Genetic Architecture of Maize and Teosinte

PI Edward Buckler（康奈尔大学/USDA-ARS）CoPI：John Doebley（威斯康星州-麦迪逊大学），Sherry Flint-Garcia和Michael D. McMullen（密苏里州-哥伦比亚大学/USDA-ARS）、James Holland（北卡罗来纳州州立大学/USDA-ARS）、Stephen Kresovich和Qi Sun（康奈尔大学）高级人员：Jeffrey C. Glaubitz和Theresa富尔顿（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星座。 从本质上讲，遗传结构是表型和基因型之间的映射。 理解遗传结构的变异是理解进化、操纵物种以实现可持续农业以及在物种适应时保持变异的关键。 该项目将提高我们对玉米及其野生近缘种大刍草复杂性状遗传结构的理解。 玉米具有生活史，经济和社会价值以及遗传工具的组合，使其特别适合研究遗传结构。 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，株高和籽粒质量。 遗传连锁，协会和精细定位分析将进行最大和最多样化的映射家庭公开提供的任何物种。 一个大系列的等基因系将被用来表征等位基因系列和上位相互作用。 四个性状组的遗传结构将进行比较和对比，重组和过去的驯化瓶颈对功能多样性的基因组分布的影响将被检查。 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资源中进行评估，包括精英美国杂交种。 更广泛的影响玉米是世界上产量最高的作物，在美国所有农业和粮食生产中发挥着核心作用。 玉米在作物物种中还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，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，该项目还将产生宝贵的种质资源，并开发获取和利用玉米和大刍草多样性的基因组工具。 这些资源将被许多其他研究小组用来剖析许多其他性状，并促进标记辅助育种，等位基因挖掘和遗传分析。 项目资源将通过一个项目网站（www.panzea.org）、与社区网站（Gramene，www.gramene.org; MaizeGDB，www.maizegdb.org）和储备中心（玉米遗传合作储备中心，maizecoop.cropsci.uiuc.edu; CIMMYT，www.cimmyt.org;中北部区域植物引进站）的整合向公众提供。 玉米也是一个很好的系统，用于教授进化论、遗传学和农业。 外联活动将针对四个受众：（1）公众和学生，通过一个关于玉米驯化、多样性和改良的流动博物馆展览;（2）高中教师，通过北卡罗来纳州农业技术州立大学的一个充实课程;（3）通过康奈尔基因组多样性研究所的非洲科学家研究金（www.igd.cornell.edu）开展协作科学;（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.