Genetic dynamics drive maize growth and breeding.
Chengxiu Wu1,2, Zedong Geng1,2, Weikun Li1,2
1National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Genome Biology
|January 30, 2026
Summary
This study reveals the genetic basis of maize growth dynamics using high-throughput phenotyping and genome-wide association studies. Key genes influencing plant architecture and development were identified, aiding predictive breeding strategies.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Developmental biology
- Quantitative genetics
Background:
- Phenotypic diversity in plants is driven by development and genomic variation.
- The genetic underpinnings of maize growth dynamics are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic architecture of maize growth dynamics.
- To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes controlling growth variation across developmental stages.
- To explore the role of temporal genetic regulation in shaping plant architecture.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 679 maize inbred lines with ~2.8 million SNPs.
- High-throughput phenotyping capturing over 1 million RGB images across 18 growth stages.
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify QTLs for 67 image-based traits (i-traits).
Main Results:
- Identified 857 QTLs for growth variation, with most being period-specific dynamic QTLs.
- Discovered cryptic pleiotropic QTLs suggesting developmental genetic relocations.
- Characterized novel gene functions (e.g., BRD1, ZmGalOx1) impacting plant architecture.
- Enhanced heritability estimates for mature traits by an average of 6.2%.
Conclusions:
- Elucidated the spatial-temporal genetic architecture of maize growth dynamics.
- Provided novel insights into developmental rewiring of epistatic networks.
- Supported ontogeny-driven predictive breeding strategies for maize improvement.
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