<i>ZmNF-YB10</i>, a maize NF-Y transcription factor, positively regulates drought and salt stress response in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

Maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) is a major food and feed crop and an important raw material for energy, chemicals, and livestock. The NF-Y family of transcription factors in maize plays a crucial role in the regulation of plant development and response to environmental stress. In this study, we successfully cloned and characterized the maize NF-Y transcription factor gene <i>ZmNF-YB10</i>. We used bioinformatics, quantitative fluorescence PCR, and other techniques to analyze the basic properties of the gene, its tissue expression specificity, and its role in response to drought, salt, and other stresses. The results indicated that the gene was 1209 base pairs (bp) in length, with a coding sequence (CDS) region of 618 bp, encoding a polypeptide composed of 205 amino acid residues. This polypeptide has a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.85 and features a conserved structural domain unique to the NF-Y family. Quantitative fluorescence PCR results demonstrated that the <i>ZmNF-YB10</i> gene was differentially upregulated under drought and salt stress treatments but exhibited a negatively regulated expression pattern under alkali and cold stress treatments. Transgenic <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> subjected to drought and salt stress in soil showed greener leaves than wild-type <i>A. thaliana</i>. In addition, the overexpression lines showed reduced levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide (O^2-), and malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blot analysis revealed a distinct band at 21.8 kDa. Salt and drought tolerance analyses conducted in <i>E. coli</i> BL21 indicated a positive regulation. In yeast cells, <i>ZmNF-YB10</i> exhibited a biological function that enhances salt and drought tolerance. Protein interactions were observed among the <i>ZmNF-YB10</i>, <i>ZmNF-YC2</i>, and <i>ZmNF-YC4</i> genes. It is hypothesized that the <i>ZmNF-YB10, ZmNF-YC2</i>, and <i>ZmNF-YC4</i> genes may play a role in the response to abiotic stresses, such as drought and salt tolerance, in maize.