玉米雌穗性状遗传分析与形成机制*

雌穗是玉米重要的生殖器官,雌穗发育决定成熟果穗大小及单穗粒重,进而直接影响玉米产量。雌穗性状主要包括穗长、穗粗、穗行数、行粒数、穗重、单穗粒重等,均为多基因控制的数量遗传性状,且其遗传结构各不相同。解析雌穗性状的遗传基础,优化雌穗结构,是玉米增产的重要途径。前人通过数量性状位点(quantitative trait locus mapping,QTL)定位和全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)等方法,已经鉴定出较多雌穗性状相关的遗传位点,但是目前已鉴定功能的基因较少,所建立的遗传位点一致性图谱并不完整,因此难以全面揭示雌穗性状遗传结构。通过综合前人雌穗性状遗传定位进展,现将已鉴定QTL位点和显著关联SNP整合至玉米B73参考基因组V4版本,并鉴定出雌穗性状定位热点区间,对深入解析雌穗性状遗传结构、指导雌穗性状基因克隆和理解雌穗发育分子机制均具有重要意义。     

玉米株高和穗位高的遗传基础与分子机制*

株高和穗位高是玉米重要育种性状,直接影响植株的养分利用效率及抗倒伏性,进而影响玉米产量。玉米株高和穗位高属于典型数量性状,目前通过数量性状位点(quantitative trait loci mapping,QTL)定位和全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)等方法已挖掘到较多相关遗传位点,通过QTL精细定位及利用突变体克隆了一些调控株高和穗位高关键基因。但是由于各研究组所利用的群体类型和大小、标记类型和密度以及统计方法不同,所鉴定QTL差异较大,单个研究难以揭示玉米株高和穗位高遗传结构。早期QTL定位的结果多以遗传距离来展示,不同时期GWAS研究所使用参考基因组版本不同,这进一步增加了借鉴和利用前人研究结果的难度。首次将目前已鉴定株高和穗位高遗传定位信息统一锚定至玉米自交系B73参考基因组V4版本,构建了株高和穗位高性状定位的一致性图谱,并鉴定出可被多个独立研究定位的热点区间。进一步对已克隆玉米株高和穗位高调控基因进行总结与分类,揭示株高和穗位高性状调控机制,对深度解析株高和穗位高遗传结构、指导基因克隆和利用分子标记辅助选择优化玉米株高和穗位高性状均具有重要意义。     

玉米叶夹角形成的遗传基础与分子机制解析*

玉米产量取决于植株捕获光能和固定CO₂合成有机化合物的效率。叶夹角是株型重要性状之一,较小叶夹角有利于提高玉米植株光合作用效率和种植密度,因而有利于提高玉米产量。研究表明玉米叶夹角为多基因控制的复杂数量性状,其遗传力较高,主要受基因的加性效应调控。目前,利用数量性状位点(quantitative trait loci, QTL)定位和全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)等方法已鉴定数百个玉米叶夹角相关QTL;结合突变体分析等方法,已克隆数十个调控叶夹角关键基因,这为了解玉米叶夹角遗传机制提供了重要参考。由于前人研究所采用群体、分析方法及参考基因组版本不同,各研究之间所鉴定QTL差异较大,因此无法客观揭示叶夹角性状的遗传规律。为此,通过总结前人所定位叶夹角相关QTL和单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)位点并构建一致性图谱,鉴定出叶夹角性状定位热点区间,并对调控叶夹角的已知基因进行功能分类。这不仅为了解玉米叶夹角的遗传结构、推动叶夹角相关重要基因克隆提供数据支撑,也对进一步开发叶夹角相关分子标记,指导玉米分子育种和提高玉米产量提供有益指导。     

玉米籽粒淀粉含量遗传基础与调控机制*

玉米是世界上种植面积最大、总产量最高的粮食作物,其籽粒重量的70%来自于淀粉。淀粉不仅是人类及其他动物的主要能量来源,同时也是化工等行业的重要原料。利用拟南芥、水稻等模式植物,淀粉合成相关基因克隆与功能研究已取得较多进展。近年来,随着玉米淀粉含量相关遗传学研究的深入开展,通过数量性状位点(quantitative trait locus mapping,QTL)定位、全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)及各种组学分析方法,发现了较多新的与淀粉含量相关的遗传位点及候选基因,但是尚缺乏归纳总结。综述了玉米籽粒淀粉合成与调控研究进展,对玉米籽粒淀粉含量相关的QTL和基因进行汇总和分析,通过构建一致性物理图谱,提炼玉米籽粒淀粉含量遗传定位热点区间,这为进一步解析玉米籽粒淀粉合成与代谢相关基因的功能提供参考,并为分子标记辅助育种提供遗传资源。     

