A brittle-2 transgene increases maize yield by acting in maternal tissues to increase seed number.

ABSTRACT: The enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is essential for starch biosynthesis and is highly regulated. Here, mutations that increased heat stability and interactions with allosteric effectors were incorporated into the small subunit of the isoform known to be expressed at high levels in the maize endosperm. The resulting variants were transformed into maize with expression targeted to the endosperm. Transgenes harboring the changes increased yield some 35%; however, yield enhancement occurred via an increase in seed number rather than by increased seed weight. Interestingly, seed number increase is controlled by the genotype of the plant rather than the genotype of the seed as seeds increase in number whether or not they contain the transgene as long as the maternal parent has the transgen

SUBMITTER: Hannah LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6508519 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature