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Defining the Role of prolamin-box binding factor1 Gene During Maize Domestication

Authors :
John Doebley
Joachim Messing
David M. Wills
Zhihong Lang
Laura M. Shannon
Robert Bukowski
Yongrui Wu
Zachary H. Lemmon
Source :
Journal of Heredity. 105:576-582
Publication Year :
2014
Publisher :
Oxford University Press (OUP), 2014.

Abstract

The prolamin-box binding factor1 (pbf1) gene encodes a transcription factor that controls the expression of seed storage protein (zein) genes in maize. Prior studies show that pbf1 underwent selection during maize domestication although how it affected trait change during domestication is unknown. To assay how pbf1 affects phenotypic differences between maize and teosinte, we compared nearly isogenic lines (NILs) that differ for a maize versus teosinte allele of pbf1. Kernel weight for the teosinte NIL (162mg) is slightly but significantly greater than that for the maize NIL (156mg). RNAseq data for developing kernels show that the teosinte allele of pbf1 is expressed at about twice the level of the maize allele. However, RNA and protein assays showed no difference in zein profile between the two NILs. The lower expression for the maize pbf1 allele suggests that selection may have favored this change; however, how reduced pbf1 expression alters phenotype remains unknown. One possibility is that pbf1 regulates genes other than zeins and thereby is a domestication trait. The observed drop in seed weight associated with the maize allele of pbf1 is counterintuitive but could represent a negative pleiotropic effect of selection on some other aspect of kernel composition.

Details

ISSN :
14657333 and 00221503
Volume :
105
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Heredity
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....a4cf76bab85372e0047afded569c06a9
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esu019