玉米穗腐病抗性鉴定、遗传分析与分子机制*

玉米是我国主要农作物之一,其产量占全国谷物总产量三分之一左右,在国民生活中发挥了重要作用。玉米生长过程中受多种病害侵扰,其中穗腐病是一种由真菌导致的常见病害,目前已鉴定出40余种可诱发玉米穗腐病的病原菌。穗腐病不仅可造成玉米产量损失也导致籽粒品质严重下降,病原微生物所产生次生毒素更是危及人畜安全。目前穗腐病防治以化学方法为主,但是因此所造成的种植成本增加和环境污染问题日益突出,选育抗性品种成为防控玉米穗腐病最经济和安全有效的方法。玉米穗腐病抗性属于典型数量性状,国内外已有多个研究组通过建立玉米穗腐病抗性研究体系,开展玉米群体大规模穗腐病抗性鉴定工作,并筛选出一批抗病材料,这为玉米穗腐病抗性遗传改良奠定了材料基础。利用数量性状位点(quantitative trait locus, QTL)定位和全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)等方法在玉米 1~10号染色体均检测到显著相关位点。尽管如此,玉米穗腐病抗性研究成果应用于生产的实例较少,生产上仍然缺乏综合性状优良且高抗穗腐病的玉米品种。这一方面是由于玉米穗腐病抗性遗传机制十分复杂、抗性基因克隆工作进展缓慢;另一方面为缺乏对玉米穗腐病抗性遗传研究进展进行系统总结,未有效开发分子标记用于分子育种所致。通过综述玉米穗腐病抗性遗传研究进展,汇总已定位QTL位点和显著关联SNP,构建一致性图谱和鉴定出定位热点区间,并进一步对比分析定位区间候选基因特征和转录组、代谢组研究进展,对促进玉米穗腐病抗性机制研究和玉米抗性育种均具有重要意义。     

鱼和熊掌的选择: 反向重复序列变异介导的玉米环境适应与产量平衡

作物育种的目标是找到产量和抗性的最佳平衡点, 其中涉及“鱼和熊掌”二者兼得的选择策略。哪些逆境负调控位点影响产量性状, 以及如何调控等是突破育种瓶颈的重要科学问题。近百年来, 高产玉米(Zea mays)育种使玉米单产不断提高, 同时现代玉米品种对干旱的敏感性也呈现出增强趋势, 故而存在高产稳产的潜在风险。可对于这一现象背后确切的遗传机制却知之甚少, 从而限制了既高产又高抗玉米新品种的培育。玉米的非生物胁迫抗性与产量性状均为多基因控制的复杂数量性状, 涉及全基因组范围内大量基因的表达与调控。玉米基因组内存在大量的小RNA (sRNA), 其对基因表达起精细调控作用, 但人们对sRNA调控作物环境胁迫应答与产量性状机制的理解仍然有限。近日, 华中农业大学代明球课题组与李林和李峰两个课题组合作, 基于对338份玉米关联群体在不同环境下的sRNA表达组分析, 鉴定到大量干旱应答的sRNA, 以及调控这些sRNA表达的遗传位点(eQTL); 并克隆了8号染色体上1个干旱特异性eQTL热点DRESH8。生物信息学分析显示, DRESH8是1个由转座子组成的长度约为21.4 kb的反向重复序列(TE-IR)。DRESH8通过产生小干扰RNA (siRNA)介导抗旱基因的转录后沉默, 并间接抑制产量负调控因子的表达, 在负调控干旱应答的同时正调控产量性状。进一步研究发现, DRESH8在玉米驯化和改良过程中受到了人工选择。据此, 他们认为DRESH8可能是玉米平衡抗旱性和产量的关键遗传位点。该研究在全基因组水平上揭示了作物调控产量和环境胁迫抗性平衡的关键遗传机制, 同时也鉴定到大量IR位点, 为未来“高抗、高产”玉米设计育种提供了有价值的操控靶点。     

