Program in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics Institute and Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, USA.
Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 29;8(1):13032. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31216-9.
Crop improvement programs focus on characteristics that are important for plant productivity. Typically genes underlying these traits are identified and stacked to create improved cultivars. Hence, identification of valuable traits for plant productivity is critical for plant improvement. Here we describe an important characteristic for maize productivity. Despite the fact mature maize ears are typically covered with kernels, we find that only a fraction of ovaries give rise to mature kernels. Non-developed ovaries degenerate while neighboring fertilized ovaries produce kernels that fill the ear. Abortion occurs throughout the ear, not just at the tip. We show that the fraction of aborted ovaries/kernels is genetically controlled and varies widely among maize lines, and low abortion genotypes are rare. Reducing or eliminating ovary abortion could substantially increase yield, making this characteristic a new target for selection in maize improvement programs.
作物改良计划侧重于对植物生产力很重要的特性。通常，这些性状背后的基因被鉴定并叠加，以创造改良的品种。因此，确定对植物生产力有价值的性状对于植物改良至关重要。在这里，我们描述了一个对玉米生产力很重要的特性。尽管成熟的玉米穗通常被玉米粒覆盖，但我们发现只有一部分子房会发育成成熟的玉米粒。未发育的子房退化，而相邻的受精子房则会产生填满穗的玉米粒。败育发生在整个穗上，而不仅仅是在穗尖。我们表明，败育子房/胚珠的比例是由遗传控制的，并且在玉米品系之间差异很大，而低败育基因型则很少见。减少或消除子房败育可以显著提高产量，因此这一特性成为玉米改良计划中选择的新目标。
