficiency of ZmNSA1 mRNA, thus promotes Na+ homeostasis. We further show that, under saline-alkaline condition, Ca2+ binds to the EF-hand domain of ZmNSA1 then triggers its degradation via 26S proteasome, which in turn increases the transcripts levels of PM-H+-ATPases (MHA2 and MHA4), and consequently enhances SOS1 Na+/H+ antiporter-mediated root Na+ efflux. Our studies reveal the mechanism of Ca2+-triggered saline-alkaline tolerance and provide an important gene target for breeding saline-alkaline tolerant maize varieties.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14027-y

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