The ethylene response factor (ERF) plays a crucial role in plant innate immunity. However, the molecular function of ERF in response to Exserohilum turcicum (E. turcicum) remains unknown in maize. In this study, a novel ERF gene, designated as ZmERF105, was firstly isolated and characterized. The ZmERF105 protein contains an APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) domain and a conserved LSPLSPHP motif in its Cterminal region. ZmERF105 protein was exclusively localized to the nucleus. ZmERF105 expression responded to E. turcicum treatment. Yeast one-hybrid and transcription activity assays revealed that ZmERF105 is an activator of transcription and binds to GCC-box elements. Over-expression of ZmERF105 was shown to increase maize resistance against E. turcicum, and erf105 mutant lines displayed opposite phenotype. Moreover, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in the ZmERF105 over-expression lines were markedly higher than in the wild-type maize lines (WT) after infection with E. turcicum, and were compromised in the erf105 mutant lines. Simultaneously, ZmERF105 over-expression lines enhanced the expression of several pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, including ZmPR1a, ZmPR2, ZmPR5, ZmPR10.1, and ZmPR10.2 after infection with E. turcicum. In contrast, the expression of PR genes was reduced in erf105 mutant lines. Our work reveals that ZmERF105 as a novel player of the ERF network and positively regulates the maize resistance response to E. turcicum.

Plants have evolved a series of sophisticated defense mechanisms to help them from harm. Ethylene Response Factor (ERF) plays pivotal roles in plant immune reactions, however, its underlying mechanism in maize with a defensive function to Exserohilum turcicum (E. turcicum) remains poorly understood. Here, we isolated and characterized a novel ERF transcription factor, designated ZmERF061, from maize. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ZmERF061 is a member of B3 group in the ERF family. qRT-PCR assays showed that the expression of ZmERF061 is significantly induced by E. turcicum inoculation and hormone treatments with salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). ZmERF061 was proved to function as a nucleus-localized transcription activator and specifically bind to the GCC-box element. zmerf061 mutant lines resulted in enhanced susceptibility to E. turcicum via decreasing the expression of ZmPR10.1 and ZmPR10.2 and the activity of antioxidant defense system. zmerf061 mutant lines increased the expression of the SA signaling-related gene ZmPR1a and decreased the expression of the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling-related gene ZmLox1 after infection with E. turcicum. In addition, ZmERF061 could interact with ZmMPK6-1. These results suggested that ZmERF061 plays an important role in response to E. turcicum and may be useful in genetic engineering breeding.

Gibberellin-dioxygenases genes plays important roles in the regulating plant development. However, Gibberellin-dioxygenases genes are rarely reported in maize, especially response to gibberellin (GA). In present study, 27 Gibberellin-dioxygenases genes were identified in the maize and they were classified into seven subfamilies (I-VII) based on phylogenetic analysis. This result was also further confirmed by their gene structure and conserved motif characteristics. And gibberellin-dioxygenases genes only occurred segmental duplication that occurs most frequently in plants. Furthermore, the gibberellin-dioxygenases genes showed different tissue expression pattern in different tissues and most of the gibberellin-dioxygenases genes showed tissue specific expression. Moreover, almost all the gibberellin-dioxygenases genes were significantly elevated in response to GA except for ZmGA2ox2 and ZmGA20ox10 of 15 gibberellin-dioxygenases genes normally expressed in leaves while 10 and 11 gibberellin-dioxygenases genes showed up and down regulated under GA treatment than that under normal condition in leaf sheath. In addition, we found that ZmGA2ox1, ZmGA2ox4, ZmGA20ox7, ZmGA3ox1 and ZmGA3ox3 might be potential genes for regulating balance of GAs which play essential roles in plant development. These findings will increase our understanding of Gibberellin-dioxygenases gene family in response to GA and will provide a solid base for further functional characterization of Gibberellin-dioxygenases genes in maize.

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