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ZmcrtRB3 Encodes a Carotenoid Hydroxylase that Affects the Accumulation of α‐carotene in Maize Kernel F
Author(s) -
Zhou Yi,
Han Yingjia,
Li Zhigang,
Fu Yang,
Fu Zhiyuan,
Xu Shutu,
Li Jiansheng,
Yan Jianbing,
Yang Xiaohong
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of integrative plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.734
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1744-7909
pISSN - 1672-9072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7909.2012.01106.x
Subject(s) - biology , carotenoid , quantitative trait locus , genetics , inbred strain , locus (genetics) , candidate gene , single nucleotide polymorphism , gene , haplotype , population , allele , genotype , botany , demography , sociology
α‐carotene is one of the important components of pro‐vitamin A, which is able to be converted into vitamin A in the human body. One maize ( Zea mays L.) ortholog of carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis thaliana , ZmcrtRB3 , was cloned and its role in carotenoid hydrolyzations was addressed. ZmcrtRB3 was mapped in a quantitative trait locus (QTL) cluster for carotenoid‐related traits on chromosome 2 (bin 2.03) in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from By804 and B73. Candidate‐gene association analysis identified 18 polymorphic sites in ZmcrtRB3 significantly associated with one or more carotenoid‐related traits in 126 diverse yellow maize inbred lines. These results indicate that the enzyme ZmcrtRB3 plays a role in hydrolyzing both α‐ and β‐carotenes, while polymorphisms in ZmcrtRB3 contributed more variation in α‐carotene than that in β‐carotene. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), SNP1343 in 5′untranslated region and SNP2172 in the second intron, consistently had effects on α‐carotene content and composition with explained phenotypic variations ranging from 8.7% to 34.8%. There was 1.7‐ to 3.7‐fold change between the inferior and superior haplotype for α‐carotene content and composition. Thus, SNP1343 and SNP2172 are potential polymorphic sites to develop functional markers for applying marker‐assisted selection in the improvement of pro‐vitamin A carotenoids in maize kernels.