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Published on: March 30, 2018
Variation at the ZmCALS5 promoter regulates maize pollen fertility by modulating ZmABI4 binding affinity
Junyao Li1,2, Tengyue Wang1,2, Xi Wang1
1The National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, The School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University/The Bio-breeding Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, 230036, China.
None:
Pollen fertility is a key factor affecting yield in maize (Zea mays), but the mechanism underlying this trait in natural accessions is poorly understood. Here, we performed quantitative trait locus mapping and identified the candidate gene ZmCALS5 encoding a callose synthase as controlling maize pollen fertility. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the ZmCALS5 promoter (-756A/C) influenced the ZmCALS5 expression level and the content of callose, a pollen component essential for maize pollen fertility. This SNP-756A/C lies within the binding site for the transcription factor ZmABI4, which directly binds and represses ZmCALS5 expression. ZmABI4 is a negative regulator of callose accumulation and pollen fertility. The SNP-756C allele was found at high frequency in teosinte but rarely occurred in modern maize. Genetic diversity analysis demonstrated that ZmCALS5 exhibits decreased nucleotide diversity, which might suggest a potential selection signature during maize domestication and improvement. Collectively, this study establishes a new paradigm for the research of maize pollen development, revealing that ZmABI4 represses ZmCALS5 expression, thereby negatively regulating callose accumulation and pollen fertility. These findings provide a new paradigm for maize pollen development and uncover a valuable natural allele variation for maize breeding.
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