A single point mutation in Ms44 results in dominant male sterility and improves nitrogen use efficiency in maize

Application of nitrogen fertilizer in the past 50 years has resulted in significant increases in crop yields. However, loss of nitrogen from crop fields has been associated with negative impacts on the environment. Developing maize hybrids with improved nitrogen use efficiency is a cost‐effective strategy for increasing yield sustainably. We report that a dominant male‐sterile mutant Ms44 encodes a lipid transfer protein which is expressed specifically in the tapetum. A single amino acid change from alanine to threonine at the signal peptide cleavage site of the Ms44 protein abolished protein processing and impeded the secretion of protein from tapetal cells into the locule, resulting in dominant male sterility. While the total nitrogen (N) content in plants was not changed, Ms44 male‐sterile plants reduced tassel growth and improved ear growth by partitioning more nitrogen to the ear, resulting in a 9.6% increase in kernel number. Hybrids carrying the Ms44 allele demonstrated a 4%–8.5% yield advantage when N is limiting, 1.7% yield advantage under drought and 0.9% yield advantage under optimal growth conditions relative to the yield of wild type. Furthermore, we have developed an Ms44 maintainer line for fertility restoration, male‐sterile inbred seed increase and hybrid seed production. This study reveals that protein secretion from the tapetum into the locule is critical for pollen development and demonstrates that a reduction in competition between tassel and ear by male sterility improves grain yield under low‐nitrogen conditions in maize.