Genomic Identification and Expression Analysis of Regulator of Chromosome Condensation 1-Domain Protein Family in Maize

Abiotic stress affects the growth and development of maize (<i>Zea mays</i>). The regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1)-containing proteins (RCPs) plays crucial roles in plant growth and development and response to abiotic stresses. However, a comprehensive analysis of the maize RCP family has not been reported in detail. This study presents a systematic bioinformatics analysis of the ZmRCP family, identifying a total of 30 members distributed across nine chromosomes. The physicochemical properties and <i>cis</i>-acting elements in the promoters of <i>ZmRCP</i> members are predicted. The results of subcellular localization showed that ZmRCP3 and ZmRCP10 are targeted to mitochondria and ZmRCP2 is localized in the nucleus. A heatmap of expression levels among family members under abiotic stress conditions revealed varying degrees of induced expression, and the expression levels of 10 <i>ZmRCP</i> members were quantified using RT-qPCR under abiotic stress and plant hormone treatments. The results showed that <i>ZmRCP</i> members exhibit induced or inhibited responses to these abiotic stresses and plant hormones. These results contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary history and potential role of the ZmRCP family in mediating responses to abiotic stress in maize.