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。

Research Progress on Genetic Structure and Regulation Mechanism on Starch Content in Maize Kernel

Maize is the crop with the largest planting area and the highest yield in the world. Starch accounts for about 70% of its grain weight, which is not only the main energy source for human beings and other animals, but also an important raw material for chemical industry. Assisted by the research on Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and other model plants, there have been accumulated a lot of information about the main biological processes of starch synthesis and functions of related gene in plants. Recently, many new starch content-related loci and candidate genes have been also further discovered through quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association study (GWAS) and omics-based methods in maize and other plants. However, summarization about such information is currently limited in maize. Here, the research progress of starch synthesis and regulation mechanisms in maize kernel were reviewed, and the QTLs and genes related to starch content in maize kernel were summarized and analyzed. The consistent physical map for starch content in maize kernel was further constructed, and the genetic hotspots were identified. The data will be useful for further deciphering the genetic basis of starch content in maize kernel and for molecular marker-assisted selection in maize breeding.