Trihelix Transcription Factor ZmThx20 Is Required for Kernel Development in Maize.

ABSTRACT: Maize kernels are the harvested portion of the plant and are related to the yield and quality of maize. The endosperm of maize is a large storage organ that constitutes 80-90% of the dry weight of mature kernels. Maize kernels have long been the study of cereal grain development to increase yield. In this study, a natural mutation that causes abnormal kernel development, and displays a shrunken kernel phenotype, was identified and named "shrunken 2008 (sh2008)". The starch grains in sh2008 are loose and have a less proteinaceous matrix surrounding them. The total storage protein and the major storage protein zeins are ~70% of that in the wild-type control (WT); in particular, the 19 kDa and 22 kDa α-zeins. Map-based cloning revealed that sh2008 encodes a GT-2 trihelix transcription factor,

SUBMITTER: Li P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8624104 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature