Figure 10.

Silencing of ZmWRKY79 reduced drought resistance in maize. (A) Gene expression of ZmWRKY79 in maize seedlings with VIGS. GFP was used as the control. (B) Maize seedlings with VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress as compared to control plants (GFP). (C) Survival rate of maize seedlings with VIGS of ZmWRKY79 or the control plants (GFP) under drought stress. (D) Roots of maize seedlings with or without VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress. (E) Root length of maize seedlings with or without VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress. (F) H₂O₂ accumulation by DAB staining in maize leaves with or without VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress. (G) Representative picture of root width of maize seedlings with or without VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress. (H) Root width of maize seedlings with or without VIGS of ZmWRKY79 under drought stress. Asterisks indicate significant difference compared to the control (GFP) (Student’s t-test, ** p < 0.01). Error bars indicate SE (n = 3).