ZmLSD1 Enhances Salt Tolerance by Regulating the Expression of ZmWRKY29 in Maize

Salt stress significantly impairs plant growth, presenting a challenge to agricultural productivity. Exploring the regulatory mechanisms underlying salt stress responses is critically important. Here, we identified a significant role for the maize LESION-SIMULATING DISEASE transcription factor, ZmLSD1, in enhancing salt stress response. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that ZmLSD1-GFP was localized in the nucleus in the maize protoplast. Overexpressing <i>ZmLSD1</i> in maize obviously enhanced the tolerance of plants to salt stress. Physiological analysis indicated that overexpressed <i>ZmLSD1</i> in maize could mitigate the accumulation of H₂O₂ and MDA content exposed to salt stress. RNA-seq and qPCR-PCR analyses showed that ZmLSD1 positively regulated <i>ZmWRKY29</i> expression. ChIP-qPCR and EMSA experiments demonstrated that ZmLSD1 could directly bind to the promoter of <i>ZmWRKY29</i> through the GTAC motif both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our findings suggest that ZmLSD1 plays a positive role in enhancing the tolerance of maize to salt by affecting <i>ZmWRKY29</i> expression.