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Lateral Root Inducible System in Arabidopsis and Maize
Published on: January 14, 2016
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The quantitative trait locus stiff2 controls stalk bending strength and root architecture in maize
Shuyang Zhong1, Le Xu2, Zhihai Zhang3
1State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Crop Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing DaBeiNong Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100194, China.
Journal of Genetics and Genomics = Yi Chuan Xue Bao
|December 3, 2025
Summary
Researchers identified a gene, ZmCCT (stiff2), that controls stalk strength in maize. A transposable element in ZmCCT reduces stalk bending strength, while its increased expression enhances it, offering new breeding tools for lodging resistance.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Agricultural science
- Maize breeding
Background:
- Stalk lodging significantly threatens global maize production, causing substantial yield losses.
- Stalk bending strength (SBS) is a key factor in maize lodging resistance, but its genetic underpinnings are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the genetic basis of stalk bending strength (SBS) in maize.
- To understand the regulatory mechanisms controlling maize stalk strength and lodging resistance.
Main Methods:
- Integrated quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and association mapping to identify genetic loci associated with SBS.
- Utilized transgenic approaches to investigate the function of the candidate gene ZmCCT.
- Performed gene regulatory network analysis to identify downstream targets of ZmCCT.
Main Results:
- Identified a QTL, stiff2, corresponding to the flowering-time gene ZmCCT, as a major determinant of SBS.
- A 5-kb transposable element insertion in the ZmCCT promoter significantly reduces SBS.
- Upregulated ZmCCT expression via transformation significantly enhances SBS, influencing stalk elongation, thickening, and lignin biosynthesis.
- ZmCCT also impacts root system architecture, contributing to belowground lodging resistance.
Conclusions:
- ZmCCT (stiff2) plays a crucial role in controlling both aboveground and belowground lodging resistance in maize.
- The identified downstream genes regulated by ZmCCT provide insights into the genetic control of stalk strength.
- This discovery offers valuable genetic resources for developing lodging-resistant maize cultivars.
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