Stalk architecture, cell wall composition, and QTL underlying high stalk flexibility for improved lodging resistance in maize

作者：Xiaqing Wang, Zi Shi, Ruyang Zhang, Xuan Sun, Jidong Wang, Shuai Wang, Ying Zhang, Yanxin Zhao, Aiguo Su, Chunhui Li, Ronghuan Wang, Yunxia Zhang, Shuaishuai Wang, Yuandong Wang, Wei Song, Jiuran Zhao · 发表于：BMC Plant Biology · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1186/s12870-020-02728-2 · 被引用次数：43 · 研究领域：Crop Yield and Soil Fertility、Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals、Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology

Abstract Background Stalk fracture caused by strong wind can severely reduce yields in maize. Stalks with higher stiffness and flexibility will exhibit stronger lodging resistance. However, stalk flexibility is rarely studied in maize. Stalk fracture of the internode above the ear before tasseling will result in the lack of tassel and pollen, which is devastating for pollination in seed production. In this study, we focused on stalk lodging before tasseling in two maize inbred lines, JING724 and its improved line JING724A1 and their F2:3 population. Results JING724A1 showed a larger stalk fracture angle than JING724, indicating higher flexibility. In addition, compared to JING724, JING724A1 also had longer and thicker stalks, with a conical, frustum-shaped internode above the ear. Microscopy and X-ray microcomputed tomography of the internal stalk architecture revealed that JING724A1 had more vascular bundles and thicker sclerenchyma tissue. Furthermore, total soluble sugar content of JING724A1, especially the glucose component, was substantially higher than in JING724. Using an F2:3 population derived from a JING724 and JING724A1 cross, we performed bulk segregant analysis for stalk fracture angle and detected one QTL located on Chr3: 14.00–19.28 Mb. Through transcriptome data analysis and ∆ (SNP-index), we identified two candidate genes significantly associated with high stalk fracture angle, which encode a RING/U-box superfamily protein (Zm00001d039769) and a MADS-box tran...