Abstract
Phospholipase C (PLC) is one of the main hydrolytic enzymes in the metabolism of phosphoinositide and plays an important role in a variety of signal transduction processes responding to plant growth, development, and stress. Although the characteristics of many plant PLCs have been studied, PLC genes of maize have not been comprehensively identified. According to the study, five phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC (PI-PLC) and six non-specific PLC (NPC) genes were identified in maize. The PI-PLC and NPC genes of maize are conserved compared with homologous genes in other plants, especially in evolutionary relationship, protein sequences, conserved motifs, and gene structures. Transient expression of ZmPLC-GFP fusion protein in Arabidopsis protoplast cells showed that ZmPLCs are multi-localization. Analyses of transcription levels showed that ZmPLCs were significantly different under various different tissues and abiotic stresses. Association analysis shown that some ZmPLCs significantly associated with agronomic traits in 508 maize inbred lines. These results contribute to study the function of ZmPLCs and to provide good candidate targets for the yield and quality of superior maize cultivars.
Highlights
Phospholipids are important basic structural components of biological membranes and as key signaling components responding to the plant development and various environmental stresses (Pokotylo et al, 2013)
Eleven ZmPLCs, including five PI-Phospholipase C (PLC) and six non-specific PLC (NPC) sequences, were identified in the maize genome according to their domain structures (Supplementary Figure 1A)
The number of amino acids in ZmPLCs of maize is comparable, with ZmPI-PLCs ranging from 586 to 606 aa and ZmNPCs ranging from 489 to 542 aa (ZmNPC1b is the only exception with 259 aa) (Table 1)
Summary
Phospholipids are important basic structural components of biological membranes and as key signaling components responding to the plant development and various environmental stresses (Pokotylo et al, 2013). PLC is recognized as an important lipid hydrolase in animals and plants and has a profound effect on membrane lipid remodeling and intracellular signaling (Meldrum et al, 1991). Based on different substrate affinities and cellular functions, plant PLCs have two different types: phosphatidylinositol-specific PLCs (PI-PLCs) and phosphatidylcholine-PLC (PC-PLC) (Kocourková et al, 2011; Pokotylo et al, 2014). PI-PLC hydrolyzes phosphoinositides to produce inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and DAG, which may function as the second messengers (Berridge, 1987; Meldrum et al, 1991). Unlike PI-PLC, PC-PLC, known as non-specific PLC (NPC), preferentially hydrolyzes the common membrane phospholipids, for example, PC, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylserine (PS) (Kocourková et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
