籽粒是玉米生物学产量最重要的构成因子，而籽粒发育直接决定了籽粒产量。课题组前期利用zma-miR159c过表达载体对玉米自交系C01进行了遗传转化，15个独立转化事件的T1-T2转基因阳性籽粒粒长、粒宽和百粒重等籽粒性状与受体自交系C01相比显著增加，说明zma-miR159c是玉米籽粒发育的调控因子。籽粒降解组测序表明，2个GAMYB转录因子编码基因(GRMZM2G028054和 GRMZM2G139688)是zma-miR159c直接剪切的靶基因。本研究拟构建zma-miR159c及其2个靶基因GAMyb调控玉米籽粒发育的代谢调控网络；筛选GAMYB转录因子调控的下游基因，并阐明这些下游基因在zma-miR159c调控网络中的地位和作用；进而解析zma-miR159c-GAMyb在玉米籽粒发育中的级联基因表达调控网络，为选育优质高产的玉米新品种提供理论与技术支撑。

Maize kernel contributed most to the biological yield; it was determined during kernel development. In a former work, our group had constructed an over-expression vector of zma-miR159c and successfully transferred it into maize inbred line C01. Phenotyping of T1 and T2 kernels from 15 independent positive transgenic cases showed that kernel length, kernel width an kernel weight of the transgenic lines increased significantly compared to the non-transgenic checks, respectively. The results showed that zma-miR159c should be a key factor influencing maize kernel development and thus an important gene contributed to maize yield. Two genes encoding GAMYB transcription factor (GRMZM2G028054 and GRMZM2G139688) were verified to be the target genes of zma-miR159c via kernel degradome sequencing. In this study, the gene regulating networks of zma-miR159c and the two GAMyb were to be established based on the compare of gene expression data of transgenic and non-transgenic developing kernel samples. The down-stream genes of GAMYB transcription factors were to be detected by combination of ChIP-seq and DAP-seq, followed by the arrangement of these genes into the gene regulating networks. The zma-miR159c dependent zma-miR159c-GAMyb gene expression cascades were then to be established based on the experimental and sequencing data. Our work will contribute both to the theoretical study and technical material of maize breeding.