CEFOBI   05405
CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS FOTOSINTETICOS Y BIOQUIMICOS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Characterization of the Genes Responsible for Maysin Formation in Maize Silks
Autor/es:
CASAS, M.I; FALCONE FERREYRA, M.L.; RODRIGUEZ, E.; MEJIA-GUERRA, M.; MOROHASHI, K; CASATI, P.; GROTEWOLD, E
Lugar:
Columbus
Reunión:
Congreso; Midwestern Section Annual Meeting, American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).; 2014
Resumen:
Maysin is a C-glycosyl flavone (CGF) that confers natural resistance against corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) (CEW), a maize pest responsible for high yield losses per season. Maysin accumulates primarily in silks, where it exerts its biocidal action by reducing CEW growth and development; and to a lesser extent in pericarps, the outermost layer of the maize kernel. This research aims to determine the identity and function of the gene products involved in the last steps of maysin biosynthesis. Previous studies on QTL analysis have determined that the loci corresponding to the R2R3-MYB transcription factor P1 (or its duplicate P2) and the loci salmon silks 1 (SM1), salmon silks 2 (SM2) and recessive enhancer of maysin 1 (REM1) are involved in the formation and accumulation of this CGF in silks. Additional studies also suggested possible functions for SM2 being a rhamnosyl transferase, and for SM1 being a dehydratase involved in the last step. However, there has been no activity proposed for REM1, where it is placed in the pathway and what is the identity of the genes involved in these conversions. Our search for possible candidate genes had the following criteria: they had to be included in the mapping intervals, their putative functions had to be similar to those proposed to SM2 and SM1 and they had to be highly expressed in P-rr silks and pericarps. This candidate gene analysis yielded two strong candidates for SM2 and SM1 that are being biochemically characterized, and whose results are presented in this poster.