玉米开花期转录因子候选基因的关联分析

Candidate Gene Association Analysis of Maize Transcription Factors in Flowering Time

【目的】生育期相关性状是玉米育种研究的重点之一。作为重要的生育期性状,开花期(抽穗期、吐丝期和散粉期)的提前,可保证玉米充分脱水,适宜机收;也为中国黄淮海地区小麦-玉米一年两熟耕作模式下的小麦播种减轻压力。转录因子是转录水平基因表达调控的重要上游因子,对目标基因发挥转录激活或转录抑制的作用。在全基因组水平上解析转录因子对玉米开花期的调控作用,获得开花期提前且不影响产量的玉米转录因子单倍型组合,进而挖掘优异种质资源,可为培育开花期适宜的玉米育种研究提供基因资源。【方法】使用候选基因关联分析方法,对开花期相关转录因子及显著SNP进行分析;并利用DAP-seq技术捕获了关键转录因子的结合位点和下游基因;随后对转录因子调控的下游基因进行GO分析,探究转录因子通过影响其下游基因对开花期进行调控的基因网络。【结果】玉米开花期3种性状(吐丝期、散粉期、抽穗期)中,与吐丝期和抽穗期性状以及吐丝期和散粉期性状同时关联的转录因子显著SNP均为75个,与抽穗期和散粉期性状同时关联的显著SNP为128个,同时关联到3种表型的显著SNP为58个。表明开花期3种性状可能受相同的转录因子调控。选取含有3个及以上开花期相关显著SNP的转录因子基因,通过DAP-seq,捕获了这些转录因子结合的关键基序及调控的下游基因。转录因子结合的下游基因显著富集于转录因子活性、DNA结合、RNA结合、有机氮化合物的合成代谢过程、与生殖有关的发育过程等;不同的转录因子存在共同调控的下游基因,生育期相关性状关键调控性转录因子为ARF、MYB和NAC。对关键上游转录因子进行单倍型分析,发掘了玉米生育期提前,同时对产量无负向影响的转录因子最优单倍型组合。【结论】运用DAP-seq技术并结合前人研究绘制了全基因组水平上转录因子对生育期相关农艺性状的调控网络,并发掘了既提前玉米生育期又对产量无负向影响的转录因子最优单倍型组合。

【Objective】Maize growth period traits, including flowering time, are the ones of most important in maize breeding. The advancement of heading date, silking time, and the pollen shed can ensure maize kernels fully dehydrated and thus suited to machinery harvesting. Moreover, the saved time can also leave for wheat sowing under the Maize-Wheat farming mode in Huang-Huai-Hai area. Transcription factors are important up-stream trans-action factors of gene expression regulation, which play roles in transcriptional activation or inhibition on target genes by binding to and driving their promoters. It is of great significance to analyze the regulatory effects of transcription factors on maize flowering time at the whole genome scale, it is also emergence to obtain the maize transcription factor haplotypes which associated with earlier flowering and higher yield. The haplotypes, or the haplotype combinations, will be served as excellent germplasm resources for maize breeding. 【Method】In this study, candidate gene association analysis was performed to analyze maize flowering time related transcription factors and significant SNPs. DAP-seq was carried out to obtain the binding sites and down-stream genes of the key transcription factors. Followed by GO analysis on the down-stream genes to explore the transcription factor dependent gene expression regulatory network. 【Result】There are 75, 75, and 128 significant SNPs detected in combinations of the traits Silking time and Heading date, the traits Silking time and Pollen shed,and the traits Heading date and Pollen shed, respectively. Altogether, there are 58 significant SNPs associated with all three flowering time traits. These results suggest that the three traits of flowering time may be regulated by the same transcription factors. Flowering time associated transcription factor genes that containing 3 or more significant SNPs were selected for DAP-seq to capture the key motifs and down-stream genes. Down-stream genes bound by flowering time associated transcription factors are significantly enriched in transcription factor activity, DNA binding, RNA binding, organonitrogen compound metabolic process,reproduction-related developmental processes, etc. Different transcription factors have co-regulated downstream genes related to flowering time. The key regulatory transcription factors for flowering time traits are ARF, MYB and NAC. Through haplotype analysis, the optimal TF haplotype combination that shows earlier flowering and no negative impact on yield was selected.【Conclusion】In this research, through candidate gene association and DAP-seq, the regulatory network of transcription factors on the flowering time related agronomic traits were established at the whole genome scale. The optimal haplotype combination of transcription factors that not only advances the flowering time, but also has no negative impact on yield was selected for further use in maize breeding.