Genetic variation in ZmVPP1 contributes to drought tolerance in maize seedlings

Feng Qin and colleagues perform a genome-wide association study for drought tolerance in maize seedlings and find 42 candidate genes. They characterize a promoter insertion in the ZmVPP1 gene containing MYB-binding sites, which enables the drought-inducible expression of ZmVPP1, leading to drought tolerance, a phenotype confirmed through transgenic experiments.