As drought threatens the yield and quality of maize (Zea mays L.), it is important to dissect the molecular basis of maize drought tolerance. Flavonoids, participate in the scavenging of oxygen free radicals and alleviate stress-induced oxidative damages. This study aims to dissect the function of flavonoids in the improvement of maize drought tolerance. Using far-infrared imaging screening, we previously isolated a drought overly insensitivity (doi) mutant from an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized maize library and designated it as doi57. In this study, we performed a physiological characterization and transcriptome profiling of doi57 in comparison to corresponding wild-type B73 under drought stress. Under drought stress, doi57 seedlings displayed lower leaf-surface temperature (LST), faster water loss, and better performance in growth than B73. Transcriptome analysis reveals that key genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis are enriched among differentially expressed genes in doi57. In line with these results, more flavonols and less hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were accumulated in guard cells of doi57 than in those of B73 with the decrease of soil water content (SWC). Moreover, the capacity determined from doi57 seedling extracts to scavenge oxygen free radicals was more effective than that of B73 under the drought treatment. Additionally, doi57 seedlings had higher photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, and water use efficiency than B73 exposed to drought stress, resulting in high biomass and greater root/shoot ratios in doi57 mutant plants. Flavonoids may facilitate maize seedling drought tolerance by lowering drought-induced oxidative damage as well regulating stomatal movement.

/pdf/flavonoids-improve-drought-tolerance-of-maize-seedlings-by-5fqcvj6kxa.pdf

Flavonoids improve drought tolerance of maize seedlings by regulating the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species

Intercellular communication in adjacent cell layers determines cell fate and polarity, thus orchestrating tissue specification and differentiation. Here we use the maize stomatal apparatus as a model to investigate cell fate determination. Mutations in ZmBZU2 (bizui2, bzu2) confer a complete absence of subsidiary cells (SCs) and normal guard cells (GCs), leading to failure of formation of mature stomatal complexes. Nuclear polarization and actin accumulation at the interface between subsidiary mother cells (SMCs) and guard mother cells (GMCs), an essential pre-requisite for asymmetric cell division, did not occur in Zmbzu2 mutants. ZmBZU2 encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, which is an ortholog of AtMUTE in Arabidopsis (BZU2/ZmMUTE). We found that a number of genes implicated in stomatal development are transcriptionally regulated by BZU2/ZmMUTE. In particular, BZU2/ZmMUTE directly binds to the promoters of PAN1 and PAN2, two early regulators of protodermal cell fate and SMC polarization, consistent with the low levels of transcription of these genes observed in bzu2-1 mutants. BZU2/ZmMUTE has the cell-to-cell mobility characteristic similar to that of BdMUTE in Brachypodium distachyon. Unexpectedly, BZU2/ZmMUTE is expressed in GMC from the asymmetric division stage to the GMC division stage, and especially in the SMC establishment stage. Taken together, these data imply that BZU2/ZmMUTE is required for early events in SMC polarization and differentiation as well as for the last symmetrical division of GMCs to produce the two GCs, and is a master determinant of the cell fate of its neighbors through cell-to-cell communication.

/pdf/bzu2-zmmute-controls-symmetrical-division-of-guard-mother-3ouvvp0ykn.pdf

BZU2/ZmMUTE controls symmetrical division of guard mother cell and specifies neighbor cell fate in maize.

After a basic description of the different sets of genetic tools and genomic approaches most relevant for modern crop breeding (e. g., QTL mapping, GWAS and genomic selection; transcriptomics, qPCR and RNA-seq; transgenesis and gene editing), this review paper describes their history and the main achievements in rice, wheat and maize research, with a further focus on crop traits related to the improvement of plant responses to face major abiotic constrains, including nutritional limitations, drought and heat tolerance, and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE). Remarkable differences have been evidenced regarding the timing and degree of development of some genetic approaches among these major crops. The underlying reasons related to their distinct genome complexity, are also considered. Based on bibliographic records, drought tolerance and related topics (i.e., water-use efficiency) are by far the most abundantly addressed by molecular tools among the breeding objectives considered. Heat tolerance is usually more relevant than NUE in rice and wheat, while the opposite is true for maize.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/2/376/pdf

Modern Approaches for the Genetic Improvement of Rice, Wheat and Maize for Abiotic Constraints-Related Traits: A Comparative Overview

The conventional method of grain storage involving the use of polypropylene bags in conjunction with pesticides and hermetic bags are paramount in developing countries. However, there is limited information on grain quality and pesticide residue concentration of maize stored in such bags. This work determined grain quality and pesticide residue concentrations of maize stored in polypropylene and hermetic storage bags. Maize samples stored for a period of one year in polypropylene and hermetic bags were obtained from three major maize growing communities in the Ashanti region of Ghana and were analyzed for grain quality, aflatoxin content and pesticide residue concentration using standard methods. The amount of diseased, discolored, broken, insect-damaged, stained, germinated, shriveled, total defective, inorganic and organic matter of maize stored in hermetic bags was significantly lower than that of polypropylene. Levels of aflatoxin in maize stored in the polypropylene bags were significantly higher (13.9 ppb–20 ppb) than in maize stored in the hermetic bags (0.90 ppb–2.6 ppb). Out of 35 pesticides screened, only lambda-cyhalothrin was detected in polypropylene bags and deltamethrin in hermetic bags. The presence of these pesticide residues may be due to their long-lasting abilities. Levels of lambda-cyhalothrin residues were above the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg, but have no significant effect on health. Deltamethrin residue concentrations in hermetically stored maize samples were below the MRL. In conclusion, maize grains stored in hermetic bags have higher grain quality and lower aflatoxin and pesticide residue concentrations than polypropylene bags. Education and promotion on the utilization of hermetic bags should be a priority in storing and supplying safe maize grains to consumers.

Comparative Studies on Grain Quality and Pesticide Residues in Maize Stored in Hermetic and Polypropylene Storage Bags

Chinese wild pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) acts as a source of genetic variability for cultivated pepper breeding. High-resolution quantitative train locus (QTL) mapping is essential for identify...

Construction of high-density bin map and QTL mapping of horticultural traits from an interspecific cross between Capsicum annuum and Chinese wild Capsicum frutescens

The autonomous Mutator (Mu) transposon in maize (Zea mays L.) lines 115F, 330I, and 715D were crossed with inbred lines B73, Mo17, 97108, and H9-21, M1 were self-pollinated to establish the Mu insertion-mutagenized M2 seeds pool and The M2 plants encompassed a large amount of biological variation relevant to improving agronomy traits by observed in the field. Next we statistically analyzed these candidate mutants. Under drought stress, we screened seedlings at 3-leaf stage by using the infrared thermography, and successfully got 108 drought-insensitive and 121 drought-sensitive candidate mutants from more than 38,000 lines, which temperature were significant different with others. These candidate mutants were primarily analyzed by infrared thermography, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf water losing, photosynthetic characteristics, content of soluble sugars, soluble protein, and proline assay. The selected mutants were cloned by MuTAIL–PCR methods. Here we provide the better genetic materials for research on maize breeding for drought tolerance.

Generation of the genetic mutant population for the screening and characterization of the mutants in response to drought in maize

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Generation of the genetic mutant population for the screening and characterization of the mutants in response to drought in maize