TY  - JOUR
AU  - Niu, Qunkai
AU  - Shi, Ziwen
AU  - Zhang, Peng
AU  - Su, Shuai
AU  - Jiang, Bin
AU  - Liu, Xiaowei
AU  - Zhao, Zhuofan
AU  - Zhang, Suzhi
AU  - Huang, Qiang
AU  - Li, Chuan
AU  - Yu, Tao
AU  - Yi, Hongyang
AU  - Rong, Tingzhao
AU  - Cao, Moju
PY  - 2023
TI  - ZmMS39 encodes a callose synthase essential for male fertility in maize (Zea mays L.)
JO  - The Crop Journal
SN  - 2095-5421
SP  - 394
EP  - 404
VL  - 11
IS  - 2
AB  - Callose contributes to many biological processes of higher plants including pollen development, cell plate and vascular tissue formation, as well as regulating the transport function of plasmodesmata. The functions of callose synthase genes in maize have been little studied. We describe a maize male-sterile mutant 39 (ms39) characterized by reduced plant height. In this study, we confirmed using CRISPR/Cas9 technology that a mutation in Zm00001d043909 (ZmCals12), encoding a callose synthase, is responsible for the male sterility of the ms39 mutant. Compared with male-fertile plants, callose deposition around the dyads and tetrads in ms39 anthers was significantly reduced. Increased cell autophagy observed in ms39 anthers may have been due to the premature programmed cell death of tapetal cells, leading to collapse of the anther wall structure. Disordered glucose metabolism in ms39 may have intensified autophagy in anthers. Evaluation of the ms39 gene on maize heterosis by paired-crossed experiment with 11 maize inbred lines indicated that ms39 can be used for maize hybrid seed production.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2022.08.012
DO  - 10.1016/j.cj.2022.08.012