玉米（Zea mays）是全世界重要的粮食作物。淀粉、蛋白质以及氨基酸的含量和营养组成是玉米品质改良的主要方面。研究胚乳的发育和物质积累过程对提高玉米产量和营养品质具有关键意义。粉质胚乳突变体是研究玉米胚乳发育过程的重要研究材料。经典粉质胚乳突变体基因相继被克隆，但籽粒储藏物质代谢积累和胚乳发育调控的分子机制并未获得全面阐释。opaque17（o17）是本课题组发现的一个全新粉质胚乳突变体。o17突变体淀粉粒变大，直链淀粉的相对含量显著下降，而含硫氨基酸（半胱氨酸和甲硫氨酸）含量显著升高，具有改善玉米籽粒营养品质的重要应用价值。我们前期通过图位克隆结合Mutator标签分离的方法完成了对O17基因的克隆。本研究将在此基础上，通过代谢组检测、表达模式分析、定位分析和互作蛋白检测等，对O17基因功能进行深入研究，以期揭示该基因在籽粒储藏物质代谢积累和粉质胚乳表型形成方面的功能和相关分子机制。

Maize (Zea mays) is the most important cereal crop in the world. The composition and content of starches, zeins and amino acids determine the quality and productivity of maize. Research on the development and storage components accumulation process in maize endosperm is significant for the improvement of yield and nutritional quality. Maize opaque mutants are ideal research materials for the study of maize endosperm development. Although several opaque endosperm mutant genes were cloned, the molecular mechanism for the storage components metabolic regulation and opaque phenotype has not been fully explained. In our previous study, we identified a novel opaque mutant, opaque17 (o17). Large starch grains, significant decrease in amylose content, and significant increase in sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine) content were observed in o17seeds. Using positional cloning approach along with Mu-flanking fragments isolation method we cloned O17 gene. In this study, we will conduct in-depth researches on O17 gene function by performing metabonomics, gene expression pattern, protein-protein interaction and transcriptome analysis, in order to reveal the molecular mechanisms for the phenotypic appearance of o17 mutant.