Stable carbon isotope discrimination is under genetic control in the C4 species maize with several genomic regions influencing trait expression

Sebastian Gresset, Peter Westermeier, Svenja Rademacher, Milena Ouzunova, Thomas Presterl, Peter Westhoff, Chris Carolin Schön

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

In plants with C4 photosynthesis, physiological mechanisms underlying variation in stable carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) are largely unknown, and genetic components influencing Δ13C have not been described. We analyzed a maize (Zea mays) introgression library derived from two elite parents to investigate whether Δ13C is under genetic control in this C4 species. High-density genotyping with the Illumina MaizeSNP50 Bead Chip was used for a detailed structural characterization of 89 introgression lines. Phenotypic analyses were conducted in the field and in the greenhouse for kernel Δ13C as well as plant developmental and photosynthesis-related traits. Highly heritable significant genetic variation for Δ13C was detected under field and greenhouse conditions. For several introgression library lines, Δ13C values consistently differed from the recurrent parent within and across the two phenotyping platforms. Δ13C was significantly associated with 22 out of 164 analyzed genomic regions, indicating a complex genetic architecture of Δ13C. The five genomic regions with the largest effects were located on chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9 and explained 55% of the phenotypic variation for Δ13C. Plant development stage had no effect on Δ13C expression, as phenotypic as well as genotypic correlations between Δ13C, flowering time, and plant height were not significant. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating Δ13C to be under polygenic control in the C4 species maize.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)131-143
Number of pages13
JournalPlant Physiology
Volume164
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2014

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