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Defining the Role of the MADS-Box Gene, Zea Agamous-like1, a Target of Selection During Maize Domestication.

Defining the Role of the MADS-Box Gene, Zea Agamous-like1, a Target of Selection During Maize Domestication.

Authors :
Wills DM
Fang Z
York AM
Holland JB
Doebley JF
Source :
The Journal of heredity [J Hered] 2018 Mar 16; Vol. 109 (3), pp. 333-338.
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

Genomic scans for genes that show the signature of past selection have been widely applied to a number of species and have identified a large number of selection candidate genes. In cultivated maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) selection scans have identified several hundred candidate domestication genes by comparing nucleotide diversity and differentiation between maize and its progenitor, teosinte (Z. mays ssp. parviglumis). One of these is a gene called zea agamous-like1 (zagl1), a MADS-box transcription factor, that is known for its function in the control of flowering time. To determine the trait(s) controlled by zagl1 that was (were) the target(s) of selection during maize domestication, we created a set of recombinant chromosome isogenic lines that differ for the maize versus teosinte alleles of zagl1 and which carry cross-overs between zagl1 and its neighbor genes. These lines were grown in a randomized trial and scored for flowering time and domestication related traits. The results indicated that the maize versus teosinte alleles of zagl1 affect flowering time as expected, as well as multiple traits related to ear size with the maize allele conferring larger ears with more kernels. Our results suggest that zagl1 may have been under selection during domestication to increase the size of the maize ear.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1465-7333
Volume :
109
Issue :
3
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
The Journal of heredity
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
28992108
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esx073