玉米叶色突变体遗传分析及基因定位

玉米叶色与叶绿体及结构相关,调控光合产量,因而对调控叶色基因的遗传研究或克隆将有助于玉米光合产量的遗传改良和植物光合作用理论机制的解析。本研究以玉米W22::Mu介导的综31为遗传背景的导入系群体为材料,获得了细胞核单隐性基因控制、叶绿体结构和数目异常、色素缺失和PSII显著降低的叶色突变体。使用覆盖B73基因组的SSR标记将突变位点定位于约2. 95 Mb区间(bnlg1863~umc2075)。基于区段标记开发和1200单株分离群体将突变位点精细定位于约900 kb区间(B73 Ref Gen_V4; S1~S7区间),经区段内基因表达和功能分析获得了候选基因Zm00001d010000,该基因编码硫氧还蛋白,与突变体表型形成相关。该研究将为光合产量的遗传改良和植物光合作用理论机制解析提供重要的基因或标记资源。     

转Bt基因抗虫玉米HGK60的农艺性状分析

为了确定转Bt cry1Ah抗虫玉米HGK60的自交系及其杂交后代外源基因的遗传表达稳定性和农艺性状,通过实时荧光定量PCR和ELISA分析外源基因的遗传表达稳定性,通过室内外生测和田间性状考量分析农艺性状。荧光定量PCR结果表明Bt cry1Ah基因在玉米的不同组织中可以正常转录,但RNA表达水平存在一定的差异;ELISA结果表明在转基因植株的不同发育时期、不同器官中Cry1Ah的蛋白表达量顺序:雄穗叶片苞叶籽粒花丝穗轴。两地连续三代的田间及室内抗虫性检测结果表明HGK60抗虫玉米对亚洲玉米螟均表现出很好的抗性。性状考量结果表明HGK60抗虫玉米与受体材料对照比较,种子发芽率、生育期、穗行数、穗长、千粒重等农艺性状均无显著差异。通过多年多点田间试验和分子检测结果证明HGK60转基因抗虫玉米中外源基因稳定的遗传和表达,对亚洲玉米螟有很好的抗性,农艺性状与对照材料无显著差异。HGK60转基因抗虫玉米对亚洲玉米螟的良好抗性使其具有很好的产业化应用前景。     

玉米穗部性状及其一般配合力的关联分析

穗部性状是影响玉米产量的重要性状,一般配合力是评价玉米自交系利用价值的重要指标。为解析穗部性状及其一般配合力的遗传基础,本研究对248份玉米自交系组成的自然群体和以其中100份自交系为母本按照NCⅡ遗传交配设计与4个测验种(Mo17、昌7-2、E28和郑58)组配的400份F1杂交组合的穗部性状进行研究,并利用分布于全基因组的83057个SNP标记进行穗部性状及其一般配合力的关联分析。结果表明,穗长、穗粗2个穗部性状基因型间、环境间差异达极显著水平,其广义遗传率分别为81.22%和87.70%。母本间、父本间及不同杂交组合间穗长、穗粗差异均达极显著水平,在基因型方差中特殊配合力贡献率较大。利用2年2点4个环境下的数据分别进行关联分析,检测到34个性状SNP关联,利用BLUP值检测到7个性状SNP关联。这些性状SNP关联可解释的表型变异为0.01%～19.42%,其中有5个性状SNP关联的表型贡献率大于10%,未检测到穗部性状本身与一般配合力性状的相同SNP位点。基于该群体的LD衰减距离在显著关联SNP位点上下游各120 kb范围内进行候选基因搜索,共发现158个候选基因,推测可能的候选基因涉及泛素代谢相关基因(GRMZM2G360374、GRMZM2G049568、GRMZM2G178120),β半乳糖苷酶(GRMZM2G178106),丝氨酸苏氨酸蛋白激酶(GRMZM2G127050),赖氨酸和组氨酸特异性转运体(GRMZM2G116004)。研究结果为解析玉米穗长和穗粗及其一般配合力的遗传基础和分子辅助选择育种提供了参考。     

