Natural Variation and Domestication Selection of <i>ZmPGP1</i> Affects Plant Architecture and Yield-Related Traits in Maize

• Main Authors: Pengcheng Li, Jie Wei, Houmiao Wang, Yuan Fang, Shuangyi Yin, Yang Xu, Jun Liu, Zefeng Yang, Chenwu Xu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Genes
• Subjects: natural variation; maize; nucleotide diversity; domestication selection; <i>ZmPGP1</i> gene
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/9/664

<i>ZmPGP1</i>, involved in the polar auxin transport, has been shown to be associated with plant height, leaf angle, yield traits, and root development in maize. To explore natural variation and domestication selection of <i>ZmPGP1</i>, we re-sequenced the <i>ZmPGP1</i> gene in 349 inbred lines, 68 landraces, and 32 teosintes. Sequence polymorphisms, nucleotide diversity, and neutral tests revealed that <i>ZmPGP1</i> might be selected during domestication and improvement processes. Marker&#8722;trait association analysis in inbred lines identified 11 variants significantly associated with 4 plant architecture and 5 ear traits. SNP1473 was the most significant variant for kernel length and ear grain weight. The frequency of an increased allele T was 40.6% in teosintes, and it was enriched to 60.3% and 89.1% during maize domestication and improvement. This result revealed that <i>ZmPGP1</i> may be selected in the domestication and improvement process, and significant variants could be used to develop functional markers to improve plant architecture and ear traits in maize.