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Title Natural genetic variation in lycopene epsilon cyclase tapped for maize biofortification
 
Names Harjes, C.E.
Rocheford, T.R.
Ling Bai
Brutnell, T.P.
Bermudez Kandianis, C.
Sowinski, S.G.
Stapleton, A.E.
Vallabhaneni, R.
Williams, M.
Wurtzel, E.T.
Jianbing Yan
Buckler, E.S.
Date Issued 2008 (iso8601)
Abstract Dietary vitamin A deficiency causes eye disease in 40 million children each year and places 140 to 250 million at risk for health disorders. Many children in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on maize-based diets. Maize displays considerable natural variation for carotenoid composition, including vitamin A precursors -carotene, ß-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. Through association analysis, linkage mapping, expression analysis, and mutagenesis, we show that variation at the lycopene epsilon cyclase (lcyE) locus alters flux down -carotene versus ß-carotene branches of the carotenoid pathway. Four natural lcyE polymorphisms explained 58% of the variation in these two branches and a threefold difference in provitamin A compounds. Selection of favorable lcyE alleles with inexpensive molecular markers will now enable developing-country breeders to more effectively produce maize grain with higher provitamin A levels.
Genre Article
Access Condition Restricted Access
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10883/1731