The C2H2 zinc finger protein is one of the most common zinc finger proteins, widely exists in eukaryotes, and plays an important role in plant growth and development, as well as in salt, low-temperature, and drought stress and other abiotic stress responses. In this study, C2H2 members were identified and analyzed from the low-temperature tolerant transcriptome sequencing data of maize seedlings. The chromosome position, physical and chemical properties, evolution analysis, gene structure, conservative motifs, promoter cis elements and collinearity relationships of gene the family members were analyzed using bioinformatics, and the expression of the ZmC2H2 gene family under cold stress was analyzed by fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results showed that 150 members of the C2H2 zinc finger protein family were identified, and their protein lengths ranged from 102 to 1223 bp. The maximum molecular weight of the ZmC2H2s was 135,196.34, and the minimum was 10,823.86. The isoelectric point of the ZmC2H2s was between 33.21 and 94.1, and the aliphatic index was 42.07–87.62. The promoter cis element analysis showed that the ZmC2H2 family contains many light-response elements, plant hormone-response elements, and stress-response elements. The analysis of the transcriptome data showed that most of the ZmC2H2 genes responded to cold stress, and most of the ZmC2H2 genes were highly expressed in cold-tolerant materials and lowly expressed in cold-sensitive materials. The real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that ZmC2H2-69, ZmC2H2-130, and ZmC2H2-76 were significantly upregulated, and that ZmC2H2-149, ZmC2H2-33, and ZmC2H2-38 were significantly downregulated. It is hypothesized that these genes, which function in different metabolic pathways, may play a key role in the maize cold response. These genes could be further studied as candidate genes. This study provides a theoretical reference for further study on the function analysis of the maize C2H2 gene family.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is sensitive to a minor decrease in temperature at early growth stages, resulting in deteriorated growth at later stages. Although there are significant variations in maize germplasm in response to cold stress, the metabolic responses as stress tolerance mechanisms are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed at providing insight into the metabolic responses under cold stress at the early growth stages of maize. Two inbred lines, tolerant (B144) and susceptible (Q319), were subjected to cold stress at the seedling stage, and their corresponding metabolic profiles were explored. The study identified differentially accumulated metabolites in both cultivars in response to induced cold stress with nine core conserved cold-responsive metabolites. Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate was detected as a potential biomarker metabolite to differentiate cold tolerant and sensitive maize genotypes. Furthermore, Quercetin-3-O-(2″′-p-coumaroyl)sophoroside-7-O-glucoside, Phloretin, Phloretin-2′-O-glucoside, Naringenin-7-O-Rutinoside, L-Lysine, L-phenylalanine, L-Glutamine, Sinapyl alcohol, and Feruloyltartaric acid were regulated explicitly in B144 and could be important cold-tolerance metabolites. These results increase our understanding of cold-mediated metabolic responses in maize that can be further utilized to enhance cold tolerance in this significant crop.

Maize is a vital staple crop significantly affected by climate change, necessitating urgent efforts to enhance its resilience. This review analyzes advanced methodologies for maize improvement, focusing on the identification of genetic determinants through QTL mapping, candidate gene mining, and GWAS. We highlight the transformative potential of CRISPR gene editing for identifying key regulators in maize development and the utility of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) for functional genomics. Additionally, we discuss breeding strategies leveraging the genetic diversity of maize wild relatives and innovations such as speed breeding and genomic selection (GS), which accelerate breeding cycles. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) plays a critical role in developing superior maize varieties. The review also encompasses agronomic practices and technological innovations, including GS, aimed at climate mitigation. High-throughput phenotyping and omics-based approaches, including transcriptomics and metabolomics, are essential tools for developing climate-resilient maize. Climate changes have a significant impact on maize production and pose unprecedented challenges to its cultivation.

