Authors: Yuchao Chai Xiaomin Hao Xiaohong Yang William B Allen Jiming Li Jianbing Yan Bo Shen Jiansheng Li
Publish Date: 2011/10/11
Volume: 29, Issue: 4, Pages: 939-949
Abstract
The gene encoding acylCoAdiacylglycerol acyltransferase DGAT12 is a key quantitative trait locus that controls oil content and oleic acid composition in maize kernels Here we resequenced the DGAT12 region responsible for oil variation in a maize landrace set and in 155 inbred lines 35 highoil and 120 normal lines The highoil DGAT12 allele was present in most Northern Flint and Southern Dent populations but was absent in five of eight Corn Belt Dent openpollinated populations and in most of the earlier inbred lines Loss of the highoil DGAT12 allele possibly resulted from genetic drift in the early twentieth century when a few Corn Belt Dent populations were selected for the development of highgrainyield inbred lines Association analysis detected significant effects of two PCRbased functional markers HO06 and DGAT04 developed based on DGAT12 polymorphisms on kernel oil content and oleic acid composition using the 155 inbred lines Zheng58 and Chang72 the parent inbred lines of elite hybrid Zhengdan958 were used to transfer the favorable allele from the highoil line By804 using markerassisted backcrossing with the two functional markers In BC5F23 populations oil content of the three genotypes −/− +/− and +/+ was respectively 337 420 and 461 Zheng58 recipient line and 414 467 and 525 Chang72 recipient line Oil content of homozygous kernels containing the highoil DGAT12 allele increased by 27–37 compared with recurrent parents Hence these functional markers can be used to reintroduce the highoil DGAT12 allele into modern inbred lines for increased oil content through markerassisted backcrossingThis research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese High Technology Project and a collaborative research project from Pioneer HiBred International Inc We also thank Li Lin and Li Qing for their guidance of statistic methods
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