Callose contributes to many biological processes of higher plants including pollen development,cell plate and vascular tissue formation,as well as regulating the transport function of plasmodesmata.The functions of ca...Callose contributes to many biological processes of higher plants including pollen development,cell plate and vascular tissue formation,as well as regulating the transport function of plasmodesmata.The functions of callose synthase genes in maize have been little studied.We describe a maize male-sterile mutant 39(ms39)characterized by reduced plant height.In this study,we confirmed using CRISPR/Cas9 technology that a mutation in Zm00001d043909(ZmCals12),encoding a callose synthase,is responsible for the male sterility of the ms39 mutant.Compared with male-fertile plants,callose deposition around the dyads and tetrads in ms39 anthers was significantly reduced.Increased cell autophagy observed in ms39 anthers may have been due to the premature programmed cell death of tapetal cells,leading to collapse of the anther wall structure.Disordered glucose metabolism in ms39 may have intensified autophagy in anthers.Evaluation of the ms39 gene on maize heterosis by paired-crossed experiment with 11 maize inbred lines indicated that ms39 can be used for maize hybrid seed production.展开更多
Coix is a grass crop domesticated as early as the Neolithic era.It is still widely cultivated for both highly nutritional food and medicinal use.However,the genetic study and breeding of this crop are hindered by the ...Coix is a grass crop domesticated as early as the Neolithic era.It is still widely cultivated for both highly nutritional food and medicinal use.However,the genetic study and breeding of this crop are hindered by the lack of a sequenced genome.Here,we report de novo sequencing and assembly of the 1619-Mb genome of Coix,and annotation of 75.39%repeats and 39629 protein-coding genes.Comparative genomics analysis showed that Coix is more closely related to sorghum than maize,but intriguingly only Coix and maize had a recent genome duplication event,which was not detected in sorghum.We further constructed a genetic map and mapped several important traits,especially the strength of hull.Selection of papery hull(thin:easy dehulling)from the stony hull(thick:difficult dehulling)in wild progenitors was a key step in Coix domestication.The papery hull makes seed easier to process and germinate.Anatomic and global transcriptome analysis revealed that the papery hull is a result of inhibition of cell division and wall biogenesis.We also successfully demonstrated that seed hull pressure resistance is controlled by two major quantitative trait loci(QTLs),which are associated with hull thickness and color,respectively.The two QTLs were further fine mapped within intervals of 250 kb and 146 kb,respectively.These resources provide a platform for evolutionary studies and will facilitate molecular breeding of this important crop.展开更多
The control of flowering is not only important for reproduction, but also plays a key role in the processes of domestication and adaptation. To reveal the genetic architecture for flowering time and photoperiod sensit...The control of flowering is not only important for reproduction, but also plays a key role in the processes of domestication and adaptation. To reveal the genetic architecture for flowering time and photoperiod sensitivity, a comprehensive evaluation of the relevant literature was performed and followed by meta analysis. A total of 25 synthetic con- sensus quantitative trait loci （QTL） and four hot-spot genomic regions were identified for photoperiod sensitivity including 11 genes related to photoperiod response or flower morphogenesis and development. Besides, a comparative analysis of the QTL for flowering time and photoperiod sensitivity highlighted the regions containing shared and unique QTL for the two traits. Candidate genes associated with maize flowering were identified through integrated analysis of the homologous genes for flowering time in plants and the consensus QTL regions for photoperiod sensitivity in maize （Zea mays L.）. Our results suggest that the combination of literature review, meta-analysis and homologous blast is an efficient approach to identify new candidate genes and create a global view of the genetic architecture for maize photoperiodic flowering. Sequences of candidate genes can be used to develop molecular markers for various models of marker-assisted selection, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection that can contribute significantly to crop environmental adaptation.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31771876)the Sichuan Province Science and Technology Program(2021YFYZ0011,2021YFYZ0017).
文摘Callose contributes to many biological processes of higher plants including pollen development,cell plate and vascular tissue formation,as well as regulating the transport function of plasmodesmata.The functions of callose synthase genes in maize have been little studied.We describe a maize male-sterile mutant 39(ms39)characterized by reduced plant height.In this study,we confirmed using CRISPR/Cas9 technology that a mutation in Zm00001d043909(ZmCals12),encoding a callose synthase,is responsible for the male sterility of the ms39 mutant.Compared with male-fertile plants,callose deposition around the dyads and tetrads in ms39 anthers was significantly reduced.Increased cell autophagy observed in ms39 anthers may have been due to the premature programmed cell death of tapetal cells,leading to collapse of the anther wall structure.Disordered glucose metabolism in ms39 may have intensified autophagy in anthers.Evaluation of the ms39 gene on maize heterosis by paired-crossed experiment with 11 maize inbred lines indicated that ms39 can be used for maize hybrid seed production.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant no.31971753,81703657)Key Project at Central Government Level:the Ability Establishment of Sustainable Use for Valuable Chinese Medicine Resources(2060302)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution of China(Y2017XM06,ZZ13-YQ-085)the Key Science and Technology Program of Biotechnology and Medicine of Sichuan Province(2018NZDZX0001)the National Basic Research Program of China(2014CB138705).
文摘Coix is a grass crop domesticated as early as the Neolithic era.It is still widely cultivated for both highly nutritional food and medicinal use.However,the genetic study and breeding of this crop are hindered by the lack of a sequenced genome.Here,we report de novo sequencing and assembly of the 1619-Mb genome of Coix,and annotation of 75.39%repeats and 39629 protein-coding genes.Comparative genomics analysis showed that Coix is more closely related to sorghum than maize,but intriguingly only Coix and maize had a recent genome duplication event,which was not detected in sorghum.We further constructed a genetic map and mapped several important traits,especially the strength of hull.Selection of papery hull(thin:easy dehulling)from the stony hull(thick:difficult dehulling)in wild progenitors was a key step in Coix domestication.The papery hull makes seed easier to process and germinate.Anatomic and global transcriptome analysis revealed that the papery hull is a result of inhibition of cell division and wall biogenesis.We also successfully demonstrated that seed hull pressure resistance is controlled by two major quantitative trait loci(QTLs),which are associated with hull thickness and color,respectively.The two QTLs were further fine mapped within intervals of 250 kb and 146 kb,respectively.These resources provide a platform for evolutionary studies and will facilitate molecular breeding of this important crop.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31101162)Research Fund of Young Scholars for the Doctoral Program,Ministry of Education,China(20115103120001)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(2012AA101104)
文摘The control of flowering is not only important for reproduction, but also plays a key role in the processes of domestication and adaptation. To reveal the genetic architecture for flowering time and photoperiod sensitivity, a comprehensive evaluation of the relevant literature was performed and followed by meta analysis. A total of 25 synthetic con- sensus quantitative trait loci （QTL） and four hot-spot genomic regions were identified for photoperiod sensitivity including 11 genes related to photoperiod response or flower morphogenesis and development. Besides, a comparative analysis of the QTL for flowering time and photoperiod sensitivity highlighted the regions containing shared and unique QTL for the two traits. Candidate genes associated with maize flowering were identified through integrated analysis of the homologous genes for flowering time in plants and the consensus QTL regions for photoperiod sensitivity in maize （Zea mays L.）. Our results suggest that the combination of literature review, meta-analysis and homologous blast is an efficient approach to identify new candidate genes and create a global view of the genetic architecture for maize photoperiodic flowering. Sequences of candidate genes can be used to develop molecular markers for various models of marker-assisted selection, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection that can contribute significantly to crop environmental adaptation.
