Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in submerged root cells of maize.

Maize survival under the anaerobic stress due to submergence conditions is dependent on complex metabolic, physiological and morphological adaptation strategies. Here, we focus on gene expression regulation at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level in submerged maize root cells. Early in progressive oxygen deprivation, root cells sense the low oxygen signal to trigger expressions of TF genes, anaerobic response genes and miRNA genes. The induced TFs, in turn, promote a broad spectrum of responses from morphogenetic to metabolic; these responses occur at later stages of the stress treatment. The selective translation of anaerobically induced transcripts and selective degradation of some APs are also suggested to be an important regulatory mechanism. In addition, miRNAs are possibly transcriptionally regulated in submerged root cells and involved in post-transcriptional control of target genes. Thus, regulation of gene expression in response to low oxygen involves in significant transcriptional and post-transcriptional control.