Tuyển tập báo cáo các nghiên cứu khoa học quốc tế ngành y học dành cho các bạn tham khảo đề tài: Dissecting grain yield pathways and their interactions with grain dry matter content by a two-step correlation approach with maize seedling transcriptome | Fu et al. BMC Plant Biology 2010 10 63 http 1471-2229 10 63 BMC Plant Biology RESEARCH ARTICLE _ Open Access Dissecting grain yield pathways and their interactions with grain dry matter content by a two-step correlation approach with maize seedling transcriptome Junjie Fu21 Alexander Thiemann 2 Tobias A Schrag 1 Albrecht E Melchinger 1 Stefan Scholten2 and Matthias Frisch3 Abstract Background The importance of maize for human and animal nutrition but also as a source for bio-energy is rapidly increasing. Maize yield is a quantitative trait controlled by many genes with small effects spread throughout the genome. The precise location of the genes and the identity of the gene networks underlying maize grain yield is unknown. The objective of our study was to contribute to the knowledge of these genes and gene networks by transcription profiling with microarrays. Results We assessed the grain yield and grain dry matter content an indicator for early maturity of 98 maize hybrids in multi-environment field trials. The gene expression in seedlings of the parental inbred lines which have four different genetic backgrounds was assessed with genome-scale oligonucleotide arrays. We identified genes associated with grain yield and grain dry matter content using a newly developed two-step correlation approach and found overlapping gene networks for both traits. The underlying metabolic pathways and biological processes were elucidated. Genes involved in sucrose degradation and glycolysis as well as genes involved in cell expansion and endocycle were found to be associated with grain yield. Conclusions Our results indicate that the capability of providing energy and substrates as well as expanding the cell at the seedling stage highly influences the grain yield of hybrids. Knowledge of these genes underlying grain yield in maize can contribute to the development of new high yielding varieties. Background Maize production in 2007 was about 800 million .
