The Origin of the Naked Grains of Maize

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2005 Aug 5

PMID 16079849

Citations 224

Authors

Huai Wang

Tina Nussbaum-Wagler

Bailin Li

Qiong Zhao

Yves Vigouroux

Marianna Faller

Kirsten Bomblies

Lewis Lukens

John F Doebley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The most critical step in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) domestication was the liberation of the kernel from the hardened, protective casing that envelops the kernel in the maize progenitor, teosinte. This evolutionary step exposed the kernel on the surface of the ear, such that it could readily be used by humans as a food source. Here we show that this key event in maize domestication is controlled by a single gene (teosinte glume architecture or tga1), belonging to the SBP-domain family of transcriptional regulators. The factor controlling the phenotypic difference between maize and teosinte maps to a 1-kilobase region, within which maize and teosinte show only seven fixed differences in their DNA sequences. One of these differences encodes a non-conservative amino acid substitution and may affect protein function, and the other six differences potentially affect gene regulation. Molecular evolution analyses show that this region was the target of selection during maize domestication. Our results demonstrate that modest genetic changes in single genes can induce dramatic changes in phenotype during domestication and evolution.

Citing Articles

MaizeCODE reveals bi-directionally expressed enhancers that harbor molecular signatures of maize domestication.

Cahn J, Regulski M, Lynn J, Ernst E, de Santis Alves C, Ramakrishnan S Nat Commun. 2024; 15(1):10854.

PMID: 39738013 PMC: 11685423. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55195-w.

A regulatory network controlling developmental boundaries and meristem fates contributed to maize domestication.

Dong Z, Hu G, Chen Q, Shemyakina E, Chau G, Whipple C Nat Genet. 2024; 56(11):2528-2537.

PMID: 39415035 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01943-z.

Determination of single or paired-kernel-rows is controlled by two quantitative loci during maize domestication.

Cai M, Xiong Q, Mao R, Zhu C, Deng H, Zhang Z Theor Appl Genet. 2024; 137(10):227.

PMID: 39299955 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-024-04742-6.

TaSPL6B, a member of the Squamosa promoter binding protein-like family, regulates shoot branching and florescence in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Dong F, Song J, Zhang H, Zhang J, Chen Y, Zhou X BMC Plant Biol. 2024; 24(1):708.

PMID: 39054432 PMC: 11271066. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05429-2.

An ARF gene mutation creates flint kernel architecture in dent maize.

Wang H, Huang Y, Li Y, Cui Y, Xiang X, Zhu Y Nat Commun. 2024; 15(1):2565.

PMID: 38519520 PMC: 10960022. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46955-9.

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