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Analysis of the 5' Untranslated Region Length-Dependent Control of Gene Expression in Maize: A Case Study with the ZmLAZ1 Gene Family.

Bingliang LiuXiaowei LiuMin SunYanxia SunDayu LiuLi HaoYang Tao
Published in: Genes (2024)
The untranslated regions (UTRs) within plant mRNAs play crucial roles in regulating gene expression and the functionality of post-translationally modified proteins by various mechanisms. These regions are vital for plants' ability to sense to multiple developmental and environmental stimuli. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of UTRs and UTR-containing genes in maize ( Zea mays ). Using the ZmLAZ1 family as a case study, we demonstrated that the length of 5' UTRs could influence gene expression levels by employing GUS reporter gene assays. Although maize and arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ), as well as rice ( Oryza sativa ), have distinct functional categories of UTR-containing genes, we observed a similar lengthwise distribution of UTRs and a recurring appearance of certain gene ontology (GO) terms between maize and rice. These suggest a potentially conserved mechanism within the Poaceae species. Furthermore, the analysis of cis -acting elements in these 5' UTRs of the ZmLAZ1 gene family further supports the hypothesis that UTRs confer functional specificity to genes in a length-dependent manner. Our findings offer novel insights into the role of UTRs in maize, contributing to the broader understanding of gene expression regulation in plants.
Keyphrases
  • gene expression
  • genome wide
  • dna methylation
  • genome wide identification
  • copy number
  • transcription factor
  • arabidopsis thaliana
  • genome wide analysis
  • crispr cas
  • climate change
  • single cell
  • plant growth