Profiling the selected hotspots for ear traits in two maize-teosinte populations

Area of Science:

• Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Maize Domestication and Evolution
• Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Analysis

Background:

• Ear-related traits in maize have undergone significant selection during domestication.
• The genetic basis for the evolution of maize ear traits from teosinte remains incompletely understood.
• Identifying genes responsible for shaping these traits is crucial for understanding maize improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) hotspots associated with key maize ear traits.
• To investigate the role of selection in shaping these ear traits from teosinte to modern maize.
• To identify candidate genes underlying selected ear-related traits.

Main Methods:

• Investigated five ear traits: kernel row number (KRN), ear length (EL), kernel number per row (KNR), cob diameter (CD), and ear diameter (ED).
• Performed QTL analysis in two maize-teosinte populations to identify hotspots.
• Integrated QTL data with genome-wide association study (GWAS) results from natural panels.

Main Results:

• Identified eight significant QTL hotspots related to ear traits in maize-teosinte populations.
• Found enrichment of selected genes expressed in the ear within these hotspots.
• Proposed Zm00001d025111, a WD40/YVTN protein, as a potential positive regulator of kernel number per row (KNR).

Conclusions:

• Eight QTL hotspots are identified as selected regions crucial for maize ear development.
• These findings provide a framework for understanding the genomic distribution of selected loci in ear trait evolution.
• The study highlights specific candidate genes, like Zm00001d025111, involved in shaping maize ear morphology.