Abscisic acid and hydrogen peroxide induce a novel maize group C MAP kinase gene, ZmMPK7, which is responsible for the removal of reactive oxygen species.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. In plants, MAPKs are classified into four groups, designated A-D. Information about group C MAPKs is limited, and, in particular, no data from maize are available.

Expression of MaMAPK gene in seedlings of Malus L. under water stress.

Seedlings of three species of Malus were used to study the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in response to water stress: Malus hupehensis, a drought-sensitive species; Malus sieversii, a drought-tolerant species; and Malus micromalus, a middle type. Results showed that Malus MAPK (MaMAPK, GenBank accession No. AF435805) was expressed in both roots and leaves of seedlings of the three Malus species treated with 20% polyethylene glycol for different time periods.

[Cloning and expression characteristics of protein phosphatase gene ZmPP2C of Zea mays roots].

According to the conserved motifs of plant protein phosphatase 2C gene, degenerate oligonucleotides were designed. A full cDNA sequence of PP2C gene from Zea mays L. roots was cloned by RT-PCR.