Abstract
The enhancement of lysine and tryptophan in maize is so far basedon opaque2(o2) mutant, that along with the endosperm-modifiersled to development of Quality Protein Maize[QPM]. Though many mutants improving the endospermic protein quality were discovered, they could not be successfully deployed. Recently discovered opaque16 (o16)mutant enhances the lysine and tryptophan content in maize endosperm. In the present study, the influence of o16 on the endosperm modification was analyzed in four F2 populations, two each segregating for o16 allele alone and in combination with o2. The recessive o16o16 seed endosperm was found to be vitreousphenotypically similar to wild-O16O16. The mutant did not influence the degree of kernel opaqueness in o2o2 genetic background as opaqueness in o2o2/O16O16 and o2o2/o16o16 was similar. Grain hardness of o16o16 was comparable with the normal and QPM maize. The pattern of microscopic organization of proteinaceous matrix and starch granules, and zein profiling of the storage protein in o16o16 were found to be similar with normal maize endosperm, but distinct from the o2o2-soft genotype. The pattern in o2o2/o16o16 was unique and different from o2o2 and o16o16 as well. Here we demonstrated the effects of o16 on physico-biochemical characteristics of endosperm and report of o16 possessing negligible influence on kernel modification and hardness, which holds a great significance in maize quality breeding programme.
Highlights
Maize is one of the most important food cropsin sub-Saharan African, Latin American and many of the Asian countries[1].It is an important source of poultry and livestock feed worldwide[2]
The experimental materials consisted of four populations derived from two CIMMYT-based o2o2 inbreds (CML161, CML193) and two CIMMYT-based normal (CML533 and CML537) inbreds crossed with an o16o16-donor line (QCL3024, a yellow line of Chinese origin)
The derived F3 seeds along with three other inbreds: a CIMMYT-based normal inbred-CML543, a soft and opaque endosperm inbred-MGUQ-102 (o2o2 based without endosperm modifiers), and a Quality Protein Maize (QPM) inbred-HKI193-1 (o2o2 based with endosperm modifiers), were subjected for the studies
Summary
Maize is one of the most important food cropsin sub-Saharan African, Latin American and many of the Asian countries[1].It is an important source of poultry and livestock feed worldwide[2]. Prolamin known as zein, constitutes about 70% of the total protein. Prolamin is characterized by limiting level of two essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan[3,4]. Maize being poor in nutritional quality does not provide balanced nutrition to human and mono-gastric animals such as poultry and pig.
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