We studied the transcriptional profiles of leaves and roots of three-leaf stage seedlings of the maize inbred line YQ7-96 under conditions of salt stress (100 mM NaCl) and removal of salt stress (RSS). A total of 296 genes were regulated specifically by the stress, of which 206 were specific to leaves and 90 were specific to roots. Stress-regulated genes were classified into eight and seven expression patterns for leaves and roots, respectively. There were 60 genes which were regulated specifically by RSS, 27 of which were specific to leaves and 33 specific to roots. No genes were found to be co-regulated in tissues and to be regulated commonly by the stress and RSS. It can be concluded that (i) at the early stage of the stress, transcriptional responses are directed at water deficit in maize leaves but at both water deficit and Na+ accumulation in roots; (ii) at the later stage, the responses in leaves and roots result from dual effects of both water deficit and Na+ accumulation; (iii) the polyamine metabolic pathway is an important linker for the co-ordination between leaves and roots to accomplish the tolerance of the whole maize plant to the stress; (iv) the stress can lead to genomic restructuring and nuclear transport in maize; (v) maize leaves are distinct from roots in terms of molecular mechanisms for responses to and growth recovery from the stress; and (vi) mechanisms for the maize responses to the stress differ from those for their growth recovery during RSS.

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Changes in water potential, growth elongation, photosynthesis of three-leaf-old seedlings of maize inbred line YQ7-96 under water deficit (WD) for 0.5, 1 and 2 h and re-watering (RW) for 24 h were characterized. Gene expression was analyzed using cDNA microarray covering 11,855 maize unigenes. As for whole maize plant, the expression of WD-regulated genes was characterized by up-regulation. The expression of WD-regulated genes was categorized into eight different patterns, respectively, in leaves and roots. Newly found and WD-affected cellular processes were metabolic process, amino acid and derivative metabolic process and cell death. A great number of the analyzed genes were found to be regulated specifically by RW and commonly by both WD and RW, respectively, in leaves. It is therefore concluded that (1) whole maize plant tolerance to WD, as well as growth recovery from WD, depends at least in part on transcriptional coordination between leaves and roots; (2) WD exerts effects on the maize, especially on basal metabolism; (3) WD could probably affect CO(2) uptake and partitioning, and transport of fixed carbons; (4) WD could likely influence nuclear activity and genome stability; and (5) maize growth recovery from WD is likely involved in some specific signaling pathways related to RW-specific responsive genes.