Loss of ZmDMP increases phosphatidic acid production and disrupts lipid homeostasis in maize sperm cells.
Yao S, Zhang Z, Tang S, Liu H, Yang B
Crispr
Seed developers can stabilize a new corn variety in two seasons instead of six using haploid induction — and decoding the molecular gears behind that shortcut could eventually reach the open-pollinated and heritage varieties seed-savers are already selecting and trading.
Inside a corn pollen grain, sperm cells carry special fat molecules that help them fuse with egg cells during fertilization. Scientists found that a particular gene acts like a brake on an enzyme that makes one of these fats, and deleting the gene sent the fat balance into disarray. This molecular tug-of-war turns out to be central to a breeding technique that lets plant breeders develop new corn lines far faster than traditional crossing methods.
Key Findings
Deleting the DMP gene in maize caused a pronounced increase in phosphatidic acid and a decrease in phosphatidylcholine specifically in sperm cells, with weaker parallel effects in whole pollen grains
DMP normally suppresses phospholipase D (PLD) enzyme activity; its loss elevated both PLD transcript and protein levels, identifying a direct regulatory link between the two gene families implicated in haploid induction
Both elevated phosphatidic acid levels and the DMP protein independently enhance the ability of cell membranes to fuse, suggesting the two factors play additive and compensatory roles in sperm-egg fusion
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists used CRISPR to delete a key gene in corn and discovered it normally keeps the fat-like molecules inside sperm cells in balance during fertilization. The findings explain part of the molecular mechanism behind a widely used breeding shortcut that can cut the time needed to develop stable new corn varieties nearly in half.
Abstract Preview
Haploid embryo seed production has been applied to accelerate plant breeding efficiency. Several genes, including DUF679 domain membrane protein (DMP) and phospholipase D3 (PLD3), are involved in m...
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Maize, also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern ...