Stalk architecture, cell wall composition, and QTL underlying high stalk flexibility for improved lodging resistance in
- PDF / 3,247,970 Bytes
- 12 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 38 Downloads / 151 Views
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Stalk architecture, cell wall composition, and QTL underlying high stalk flexibility for improved lodging resistance in maize Xiaqing Wang1†, Zi Shi1†, Ruyang Zhang1, Xuan Sun1, Jidong Wang1, Shuai Wang1, Ying Zhang2, Yanxin Zhao1, Aiguo Su1, Chunhui Li1, Ronghuan Wang1, Yunxia Zhang1, Shuaishuai Wang1, Yuandong Wang1, Wei Song1* and Jiuran Zhao1*
Abstract Background: Stalk fracture caused by strong wind can severely reduce yields in maize. Stalks with higher stiffness and flexibility will exhibit stronger lodging resistance. However, stalk flexibility is rarely studied in maize. Stalk fracture of the internode above the ear before tasseling will result in the lack of tassel and pollen, which is devastating for pollination in seed production. In this study, we focused on stalk lodging before tasseling in two maize inbred lines, JING724 and its improved line JING724A1 and their F2:3 population. Results: JING724A1 showed a larger stalk fracture angle than JING724, indicating higher flexibility. In addition, compared to JING724, JING724A1 also had longer and thicker stalks, with a conical, frustum-shaped internode above the ear. Microscopy and X-ray microcomputed tomography of the internal stalk architecture revealed that JING724A1 had more vascular bundles and thicker sclerenchyma tissue. Furthermore, total soluble sugar content of JING724A1, especially the glucose component, was substantially higher than in JING724. Using an F2:3 population derived from a JING724 and JING724A1 cross, we performed bulk segregant analysis for stalk fracture angle and detected one QTL located on Chr3: 14.00–19.28 Mb. Through transcriptome data analysis and Δ (SNP-index), we identified two candidate genes significantly associated with high stalk fracture angle, which encode a RING/U-box superfamily protein (Zm00001d039769) and a MADS-box transcription factor 54 (Zm00001d039913), respectively. Two KASP markers designed from these two candidate genes also showed significant correlations with stalk fracture angle. Conclusions: The internode shape and glucose content are possibly correlated with stalk flexibility in maize. Two genes in the detected QTL are potentially associated with stalk fracture angle. These novel phenotypes and associated loci will provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the genetic mechanisms of lodging, and facilitate the selection of maize varieties with improved flexibility and robust lodging resistance. Keywords: Maize, Lodging, Stalk flexibility, BSA, KASP
* Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] † Xiaqing Wang and Zi Shi contributed equally to this work. 1 Beijing Key Laboratory of Maize DNA Fingerprinting and Molecular Breeding, Maize Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture & Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), Shuguang Garden Middle Road No. 9, Haidian District, Beijing 100097, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 I
Data Loading...
