Abstract
In maize, alpha-zeins, the main protein components of seed stores, are major determinants of nutritional imbalance when maize is used as the sole food source. Mutations like opaque-2 (o2) are used in breeding varieties with improved nutritional quality. However, o2 works in a recessive fashion by affecting the expression of a subset of 22-kD alpha-zeins, as well as additional endosperm gene functions. Thus, we sought a dominant mutation that could suppress the storage protein genes without interrupting O2 synthesis. We found that maize transformed with RNA interference (RNAi) constructs derived from a 22-kD zein gene could produce a dominant opaque phenotype. This phenotype segregates in a normal Mendelian fashion and eliminates 22-kD zeins without affecting the accumulation of other zein proteins. A system for regulated transgene expression generating antisense RNA also reduced the expression of 22-kD zein genes, but failed to give an opaque phenotype. Therefore, it appears that small interfering RNAs not only may play an important regulatory role during plant development, but also are effective genetic tools for dissecting the function of gene families. Since the dominant phenotype is also correlated with increased lysine content, the new mutant illustrates an approach for creating more nutritious crop plants.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
A 22-kD zein RNAi construct produced a dominant opaque maize phenotype.
- Treatment
- RNA interference (RNAi) constructs derived from a 22-kD zein genee0
- Gene
- 22-kD zein genee0
- Outcome
- dominant opaque phenotypee0
Zea maysNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize transformed with RNA interference (RNAi) constructs derived from a 22-kD zein gene could produce a dominant opaque phenotype”
Claim · model-written summary
The opaque phenotype segregated in a normal Mendelian fashion.
- Outcome
- segregates in a normal Mendelian fashione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This phenotype segregates in a normal Mendelian fashion”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The RNAi phenotype eliminated 22-kD zeins.
- Treatment
- RNA-Interference-Inducing Transgenet0
- Gene
- 22-kD zeinse0
- Outcome
- 22-kD zeinse0
- Direction
- eliminatese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This phenotype segregates in a normal Mendelian fashion and eliminates 22-kD zeins without affecting the accumulation of other zein proteins”
t0“Maize by a Single Dominant RNA-Interference-Inducing Transgene”
Claim · model-written summary
The RNAi phenotype did not affect accumulation of other zein proteins.
- Treatment
- RNA-Interference-Inducing Transgenet0
- Outcome
- accumulation of other zein proteinse0
- Direction
- without affectinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This phenotype segregates in a normal Mendelian fashion and eliminates 22-kD zeins without affecting the accumulation of other zein proteins”
t0“Maize by a Single Dominant RNA-Interference-Inducing Transgene”
Claim · model-written summary
Regulated antisense RNA reduced 22-kD zein gene expression.
- Treatment
- regulated transgene expression generating antisense RNAe0
- Gene
- 22-kD zein genese0
- Outcome
- expression of 22-kD zein genese0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A system for regulated transgene expression generating antisense RNA also reduced the expression of 22-kD zein genes”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Regulated antisense RNA failed to produce an opaque maize phenotype.
- Treatment
- regulated transgene expression generating antisense RNAe0
- Outcome
- opaque phenotypee0
- Direction
- failed to givee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A system for regulated transgene expression generating antisense RNA also reduced the expression of 22-kD zein genes, but failed to give an opaque phenotype”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The dominant maize phenotype correlated with increased lysine content.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the dominant phenotype is also correlated with increased lysine content”
t0“Maize”
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