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Verification and fine mapping of qGW1.05, a major QTL for grain weight in maize (Zea mays L.)

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Abstract

Grain weight, one of the important factors to determine corn yield, is a typical quantitative inheritance trait. However, the molecular genetic basis of grain weight still remains limited. In our previous researches, a major QTL associated with grain weight, qGW1.05, has been identified between SSR markers umc1601 and umc1754 at bin locus 1.05–1.06 in maize. Here, its genetic and environmental stabiliteis were verified using a BC3F2 population to identify the effect of qGW1.05 on grain weight. Further, qGW1.05-NILs were obtained by MAS successfully. Via a large BC6F2 segregation population, together with polymorphic microsatellite markers developed between the parents to screen the genotype of the recombinant plants, qGW1.05 was positioned to a 1.11 Mb genome interval. Furthermore, the progenies of 15 recombinants were tested to confirm the effect of qGW1.05 on grain weight. Combining collinearity among cereal crops and genome annotation, the several candidate genes taking part in grain development were identified in the qGW1.05 region. In this study, qGW1.05 was limited to a 1.11 Mb region on chromosome 1, which established the foundation for understanding the molecular basis underlying kernel development and improving grain weight through MAS using the tightly flanking molecular markers in maize.

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Abbreviations

100 GW:

100-Grain weight

QTL:

Quantitative trait locus

NIL:

Near-isogenic line

RILs:

Recombinant inbred lines

CSSL:

Chromosome segment substitution line

MAS:

Molecular marker-assisted selection

LOD:

Logarithm of odds

SSR:

Simple sequence repeat

SNP:

Single nucleotide polymorphism

DAP:

Days after pollination

BAC:

Bacterial artificial chromosome

BLAST:

Basic local alignment search tool

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31101157), Research on the foundation and advanced technology of the science and Technology Department of Henan (162300410179) and the Key Program of Higher Education of Henan (15A210003).

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  1. Qiang Zhou and Yongbin Dong contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 95 Wenhua Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Qiang Zhou, Yongbin Dong, Qingling Shi, Long Zhang, Huanqing Chen, Chunhui Hu & Yuling Li

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  1. Qiang Zhou
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  2. Yongbin Dong
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  3. Qingling Shi
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  7. Yuling Li
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Correspondence to Yuling Li.

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Zhou, Q., Dong, Y., Shi, Q. et al. Verification and fine mapping of qGW1.05, a major QTL for grain weight in maize (Zea mays L.). Mol Genet Genomics 292, 871–881 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-017-1318-0

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