TABLE 1.

Transcription factors and signal transduction genes associated with abiotic stress tolerance in maize.

Name	Function	Type of stress tolerance	References
ZmNF-YB16	Transcription factor; Promotes the expression of chaperones, antioxidant enzyme capacity, and photosynthesis in maize	Drought stress tolerance	Wang et al., 2018a
ZmNF-YB2	Transcription factor; Promotes the expression of chaperones, antioxidant enzyme capacity, and photosynthesis in maize	Drought stress tolerance	Nelson et al., 2007
ABP9	Transcription factor: Encodes a bZIP transcription factor, binds to the abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive-element (ABRE2) motif of the maize catalase1 gene	Drought stress tolerance	Wang et al., 2017
ZmMYB31	Transcription factor; induces the expression of several stress-responsive proteins.	Oxidative stress modulation	Fornalé et al., 2010
ZmSAPK8	Transcription factor; Essential component possibly through phosphorylation-mediated regulation of downstream substrates	Salinity stress tolerance	Ying et al., 2011
ZmDREB2A	Transcription factor: Regulates genes encoding late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins and genes related to heat shock and detoxification	Water and heat stress tolerance	Qin et al., 2007
Rab17	Plays a specific role in growth inhibition in embryonic tissues, probably in germination and in the induction or maintenance of dormancy of the embryos during desiccation.	Drought stress tolerance	Vilardell et al., 1991
ZmNAC3	Transcription factor; Encodes a nucleus-targeted protein that has an extremely conserved NAC domain in the N-terminus.	Salinity and cold stress tolerance	Li and Jiang, 2021
CAT-1	Cat1 mRNA accumulation may compensate in the absence of other catalases, and that CAT-1 plays a major protective role in response to high temperature stress.	Heat stress tolerance	Scandalios et al., 2000
ZmbZIP72	Transcription factor; Functions as an ABA-dependent transcription factor in positive modulation of abiotic stress tolerance	Salinity and drought stress tolerance	Ying et al., 2011
NPK1	Nicotiana protein kinase/Enhances drought tolerance	Drought stress tolerant	Shou, 2004
ZmATG8	ZmATG genes presented cis-regulatory elements involved in osmotic stress response via abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent signaling	Drought stress tolerant	Tejeda et al., 2019
ZmATG12	ZmATG genes presented cis-regulatory elements involved in osmotic stress response via abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent signaling	Drought stress tolerance
ZmHsf01	Plays a significant role in heat shock signal transduction and downstream gene expression	Heat stress tolerance	Zhang et al., 2020