Biofortification of iron content by regulating a NAC transcription factor in maize

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 382; no. 6675; pp. 1159 - 1165
• Main Authors: Yan, Pengshuai, Du, Qingguo, Chen, Huan, Guo, Zifeng, Wang, Zhonghua, Tang, Jihua, Li, Wen-Xue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 08.12.2023
• Subjects: Biofortification; Corn; Crops, Agricultural - genetics; Crops, Agricultural - metabolism; Endosperm; Genome-Wide Association Study; Iron; Iron - metabolism; Iron deficiency; Kernels; Micronutrients; Nutrient deficiency; Plant Breeding; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Population genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - metabolism
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adf3256

Iron (Fe) deficiency remains widespread among people in developing countries. To help solve this problem, breeders have been attempting to develop maize cultivars with high yields and high Fe concentrations in the kernels. We conducted a genome-wide association study and identified a gene, ( ), that regulates Fe concentrations in maize kernels. We cultivated maize varieties with both high yield and high Fe concentrations in their kernels by using a molecular marker developed from a 42-base pair insertion or deletion (indel) in the promoter of . expression is enriched in the basal endosperm transfer layer of kernels, and the ZmNAC78 protein directly regulates messenger RNA abundance of Fe transporters. Our results thus provide an approach to develop maize varieties with Fe-enriched kernels.