ZmRPN1 confers quantitative variation in pollen number and boosts hybrid seed production in maize.

ABSTRACT: The number of pollen grains is a critical determinant of reproductive success in seed plants and varies among species and individuals. However, in contrast with many mutant-screening studies relevant to anther and pollen development, the natural genetic basis for variations in pollen number remains largely unexplored. To address this issue, we carried out a genome-wide association study in maize, ultimately revealing that a large presence/absence variation in the promoter region of ZmRPN1 alters its expression level and thereby contributes to pollen number variation. Molecular analyses showed that ZmRPN1 interacts with ZmMSP1, which is known as a germline cell number regulator, and facilitates ZmMSP1 localization to the plasma membrane. Importantly, ZmRPN1 dysfunction resulted in a substan

SUBMITTER: Guo T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10502757 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature