ZmNAC20 positively regulates drought tolerance in maize seedlings via a chromatin-associated network.

ZmNAC20 enhances drought tolerance in maize seedlings, with mutants showing increased drought sensitivity and ZmNAC20 activating downstream components like YIGE1.

• Why it matters: Drought severely limits maize yield and establishment, and understanding key regulators like ZmNAC20 can inform strategies to improve drought resilience in crops.
• What they did: Using CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, molecular analyses, and multi-omics approaches, the study identified ZmNAC20’s role and its regulation by ZmNAC110, along with chromatin modifications and downstream targets.
• The result: Findings reveal ZmNAC20 as a positive regulator of drought tolerance, functioning within a chromatin-associated network, and highlight the ZmNAC110-ZmNAC20-YIGE1 module as a potential target for enhancing drought resilience.