Biofortification of iron content by regulating a NAC transcription factor in maize

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Yan, Pengshuai; Du, Qingguo; Chen, Huan; Guo, Zifeng; Wang, Zhonghua; Tang, Jihua; Li, Wen-Xue
• 署名单位: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Institute of Crop Sciences, CAAS; Henan Agricultural University; Shennong Laboratory
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-12490
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adf3256
• 发表日期: 2023-12-08
• 页码: 1159-+
• 关键词: zinc; senescence; nutrition; caryopsis; genome; genes; food

摘要

Iron (Fe) deficiency remains widespread among people in developing countries. To help solve this problem, breeders have been attempting to develop maize cultivars with high yields and high Fe concentrations in the kernels. We conducted a genome-wide association study and identified a gene, ZmNAC78 (NAM/ATAF/CUC DOMAIN TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 78), that regulates Fe concentrations in maize kernels. We cultivated maize varieties with both high yield and high Fe concentrations in their kernels by using a molecular marker developed from a 42-base pair insertion or deletion (indel) in the promoter of ZmNAC78. ZmNAC78 expression is enriched in the basal endosperm transfer layer of kernels, and the ZmNAC78 protein directly regulates messenger RNA abundance of Fe transporters. Our results thus provide an approach to develop maize varieties with Fe-enriched kernels.