小麦主胚根生长及主要性状全基因组关联分析

为解析小麦初生根系建成的遗传机制,本研究以黄淮麦区的198份小麦自然群体为材料,对在室内人工气候箱内水培21 d的小麦主胚根的一级分枝根数、分枝密度、长度、表面积、体积和平均直径6个性状进行调查分析,结合660K基因芯片用Q+K混合线性模型对主胚根性状进行全基因组关联分析,并对显著且稳定的关联位点进行功能注释和候选基因挖掘。结果表明,主胚根不同性状呈正态或近似正态分布,变异系数为5.56%～22.10%。通过全基因组关联分析,共检测到136个显著关联位点,这些位点分布在除7B以外的染色体上,可解释5.10%～13.60%的表型变异,同时检测到13个显著的多效位点,挖掘到TraesCS4A01G023100、TraesCS1B01G294400、TraesCS4A01G006200等16个可能与主胚根生长相关的候选基因,这些基因可能通过调控DNA拓扑结构异构酶、泛素结合酶E2、磷酸肌醇磷酸酶家族蛋白等参与小麦主胚根系的建成。本研究结果为小麦根系调控网络构建,以及优化根系构型和发挥根系功能提供了参考。     

Regulation of sex determination in maize

Maize develops separate male and female flowers in different locations on a single plant. Male flowers develop at the tip of the shoot in the tassel, and female flowers develop on the ears, which terminate short branches. The development of male flowers in tassels and female flowers in ears is the result of selective abortion of pistils or stamens, respectively, in developing florets. Genetic analysis has shown that stamen abortion and pistil abortion are under the control of two different genetic pathways. Local levels of the plant hormone gibberellic acid determine whether or not stamens are suppressed. Pistil abortion is under the regulation of the tassel seed genes, one of which has been shown to encode a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase. The tassel seed genes play a role in regulating the fate of inflorescence meristems as well as pistil primordium fate.     

Mapping of Defense Response Gene Homologs and Their Association with Resistance Loci in Maize

Defense response genes in higher plant species are involved in a variety of signal transduction pathways and biochemical reactions to counterattack invading pathogens. In this study, a total of 366 non-redundant defense response gene homologs （DRHs）, including 124 unigenes/expressed sequence tags, 226 tentative consensuses, and 16 DRH contigs have been identified by mining the Maize Genetics and Genomics and The Institute for Genomic Research maize databases using 35 essential defense response genes. Of 366 DRHs, 202 are mapped to 152 loci across ten maize chromosomes via both the genetic and in silico mapping approaches. The mapped DRHs seem to cluster together rather than be evenly distributed along the maize genome. Approximately half of these DHRs are located in regions harboring either major resistance genes or quantitative trait loci （QTL）. Therefore, this comprehensive DRH linkage map will provide reference sequences to identify either positional candidate genes for resistance genes and/or QTLs or to develop makers for fine-mapping and marker-assisted selection of resistance genes and/or QTLs.     

Meta-Analysis of Flowering-Related Traits and Mining of Candidate Genes in Maize

Maize flowering is an important agronomic character, which is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTL). Over the years, a large number of flowering-related QTL have been found in maize and exist in public databases. However, combining these data, re-analyzing and mining candidate loci and fine mapping of flowering-related traits to reduce confidence intervals has become a hot issue in maize. In this study, the QTL of 6 important agronomic traits of maize flowering were collected from 15 published articles, including flowering period (DA), Days to tasseling (DTT), Days to silking (DS), Days to pollen shedding (DTP), anthesis-silking interval (ASI) and the photosensitive (PS). Through meta-analysis, 622 QTL were integrated into 26 meta-QTLs (MQTL). Finally, the candidate genes related to maize flowering (Gene IDs: ZM00001D005791, ZM00001D019045, ZM00001D050697, ZM00001D011139) were identified by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and hierarchical cluster analysis of expression profile. Based on the results of this study, the genetic characteristics of maize flowering traits will be further analyzed, which is of great significance to guide the improvement of important agronomic characters and improve the efficiency of breeding.     

Genetic association mapping and genome organization of maize

Association mapping, a high-resolution method for mapping quantitative trait loci based on linkage disequilibrium, holds great promise for the dissection of complex genetic traits. The recent assembly and characterization of maize association mapping panels, development of improved statistical methods, and successful association of candidate genes have begun to realize the power of candidate-gene association mapping. Although the complexity of the maize genome poses several significant challenges to the application of association mapping, the ongoing genome sequencing project will ultimately allow for a thorough genome-wide examination of nucleotide polymorphism-trait association.     

