Abstract:
Objective Contents of vitamin E (VE) and carotenoid in developing sweet maize kernels were correlated to genes associated with their syntheses to aid breeding new varieties.
Method VE and carotenoid contents in the kernels of Mintian 6855 were determined using spectrophotometry. Transcriptomes of candidate genes were used to identify those related to the formation of the nutrients by Mfuzz clustering, GO, and KEGG analyses.
Result In the kernels, VE decreased in 10-15d after pollination and gradually increased afterward, while carotenoid continuously increased from the beginning till maturation. The Mfuzz clustering analysis identified 6 gene clusters with varied temporal expression patterns. Among them, Cluster 6 expressed in trends significantly paralleled the changing patterns of VE and carotenoid. It simultaneously enriched vitamin metabolic and carotenoid biosynthetic processes, as indicated by GO and KEGG. Of the 60 genes involved in VE regulation and 40 associated with carotenoid synthesis, Zm00001d005351, Zm00001d052247, Zm00001d015356, Zm00001d016441, and Zm00001d045610 expressed in a trend similar to that of changing VE, while Zm00001d038170, Zm00001d036345, Zm00001d007502, and Zm00001d018869 close to that of carotenoid increase in the kernels.
Conclusion Five genes involved in regulating VE biosynthesis and 4 associated with carotenoid formation in kernels of Mintian 6855 were identified by this study.
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