Functional genomics and structural insights into maize aldo-keto reductase-4 family: Stress metabolism and substrate specificity in embryos.

ABSTRACT: Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are ubiquitous in nature and are able to reduce a wide range of substrates, from simple sugars to potentially toxic aldehydes. In plants, AKRs are involved in key metabolic processes including reactive aldehyde detoxification. This study aimed to (i) delineate a maize gene family encoding aldo keto reductase-4s (AKR4s) (ii) help bridge sequence-to-function gaps among them, and (iii) focus on a family member implicated in embryo specific stress metabolism. We employed a genome-wide analysis approach to identify maize genes encoding AKR4s, defining and annotating a 15-member gene family that clustered into three subgroups. Expression profiling, validated through wet lab experiments, revealed distinct functional roles: (i) AKR4C Zm-1 functions in aldehyde detoxific

SUBMITTER: Morais de Sousa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302338 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature