ARS | Publication request: THE GENETIC BASIS OF INCREASED MAIZE SILK MAYSIN LEVELS THROUGH RECURRENT SELECTION

Submitted to: Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 5, 2005
Publication Date: March 10, 2005
Citation: Meyer, J., Snook, M.E., Houchins, K.E., Rector, B.G., Widstrom, N.W., Mcmullen, M.D. 2005. The genetic basis of increased maize silk maysin levels through recurrent selection [abstract]. Maize Genetics Conference. No. T7, p. 24.

Technical Abstract: Recurrent selection is a standard procedure used by plant breeders to increase favorable alleles for a desired trait in a population, however, the nature of the genes underlying the selection gain are generally unknown. Breeders have used recurrent selection to synthesize to populations for high levels of maysin, a C-glycosyl flavone in silks that confers resistance to the corn earworm. The two populations are EPM (exotic populations of maize) and SIM (southern inbreds of maize). Silks from inbred lines derived from cycle 6 of the EPM population (EPMC6S8) and cycle 5 of the SIM population (SIMC5S8) had maysin values of 3.4 and 1.5% fresh silk weight, respectively. To address the question of what genes underwent selection to result in gains to such high levels of maysin, three quantitative trait locus (QTL) populations were analyzed using EPMC6S8, SIMC5S8, and GT119 (a low maysin inbred) as parental lines. The QTL detected have similar locations to the previously reported candidate genes p, whp1, c2, and in1. The p gene encodes the main transcription factor of the flavonoid pathway and chalcone synthase, which synthesizes the first committed step of the flavonoid pathway, is encoded by c2 and whp1. The intensifier gene (in1) is believed to regulate whp1 expression. Real time RT-PCR has been utilized to confirm these candidate genes as QTL in the (EPMC6S8 x GT119)F2 population. Our experiments suggest that recurrent selection worked to increase the levels of maysin by accumulating favorable alleles of both regulatory and structural genes in the flavonoid pathway.