ZmHOX32 is related to photosynthesis and likely function in plant architecture of maize

Photosynthesis plays a key role in crop growth and carbohydrate synthesis, which is essential to ensure crop yield. The photosynthetic pathways in C4 crops are very complex and numerous genes are involved in the regulation of photosynthesis. However, the regulatory relationships of the genes associated with photosynthesis remain unclear. It has been shown that HOX32 affects plant development and photosynthesis in rice and Arabidopsis. However, the function of this gene in maize has not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the function of ZmHOX32 by analyzing the regulatory network and associated phenotypes. The results of this study may lay the foundation for improving plant leaf shape, which is beneficial for improving photosynthesis in crops. In the article, we used tsCUT&Tag technology to find the downstream target genes of ZmHOX32, and combined with the available data in our laboratory, we initially constructed the regulatory network of ZmHOX32.