Chinese scientists have made major discoveries in the field of corn cultivation
Introductory. In recent years, iron deficiency anemia has become a serious problem worldwide, and maize, as one of the main food crops in developing countries, has low iron content, which poses a challenge to solve the problem of hidden hunger. However, scientists from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have found that iron transport mechanisms and regulatory genes in corn grains can increase iron content in corn grains through overexpression of specific genes. This important discovery provides theoretical and technical support for the cultivation of new maize varieties with high yield and rich iron content.
Discovery of key gene ZMNAC78 and molecular switching mechanism.
By analyzing genotypic data from 273 self-incompatible maize lines and transcriptome data from 6 extreme materials, the scientists identified a key gene, ZMNAC78, that is highly expressed in the endosperm of corn 16-24 days after pollination. Further experiments showed that the ZMNAC78 gene directly activates three metal ion transporters, which are responsible for regulating iron intake. The researchers believe that the ZMNAC78 gene, along with these metal transporters, forms a molecular switch that significantly increases the iron content in corn grains by controlling the iron entry pathway.
Application of molecular markers in the breeding of new iron-rich maize varieties.
With this new discovery, scientists have developed a molecular marker technique that lays the foundation for exploring the use of genes in breeding. Scientists divided corn into haplotype 1 with high iron content and haplotype 2 with low iron content, and tested it in different regions with the central promoter of the zmnac78 gene as a molecular marker. The results showed that the average iron content of haploid type 1 corn material increased by 2582%-33.91%, which is significantly higher than the iron content of national hybrid corn varieties. In particular, compared with the control cultivar Zhengdan 958, haplotype 1 maize material performed better in terms of iron content and yield, which further verified the importance and feasibility of ZMNAC78 gene.
Visual angle. This discovery not only provides a new scientific basis for solving the problem of iron and other trace element deficiencies, but also provides a new idea for analyzing the nutrient input mechanism of other cereal crops such as wheat. In the future, it will be possible to breed new varieties of maize with high yields rich in iron, which will improve the iron status of people in a cost-effective way, especially in developing countries where maize is a staple food.
Summary. Chinese scientists have discovered ZMNAC78, a gene that regulates the molecular switching of iron transport in maize grains, and its molecular switching mechanism with metal transporters. Using this discovery, scientists successfully bred new varieties of iron-rich corn to solve"Hidden hunger"The questions provide new ideas and theoretical support. The application of this research result is expected to improve the iron nutrition status of people all over the world, and is of great significance for improving the nutritional value and yield of food crops.