Genetic Architecture of Maize and Teosinte

PI爱德华·巴克勒（康奈尔大学/USDA-ARS）合作伙伴：约翰·多布利（威斯康星大学-麦迪逊分校）、雪莉·弗林特-加西亚、迈克尔·麦克马伦（密苏里大学-哥伦比亚分校/USDA-ARS）、詹姆斯·霍兰德（北卡罗来纳州立大学/USDA-ARS）、斯蒂芬·克雷斯维克、孙琪（康奈尔大学）Jeffrey C. Glaubitz和Theresa Fulton（康奈尔大学）：遗传结构是构成数量性状变异基础的基因效应和相互作用的集合。从本质上讲，遗传结构是表现型和基因型之间的图谱。了解遗传结构的变异是理解进化、为可持续农业操纵物种以及在物种适应过程中保存变异的关键。该项目将提高我们对玉米及其野生近缘大刍草复杂性状遗传结构的认识。玉米具有生命史、经济和社会价值以及遗传工具的组合，使其独特地适合研究遗传结构。该项目将确定控制驯化性状和三个关键农艺性状的基因：开花时间、植株高度和籽粒质量。遗传连锁、关联和精细制图分析将对任何物种公开可用的最大和最多样化的制图家族进行。大量的等基因系将被用来表征等位基因序列和上位性相互作用。将比较和对比这四个性状群的遗传结构，并研究重组和过去驯化瓶颈对功能多样性基因组分布的影响。最后，基于遗传结构的模型预测表型的能力将在广泛的种质中进行评估，包括美国精英杂交品种。这个项目将朝着从基因型预测表型的最终目标迈出一步。更广泛的影响玉米是世界上产量最高的作物，在美国农业和粮食生产中发挥着核心作用。玉米在作物物种中也具有最大的分子和表型多样性。这种遗传多样性使驯化成为可能，也是未来玉米改良的关键。了解玉米遗传结构将加速未来作物的育种。此外，该项目将产生宝贵的种质资源，并开发基因组工具，以获取和利用玉米和大刍草的多样性。这些资源将被许多其他研究小组用来解剖许多其他性状，并促进标记辅助育种，等位基因挖掘和遗传分析。项目资源将通过项目网站（www.panzea.org）、整合社区网站（Gramene, www.gramene.org; MaizeGDB, www.maizegdb.org）和库存中心（玉米遗传合作库存中心，maizecoop.cropsci.uiuc.edu； CIMMYT, www.cimmyt.org；中北部地区植物引种站）向公众提供。玉米也是传授进化论、遗传学和农业知识的绝佳系统。外联活动将针对四个对象：(1)公众和学生通过玉米驯化、多样性和改进的巡回博物馆展览，(2)高中教师通过与北卡罗来纳农业和技术州立大学的丰富课程，(3)通过康奈尔基因组多样性研究所的非洲科学家奖学金（www.igd.cornell.edu）进行科学合作，(4)本科生通过指导和研究机会。

PI Edward Buckler (Cornell University/USDA-ARS) CoPIs: John Doebley (University of Wisconsin - Madison), Sherry Flint-Garcia and Michael D. McMullen (University of Missouri - Columbia/USDA-ARS), James Holland (North Carolina State University/USDA-ARS), Stephen Kresovich and Qi Sun (Cornell University)Senior Personnel: Jeffrey C. Glaubitz and Theresa Fulton (Cornell University)Genetic architecture is the constellation of gene effects and interactions that underlie variation in a quantitative trait. Essentially, genetic architecture is the map between phenotype and genotype. Understanding variation in genetic architecture is key to understanding evolution, manipulating species for a sustainable agriculture, and preserving variation as species adapt. This project will improve our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex traits in maize and its wild relative, teosinte. Maize has a combination of life history, economic and societal value, and genetic tools that make it uniquely suited to studying genetic architecture. The project will identify genes that control domestication traits and three key agronomic traits: flowering time, plant height, and kernel quality. Genetic linkage, association, and fine mapping analyses will be performed on the largest and most diverse set of mapping families publicly available for any species. A large series of isogenic lines will be used to characterize allelic series and epistatic interactions. The genetic architecture of each of the four trait groups will be compared and contrasted, and the influence of recombination and past domestication bottlenecks on the genomic distribution of functional diversity will be examined. Finally, the ability of genetic architecture-based models to predict phenotype will be evaluated in a broad range of germplasm, including elite US hybrids. This project will take a step toward the ultimate goal of predicting phenotype from genotype.Broader ImpactsMaize has the highest production of any crop in the world, and plays a central role in all of US agriculture and food production. Maize also has the greatest molecular and phenotypic diversity among crop species. This genetic diversity enabled domestication and is key for future maize improvement. Understanding maize genetic architecture will accelerate the breeding of future crops. In addition, this project will generate valuable germplasm resources and develop genomic tools to access and utilize maize and teosinte diversity. These resources will be used by many other research groups to dissect numerous other traits and facilitate marker assisted breeding, allele mining, and genetic analysis. Project resources will be made available to the public through a project website (www.panzea.org), integration with community websites (Gramene, www.gramene.org; MaizeGDB, www.maizegdb.org), and stock centers (Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center, maizecoop.cropsci.uiuc.edu; CIMMYT, www.cimmyt.org; North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station). Maize is also an excellent system for teaching about evolution, genetics, and agriculture. Outreach activities will target four audiences: (1) the general public and students through a traveling museum exhibit on maize domestication, diversity and improvement, (2) high school teachers through an enrichment course with North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University, (3) collaborative science through an African Scientist Fellowship at Cornell's Institute of Genomic Diversity (www.igd.cornell.edu), and (4) undergraduate students through mentoring and research opportunities.