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Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (6): 1501-1513.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.43052

• CROP GENETICS & BREEDING · GERMPLASM RESOURCES · MOLECULAR GENETICS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect evaluation and investigation on molecular mechanism of the ZmKL1 favorable allele in regulating maize kernel size

YANG Xiao-Hui1,2,YAN Xuan-Jun2,3,YANG Wen-Yan2,FU Jun-Jie2,YANG Qin1,*,XIE Yu-Xin2,*   

  1. 1 College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University / State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production / Key Laboratory of Maize Biology and Genetic Breeding in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling 711200, Shaanxi, China; 2 Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences / State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Beijing 100081, China; 3 Hainan University / College of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Haikou 570228, Hainan, China
  • Received:2024-11-15 Revised:2025-03-26 Accepted:2025-03-26 Online:2025-06-12 Published:2025-04-01
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32101809) and the Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Abstract:

To evaluate the effects of different alleles of the kernel size-related gene ZmKL1 on agronomic traits and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which ZmKL1 regulates kernel size in maize, this study constructed near-isogenic lines (NILs) and analyzed their field performance, ear morphology, and kernel traits at two locations. Transcriptome and proteome analyses were conducted to explore the regulatory effects of different alleles on kernel size. The results revealed significant differences in kernel length, kernel width, hundred-kernel weight, plant height, and ear height among the NILs, while no significant differences were observed in flowering time or ear traits. A total of 744 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 152 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between the two NIL groups. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that DEGs were enriched in pathways related to protein binding and oxidoreductase activity, while DEPs were primarily associated with transcriptional regulation, gene expression, RNA biosynthesis, and metabolic processes. The expression differences of eight key genes were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This study not only provides a comprehensive phenotypic assessment of ZmKL1 alleles, demonstrating the potential of the favorable allele for maize yield improvement, but also offers preliminary insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ZmKL1-mediated kernel size regulation through integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. These findings contribute to the identification of key genes and pathways involved in maize kernel development, laying the foundation for future genetic improvement strategies.

Key words: maize kernel, transcriptome, proteome, allele, near-isogenic line

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