Genetic discovery can improve corn quality and yields

According to a study by Rutgers, researchers could improve yields and nutritional value of corn after discovering genetic regulators synthesizing starch and protein in widely consumed grain.

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencescould benefit millions of people who depend on maize for food in South America, Africa and elsewhere.

The global supply of maize depends on the improvement of its yield and quality, which relies on the accumulation of starch and protein in the grain endosperm, says the report. # 39; study. The endosperm, an important source of human nutrition containing starch, oils and proteins, is the tissue of the seed that surrounds the embryos.

"We have found a new approach to discover new regulators in the synthesis of starch and proteins, which determine the yield and quality of grain," said lead author of the study , Zhiyong Zhang, postdoctoral researcher at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University – New Brunswick.

Scientists have discovered how corn starch and protein are simultaneously synthesized in the endosperm, which could enable them to find a good balance between nutrient quality and yield, Zhang added. Corn domestication and modern breeding have gradually increased starch content, but reduced protein accumulation in endosperms.

The researchers looked at key proteins in corn kernels, called zeins, which lack the essential amino acid lysine (a constituent of protein), which translates into poor nutritional quality. For decades, during the breeding of corn, men increased the lysine content by growing maize with fewer zeins. However, current levels of lysine are too low to meet the needs of the rapidly growing world population.

Thus, molecular geneticists and corn breeders are attempting to dramatically reduce zein levels to improve the quality of corn nutrients by focusing on their blockage and transcription factors. The transcription takes place when the information contained in the DNA of a gene is transferred to RNA, which allows proteins to play a key role in tissues, organs, the structure and functions of the body.

The research team discovered that two transcription factors play a key role in regulating the synthesis of starch and protein, thus paving the way for further research to fully understand the equilibrium between nutrient quality and yield at the molecular level.

Rutgers' co-authors include postdoctoral fellow Jiaqiang Dong and lead author Joachim Messing, director of the Waksman Institute. Scientists from the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences contributed to the study.