Meta-analysis combined with syntenic metaQTL mining dissects candidate loci for maize yield

Yield potential and stability improvement with the goal of ensuring global food security is an important priority. Yield has a quantitative nature and is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTL) and environmental factors. An increasingly large number of maize yield QTL have been identified, and how to integrate and re-analyze them is challenging. To this end, we tried to combine QTL meta-analysis with homology-based cloning techniques to dissect candidate loci/genes for maize yield. We first collected maize yield-related QTL from public resources. Then, 351 collected QTL were iteratively projected and meta-analyzed to obtain metaQTL (MQTL). A total of 54 MQTL were identified and tended to cluster in the maize genome. Seven MQTL containing ten maize orthologs of rice yield genes were dissected and temporarily termed syntenic MQTL. Maize orthologs of three functionally-characterized rice yield genes, GIF1, WFP/IPA1, and DEP1, were specially selected to undergo phylogenetic, proliferation, and selective pattern analysis. The results showed that maize orthologs were closely related to rice yield genes and subjected to mixed selective pressures, including positive selection during selective sweeps. The power of the combined techniques reported here was primarily validated not only by the congruency of MQTL and recently reported maize yield QTL but also by mined syntenic MQTL containing the well-characterized Miniature1 (Mn1) gene for maize kernel size and weight determination. Maize MQTL, especially syntenic MQTL regions, could serve not only for QTL fine-mapping and cloning but also for the marker-assisted selection breeding program. The maize yield candidate loci/genes presented here also deserve further investigation and will provide clues to the molecular bases of grain yield. Additionally, the combined technique described here will find its way into further quantitative trait research.     

Identification of quantitative trait loci for nitrogen use efficiency in maize

Intensively managed crop systems are normally dependent on nitrogen input to maximize yield potential. Improvements in nitrogen- use efficiency (NUE) in crop plants may support the development of cropping systems that are more economically efficient and environment friendly. The objective of this study was to map and characterize quantitative trait loci (QTL) for NUE in a maize population. In preliminary experiments, inbred lines contrasting for NUE were identified and were used to generate populations of F2:3 families for genetic study. A total of 214 F2:3 families were evaluated in replicated trials under high nitrogen (280 kg/ha) and low nitrogen (30 kg/ha) conditions in 1996 and 1997. Analysis of ear-leaf area, plant height, grain yield, ears per plant, kernels number per ear, and kernel weight indicated significant genetic variation among F2:3 families. The heritability of these traits was found to be high (h2=0.57–0.81). The mapping population were genotyped using a set of 99 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. A linkage map of these markers was developed and used to identify QTL. Between two and six loci were found to be associated with each trait. The correspondence of several genomic regions with traits measured under nitrogen limited conditions suggests the presence of QTL associated with NUE. QTLs will help breeders to improve their maize ideotype of a low-nitrogen efficiency by identifying those constitutive and adaptive traits involved in the expression of traits significantly correlated with yield, such as ear leaf area and number of ears per plant. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Class II tassel seed mutations provide evidence for multiple types of inflorescence meristems in maize (Poaceae)

The tassel seed mutations ts4 and Ts6 of maize cause irregular branching in its inflorescences, tassels, and ears, in addition to feminization of the tassel due to the failure to abort pistils. A comparison of the development of mutant and wild-type tassels and ears using scanning electron microscopy reveals that at least four reproductive meristem types can be identified in maize: the inflorescence meristem, the spikelet pair meristem, the spikelet meristem, and the floret meristem. ts4 and Ts6 mutations affect the fate of specific reproductive meristems in both tassels and ears. ts4 mutants fail to form spikelet meristems from spikelet pair meristems. Ts6 mutants are delayed in the conversion of certain spikelet meristems into floret meristems. Once floret meristems are established in both of these mutants, they form florets that appear normal but fail to undergo pistil abortion in the tassel. The abnormal branching associated with each mutant is suppressed at the base of ears, permitting the formation of normal, fertile spikelets. The classification of the different types of reproductive meristems will be useful in interpretation of gene expression patterns in maize. It also provides a framework for understanding meristem functions that can be varied to diversify inflorescence architectures in the Gramineae.