玉米是重要的粮食与饲用作物，我国南北方米种植区频繁发生的干旱胁迫严重制约了玉米生产。干旱胁迫强烈抑制内质网中蛋白质的折叠加工，导致内质网胁迫。植物缓解内质网胁迫的能力与干旱抗性密切相关。分子伴侣在辅助蛋白折叠、减轻内质网胁迫方面具有重要功能，但玉米中与干旱抗性相关的分子伴侣仍未阐明。利用玉米干旱敏感自交系（B73）和干旱抗性自交系（Yun2），通过转录组与蛋白质组分析，我们鉴定了玉米中受干旱胁迫明显诱导的分子伴侣ZmBiP1，并证实过量表达该基因后玉米的干旱抗性明显增强。本项目以ZmBiP1为研究对象，一方面探索ZmBiP1作为分子伴侣在内质网中参与了哪些干旱胁迫特异蛋白的正确折叠，另一方面阐明其自身表达受哪些上游因子的调控。最终探明ZmBiP1如何缓解内质网胁迫，调控玉米干旱胁迫抗性的分子机制，为改良玉米的干旱抗性提供有价值的基因资源与理论依据。

Maize is one of the most important food and fodder crops worldwide. However, its growth and yield are severely hampered by drought stress. Protein folding in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be significantly affected by drought stress, which leads to ER stress. The ability of alleviating ER stress is positively correlated with plant’s drought tolerance. Molecular chaperones are vital players in protein folding and mitigating ER stress. However, the molecular chaperone participates in drought stress tolerance has not been identified in maize. By transcriptomic and proteomic analysis, the drought stress and ER stress responsive gene, ZmBiP1, is selected for further analysis. Overexpression of ZmBiP1 in maize causes more resistant to drought stress. By using molecular biology, physiological and biochemical methods, the objectives of this research are to identify the complete protein folding network mediated by ZmBiP1 in maize, figure out the transcription factor targeting to the promoter of ZmBiP1, and demonstrate the detailed molecular mechanisms of ZmBiP1 in regulating maize drought stress tolerance. This project will provide key genes and create germplasm lines for drought-resistant maize breeding.