Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220978
Title: Genetic and biochemical analysis of iron bioavailability in maize

Author
item Hoekenga, Owen
item MWANKINI, ANGELA
item Buckler, Edward - Ed
item Glahn, Raymond
item Kochian, Leon

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2007
Publication Date: 11/8/2007
Citation: Hoekenga, O., Mwankini, A., Buckler Iv, E.S., Glahn, R.P., Kochian, L.V. 2007. Genetic and biochemical analysis of iron bioavailability in maize. American Society of Agronomy Meetings. Volume 52:102.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maize is a major cereal crop widely consumed in developing countries, which have a high prevalence of iron (Fe) deficiency including anemia. The major cause of Fe deficiency in these countries is inadequate intake of bioavailable Fe, of which poverty is a major contributing factor. Therefore, biofortification of maize has great potential to alleviate this deficiency. Maize is also a model system for genetic and genomic research and thus allows the opportunity for gene discovery. Here we describe an integrated genetic and physiological analysis of Fe nutrition in maize kernels, to determine the genes and molecular processes that influence seed Fe content and bioavailability. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was used to dissect seed Fe concentration (FeSC) and Fe bioavailability (FeSB) from the Intermated B73 x Mo17 (IBM) recombinant inbred (RI) set of maize. FeSB was determined by an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell line bioassay. Loci associated with increased Fe bioavailability were identified on chromosomes 3, 6 and 9 while those associated with increased seed Fe content were identified on multiple chromosomes. Models obtained explained ~25% of the variance in Fe bioavailability and ~20% of the variance in seed Fe content. Seed Fe concentration was not correlated with Fe bioavailability. Iron bioavailability was also not correlated with the levels of seed phytate, as estimated by testing RI at the extremes of the observed Fe bioavailability. FeSB QTL were confirmed using BC3S3 lines derived in both B73 and Mo17 backgrounds.