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A transposable element insertion within ZmGE2 gene is associated with increase in embryo to endosperm ratio in maize

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Abstract

Most of the maize kernel oil is located in the embryo while the majority of starch is located in the endosperm. Maize kernel composition and value are affected significantly by the ratio of the embryo size to the endosperm size; however, the genetic regulation of embryo to endosperm ratio (EER) in maize is unknown. Here we identified ZmGE2 gene, which encodes a cytochrome p450 protein, as a gene associated with EER variation in maize. We first expressed rice Giant Embryo (GE) gene driven by oleosin promoter in maize and detected a 23.2 % reduction in EER in transgenic seeds, demonstrating the existence of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for EER determination in rice and maize. We next identified maize GE2, a homolog of rice GE sharing 70 % identity in amino sequence, as a candidate based on the similar expression pattern and co-localization with a previously detected QTL for EER. Followed by linkage and association mapping, a 247-bp transposable element (TE) insertion in 3′-untranslated region of ZmGE2 gene was identified to be associated with increase in EER and kernel oil content. Expression level of the favorable ZmGE2 allele containing the 247-bp TE insertion was strongly reduced. In addition, the 247-bp TE insertion site was a selection target during the artificial long-term selection for the high EER trait in a high oil population. This is the first report that demonstrates an association of ZmGE2 with EER variation in maize and identifies ZmGE2 gene as a promising target for manipulation of EER and grain composition by either transgenic approach or molecular breeding in maize.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31101156), the National Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (2012AA10A307), and a collaborative research project with Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. We thank Dr Lin Li, Dr Qing Li and Dr Jiming Li for their helpful suggestions on experiment design. We thank Dr Kent Wood and Dr J. Antoni Rafalski for their valuable comments.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, China

    Pan Zhang, Hui Li, Xiaomin Hao, Xiaowei Li, Xiaohong Yang & Jiansheng Li

  2. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc, a DuPont Business, 7300 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston, IA, 50131-1004, USA

    William B. Allen & Bo Shen

  3. DuPont, Ag Biotechnology, Experimental Station E353, Wilmington, DE, 19805, USA

    Nobuhiro Nagasawa, Ada S. Ching, Elmer P. Heppard & Hajime Sakai

  4. National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China

    Jianbing Yan

  5. Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Yasuo Nagato

Authors
  1. Pan Zhang
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  2. William B. Allen
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  3. Nobuhiro Nagasawa
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  4. Ada S. Ching
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  5. Elmer P. Heppard
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  6. Hui Li
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  7. Xiaomin Hao
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  8. Xiaowei Li
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  9. Xiaohong Yang
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  10. Jianbing Yan
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  11. Yasuo Nagato
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  12. Hajime Sakai
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  13. Bo Shen
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  14. Jiansheng Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bo Shen or Jiansheng Li.

Additional information

Communicated by F. Hochholdinger.

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Zhang, P., Allen, W.B., Nagasawa, N. et al. A transposable element insertion within ZmGE2 gene is associated with increase in embryo to endosperm ratio in maize. Theor Appl Genet 125, 1463–1471 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-012-1926-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-012-1926-3

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