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

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.