Ct2 is Involved in Yield Related Traits and Cell Proliferation in Maize

Abstract

Heterotrimeric G-proteins are multifunctional modulators that participate in a wide range of growth and developmental processes in eukaryotic species, from yeast to plants and animals. In this study, we characterized a maize mutant, ct2, that showed a compact architecture and reproductive organ-related phenotypic variation. Heredity analysis indicated the mutant phenotypes were resulted from monogenic inheritance. The target gene CT2 was cloned using bulked segregant analysis and map-based cloning. Sequence alignment showed the ct2 mutation derived the result of an 185 bp sequence insertion at the 3’termial of CT2. Protein structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis indicated that CT2 was a canonical Gα and classified to the monocotyledonous group., It is found that CT2 involves in yield related traits of maize through phenotypic identification. Furthermore, our study proved that CT2 promote cell proliferation in stem internodes by increasing the transcription of genes involved in cell cycle regulation. This research provides clues for further studies of biological function of CT2 in cell proliferation and in yield related traits, which is beneficial for maize breeding through the screening and application of beneficial alleles.

Keywords: Maize, CT2, Fine mapping, BSA-seq, RNA-seq, abiotic stress