Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identification of QTL for zinc and iron concentration in maize kernel and cob

  • Published:
Euphytica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To provide theoretical and applied references for biofortification of maize by increasing Zn and Fe concentration, the correlation and quantitative trait loci (QTL) of four mineral-related traits, i.e. zinc concentration of kernel (ZnK), zinc concentration of cob (ZnC), iron concentration of kernel (FeK) and iron concentration of cob (FeC) were studied for two sets of F2:3 populations derived from the crosses Mu6 × SDM (MuS) and Mo17 × SDM (MoS) under two different environments (CQ and YN). The parental lines were very different in Zn and Fe concentration of kernels and cobs. A large genetic variation and transgressive segregation of two F2:3 populations were observed for the four traits. The heritability of FeK was relatively lower (<0.6) than other three traits (>0.7). Analysis for each environment and joint analysis across two environments were used to identify QTL for each population. 16 and 15 QTL were identified in CQ and YN respectively via single environment analysis, some of which were identical in different environments and were also detected in joint analysis. The common regions for same trait at different environments were 3 and 5 in MuS and MoS respectively. Compared with the IBM2 2008 Neighbors Frame6, the distribution and effect of some QTL in two populations were highly consistent and many QTL on chromosome 2, 7 and 9 were detected in both populations. Moreover, several mineral QTL co-localized with each other for both populations such as the QTL for ZnK, ZnC, FeK and FeC on chromosome 2, QTL for Znk, FeK and FeC on chromosome 9 and QTL for ZnK and ZnC on chromosome 7, which probably were closely linked to each other, or were the same pleiotropic QTL.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aastveit AH, Aastveit K (1993) Effects of genotype–environment interactions on genetic correlations. Theor Appl Genet 86:1007–1013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bänziger M, Long J (2000) The potential for increasing the iron and zinc density of maize through plant breeding. Food Nutr Bull 21:397–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Beebe S, Gonzalez AV, Rengifo J (2000) Research on trace minerals in the common bean. Food Nutr Bull 21:387–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair MW, Astudillo C, Grusak MA, Graham R, Beebe SE (2009) Inheritance of seed iron and zinc concentrations in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Mol Breeding 23:197–207

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boer MP, Wright D, Feng L, Podlich DW, Luo L, Cooper M, van Eeuwijk FA (2007) A mixed-model quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for multiple-environment trial data using environmental covariables for QTL-by-environment interactions, with an example in maize. Genetics 177:1801–1813

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cakmak I, Torun A, Millet E, Feldman M, Fahima T, Korol A, Nevo E, Braun HJ, Ozkan H (2004) Triticum dicoccoides: an important genetic resource for increasing zinc and iron concentration in modern cultivated wheat. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 50:1047–1054

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandel G, Samuel P, Dubey M, Meena R (2011) In silico expression analysis of QTL specific candidate genes for grain micronutrient (Fe/Zn) content using ESTs and MPSS signature analysis in rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Plant Genet Transgenics 1:11–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen DH, Ronald PC (1999) A rapid DNA minipreparation method suitable for AFLP and other PCR applications. Plant Mol Biol Report 17:53–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clemens S (2001) Molecular mechanisms of plant metal tolerance and homeostasis. Planta 212:475–486

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gelin JR, Forster S, Grafton KF, McClean PE, Rojas-Cifuentes GA (2007) Analysis of seed zinc and other minerals in a recombinant inbred population of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Crop Sci 47:1361–1366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghandilyan A, Vreugdenhil D, Aarts MGM (2006) Progress in the genetic understanding of plant iron and zinc Nutrition. Physiol Plant 126:407–417

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gregorio GB, Senadhira D, Htut H, Graham RD (2000) Breeding for trace mineral density in rice. Food Nutr Bull 21:382–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Grotz N, Guerinot ML (2006) Molecular aspects of Cu, Fe and Zn homeostasis in plants. Biochim Biophys Acta 7:595–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzman-Maldonado SH, Martinez O, Acosta-Gallegos JA, Guevara-Lara F, Paredes-Lopez O (2003) Putative quantitative trait loci for physical and chemical components of common bean. Crop Sci 43:1029–1035

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam FMA, Basford KE, Jara C, Redden RJ, Beebe S (2002) Seed compositional and disease resistance differences among gene pools in cultivated common bean. Genet Resour Crop Evol 49:285–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong J, Guerinot ML (2009) Homing in on iron homeostasis in plants. Trends Plant Sci 14:280–285

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanengoni AT, Dzama K, Chimonyo M, Kusina J, Maswaure SM (2002) Influence of level of maize cob meal on nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in Large White, Mukota and LW × M F1 crossbred pigs. Animal Sci 74:127–134

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp SJ, Stroup WW, Ross WM (1985) Exact confidence intervals for heritability on a progeny mean basis. Crop Sci 25:192–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kovačević V, Brkić I, Šimić D, Bukvić G, Rastija M (2004) The role of genotypes on phosphorus, zinc, manganese and iron status and their relations in leaves of maize on hydromorphic soil. Plant Soil Environ 50:535–539

    Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Ye G, Wang J (2007) A modified algorithm for the improvement of composite interval mapping. Genetics 175:361–374

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Ribaut JM, Li Z, Wang J (2008) Inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) for digenic epistasis of quantitative traits in biparental populations. Theor Appl Genet 116:243–260

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lung‘aho MG, Mwaniki AM, Szalma SJ, Hart JJ, Rutzke MA, Kochian LV, Glahn RP, Hoekenga OA (2011) Genetic and physiological analysis of iron biofortification in maize kernels. PLoS ONE 6:1–10 (e20429)

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrissey J, Guerinot ML (2009) Trace elements: too little or too much and how plants cope. Biol Rep 1:14. doi:10.3410/B1-14

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz-Monasterio JI, Graham RD (2000) Breeding for trace minerals in wheat. Food Nutr Bull 21:392–396

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer CM, Guerinot ML (2009) Facing the challenges of Cu, Fe and Zn homeostasis in plants. Nat Chem Biol 5(5):333–340

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paterson AH, Lander ES, Hewitt JD, Peterson S, Lincoln SE, Tanksley SD (1988) Resolution of quantitative traits into Mendelian factors by using a complete linkage map of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Nature 335:721–726

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng B, Li YX, Wang Y, Liu C, Liu ZZ, Tan WW, Zhang Y, Wang D, Sun BC, Shi YS, Song YC, Yang DG, Wang TY, Li Y (2011) QTL analysis for yield components and kernel-related traits in maize across multi-environments. Theor Appl Genet 122(7):1305–1320

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shi R, Li H, Tong Y, Jing R, Zhang F, Zou C (2008) Identification of quantitative trait locus of zinc and phosphorus density in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain. Plant Soil 306:95–104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stam P (1993) Construction of integrated genetic linkage maps by means of a new computer package: JoinMap. Plant J 3:739–744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stangoulis JCR, Huynh B, Welch RM, Choi E, Graham RD (2007) Quantitative trait loci for phytate in rice grain and their relationship with grain micronutrient content. Euphytica 154:289–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuber CW, Edwards MD, Wendel JF (1987) Molecular marker-facilitated investigations of quantitative traits loci in maize. II. Factors influencing yield and its component traits. Crop Sci 27:639–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan WW, Wang Y, Li YX, Liu C, Liu ZZ, Peng B, Wang D, Zhang Y, Sun BC, Shi YS, Song YC, Yang DG, Wang TY, Li Y (2011) QTL analysis of ear traits in maize across multiple environments. Sci Agric Sinica 44(2):233–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiwari VK, Rawat N, Chhuneja P, Neelam K, Aggarwal R, Randhawa GS, Dhaliwal HS, Keller B, Singh K (2009) Mapping of quantitative trait loci for grain iron and zinc concentration in diploid a genome wheat. J Hered 100:771–776

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuberosa R, Parentoni S, Kim TS, Sanguineti MC, Phililips RL (1998a) Mapping QTL for ABA concentration in leaves of a maize cross segregating for anthesis date. Maize Genet Cooperation Newsl 72:72–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuberosa R, Sanguineti MC, Landi P et al (1998b) RFLP mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling abscisic acid concentration in leaves of drought-stressed maize (Zea mays L.). Theor Appl Genet 97:744–755

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vert G, Grotz N, Dédaldéchamp F, Gaymard F, Guerinot MF, Briat JF, Curie C (2002) IRT1, an arabidopsis transporter essential for iron uptake from the soil and for plant growth. Plant Cell 14:1223–1233

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vreugdenhil D, Aarts MGM, Koornneef M, Nelissen H, Ernst WHO (2004) Natural variation and QTL analysis for cationic mineral content in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell Environ 27:828–839

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JK (2009) Inclusive composite interval mapping of quantitative trait genes. Acta Agron Sinica 35(2):1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang D, Li YX, Wang Y, Liu C, Liu ZZ, Peng B, Tan WW, Zhang Y, Sun BC, Shi YS, Song YC, Yang DG, Wang TY, Li Y (2010) QTL analysis of flowering-related traits in maize (Zea mays L.) using two connected populations. Sci Agric Sinica 43(13):2633–2644

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters BM, Grusak MA (2008) Whole-plant mineral partitioning throughout the life cycle in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes Columbia, Landsberg erecta, Cape Verde Islands, and the mutant line ysl1ysl3. New Phytol 177:389–405

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu C, Naqvi S, Galera SG, Pelacho AM, Capell T, Christou P (2007) Transgenic strategies for the nutritional enhancement of plants. Trends Plant Sci 12:548–555

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Chongqing Key Scientific and Technological Project (CSTC2010AA1022).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maize Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Crop Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Hongni Qin, Yilin Cai, Zhizhai Liu, Guoqiang Wang, Jiuguang Wang, Ying Guo & Hui Wang

Authors
  1. Hongni Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yilin Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhizhai Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Guoqiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jiuguang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ying Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hui Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yilin Cai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qin, H., Cai, Y., Liu, Z. et al. Identification of QTL for zinc and iron concentration in maize kernel and cob. Euphytica 187, 345–358 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-012-0692-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-012-0692-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation