Abstract
In recent years, with the rapid development of multi-omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, significant progress has been made in understanding the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of maize under drought stress. As a global agricultural challenge, drought severely affects maize growth and productivity. Maize enhances cellular drought tolerance by accumulating osmotic regulatory substances (e.g., proline, soluble sugars, and polyamines) and activating antioxidant systems to mitigate drought-induced oxidative damage. Additionally, secondary metabolites (e.g., phenolics and flavonoids) play a crucial role in improving drought resistance. Drought signaling pathways (such as ABA signaling) and related gene regulatory networks, including transcription factors and miRNAs, provide multilayered regulatory mechanisms that govern these metabolic processes, exhibiting complexity and dynamic interactions. This review systematically summarizes the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of maize under drought conditions, focusing on the latest research progress in osmotic regulation, antioxidant system activation, and secondary metabolite regulation. Furthermore, integrating multi-omics data reveals the complexity of maize drought resistance metabolic networks. By summarizing and analyzing current research findings, this study aims to provide theoretical support for a deeper understanding of maize drought resistance mechanisms and offer scientific guidance for drought-resistant breeding and agricultural applications.