Background/Objectives: Abiotic stresses impose significant constraints on crop growth, development, and yield. However, the comprehensive characterization of the maize (Zea mays) lipoxygenase (LOX) gene family under stress conditions remains limited. LOXs play vital roles in plant stress responses by mediating lipid oxidation and signaling pathways. Methods: In this study, 13 ZmLOX genes were identified in maize and characterized to explore their functions under abiotic stresses. Results: Phylogenetics revealed that ZmLOX genes share evolutionary origins with LOX genes in Arabidopsis and rice. Promoter analysis identified cis-acting elements associated with growth, light response, hormone signaling, and stress response, indicating their diverse biological roles. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that ZmLOX genes are involved in jasmonic acid metabolism, lipid signaling, and photosynthetic processes, while protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis positioned ZmLOX proteins as central hubs in stress-related regulatory networks. Differential expression and qRT-PCR analyses revealed stress-specific (including heat, drought, salt, and cold) expression patterns, with ZmLOX2 and ZmLOX13 showing key roles in drought and cold tolerance, respectively. Conclusions: These findings provide new insights into the regulatory functions of ZmLOX genes, offering potential targets for enhancing maize resilience to abiotic stresses and improving agricultural productivity.

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) catalyze the initial and rate-limiting step of glycerolipid biosynthesis, yet their contribution to salt tolerance in the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) plants remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, a total of 27 GmGPAT genes were identified, and their evolutionary relationships, chromosomal distribution, conserved motifs, and cis-regulatory elements were comprehensively analyzed. Through transcriptomic and qPCR analyses, many GmGPATs were found to be predominantly expressed in roots, with GmGPAT1, a plastid-targeted isoform, displaying the most rapid and pronounced transcriptional activation under salt stress. GFP-fusion experiments in transient expression assays confirmed plastid localization of GmGPAT1. Heterologous expression in Escherichia coli together with enzyme kinetics analyses validated its enzymatic function as a GPAT family member. The soybean hairy-root lines overexpressing GmGPAT1 exhibited enhanced root elongation, increased biomass, and improved photosynthetic efficiency under 120 mM NaCl stress, while CRISPR/Cas9 knockout mutants showed pronounced growth inhibition. Physiological assays demonstrated that GmGPAT1 overexpression mitigated oxidative damage by limiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lipid peroxidation, increasing antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, POD), and elevating the ratios of AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG. These changes contributed to redox homeostasis and improved Na⁺ extrusion capacity. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 288 soybean accessions identified a single nucleotide polymorphism in the GmGPAT1 promoter that was significantly correlated with salt tolerance, and the beneficial Hap1 allele emerged as a promising molecular marker for breeding. Together, these analyses emphasize the status of GmGPAT1 as a major regulator of salt stress adaptation through the coordinated modulation of lipid metabolism and redox balance, extend the functional annotation of the soybean GPAT family, and highlight new genetic resources that can be leveraged to enhance tolerance to salt stress in soybean cultivars.

Low-temperature stress during the germination stage is an important abiotic stress that affects the growth and development of northern spring maize and seriously restricts maize yield and quality. Although some quantitative trait locis (QTLs) related to low-temperature tolerance in maize have been detected, only a few can be commonly detected, and the QTL intervals are large, indicating that low-temperature tolerance is a complex trait that requires more in-depth research. In this study, 296 excellent inbred lines from domestic and foreign origins (America and Europe) were used as the study materials, and a low-coverage resequencing method was employed for genome sequencing. Five phenotypic traits related to low-temperature tolerance were used to assess the genetic diversity of maize through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). A total of 14 SNPs significantly associated with low-temperature tolerance were detected (−log10(P) > 4), and an SNP consistently linked to low-temperature tolerance in the field and indoors during germination was utilized as a marker. This SNP, 14,070, was located on chromosome 5 at position 2,205,723, which explained 4.84–9.68% of the phenotypic variation. The aim of this study was to enrich the genetic theory of low-temperature tolerance in maize and provide support for the innovation of low-temperature tolerance resources and the breeding of new varieties.