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Wide variability in kernel composition, seed characteristics, and zein profiles among diverse maize inbreds, landraces, and teosinte

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Abstract

All crop species have been domesticated from their wild relatives, and geneticists are just now beginning to understand the consequences of artificial (human) selection on agronomic traits that are relevant today. The primary consequence is a basal loss of diversity across the genome, and an additional reduction in diversity for genes underlying traits targeted by selection. An understanding of attributes of the wild relatives may provide insight into target traits and valuable allelic variants for modern agriculture. This is especially true for maize (Zea mays ssp. mays), where its wild ancestor, teosinte (Z. mays ssp. parviglumis), is so strikingly different than modern maize. One obvious target of selection is the size and composition of the kernel. We evaluated kernel characteristics, kernel composition, and zein profiles for a diverse set of modern inbred lines, teosinte accessions, and landraces, the intermediate between inbreds and teosinte. We found that teosinte has very small seeds, but twice the protein content of landraces and inbred lines. Teosinte has a higher average alpha zein content (nearly 89% of total zeins as compared to 72% for inbred lines and 76% for landraces), and there are many novel alcohol-soluble proteins in teosinte relative to the other two germplasm groups. Nearly every zein protein varied in abundance among the germplasm groups, especially the methionine-rich delta zein protein, and the gamma zeins. Teosinte and landraces harbor phenotypic variation that will facilitate genetic dissection of kernel traits and grain quality, ultimately leading to improvement via traditional plant breeding and/or genetic engineering.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Susan Melia-Hancock (USDA-ARS in Columbia, MO) for collecting data regarding seed weight and embryo-endosperm ratio; these are especially challenging traits to evaluate in teosinte. We would also like to thank Hari Krishnan (USDA-ARS in Columbia, MO) for conducting preliminary experiments leading to this larger study, and Adrienne Moran Lauter (USDA-ARS in Ames, IA) for technical assistance. This research was supported by a National Science Foundation Plant Genome Award (DBI0321467), the USDA-CSREES special appropriation “Plant Biotechnology Iowa,” and by research funds provided by USDA-ARS. Names of products are necessary to report factually on available data; however, neither the USDA nor any other participating institution guarantees or warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS, Plant Genetics Research Unit, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Sherry A. Flint-Garcia

  2. Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Sherry A. Flint-Garcia

  3. Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Anastasia L. Bodnar & M. Paul Scott

  4. USDA-ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    M. Paul Scott

  5. USDA-ARS, University of Missouri, 301 Curtis Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Sherry A. Flint-Garcia

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  1. Sherry A. Flint-Garcia
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  2. Anastasia L. Bodnar
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  3. M. Paul Scott
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Correspondence to Sherry A. Flint-Garcia.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Bervillé.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplemental Fig. 1. Zein profile of teosinte, landraces, and inbred lines (JPEG 141 kb)

122_2009_1115_MOESM2_ESM.jpg

Supplemental Fig. 2. Detailed view of the alpha zein region. Arrows indicate prominent peaks that are conserved in the inbred and landrace groups (JPEG 268 kb)

Supplemental Fig. 3. Detailed view of the gamma zein region (JPEG 139 kb)

Supplemental Fig. 4. Detailed view of the delta zein region (JPEG 110 kb)

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Flint-Garcia, S.A., Bodnar, A.L. & Scott, M.P. Wide variability in kernel composition, seed characteristics, and zein profiles among diverse maize inbreds, landraces, and teosinte. Theor Appl Genet 119, 1129–1142 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1115-1

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