Atrazine accumulation,oxidative stress,and defense response in maize seedlings exposed to extraneous atrazine were studied.Accumulation of atrazine in maize increased with increasing exposure concentration.The abscisi...Atrazine accumulation,oxidative stress,and defense response in maize seedlings exposed to extraneous atrazine were studied.Accumulation of atrazine in maize increased with increasing exposure concentration.The abscisic acid（ABA） content was positively correlated with the atrazine concentrations in maize roots and shoots（p 0.05）.Hydroxyl radical（.OH） in maize was determined in vivo with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.Its intensity was positively correlated with atrazine concentration in roots and shoots（p 0.05）,and higher level of.OH generated in roots than in shoots corresponded to the major accumulation of atrazine in roots.Superoxide dismutase,peroxidase and catalase in roots were up-regulated by atrazine exposure at 1 mg/L compared to the control and malondialdehyde content in roots was enhanced when atrazine exposure concentration reached 10 mg/L.These results suggested the exposure and accumulation of atrazine caused oxidative toxicity and antioxidant response in maize.展开更多
Maize（Zea mays L.） is a commercially important crop.Its yield can be reduced by mutations in biosynthetic and degradative pathways that cause death.In this paper,we describe the necrotic leaf（nec-t） mutant,which w...Maize（Zea mays L.） is a commercially important crop.Its yield can be reduced by mutations in biosynthetic and degradative pathways that cause death.In this paper,we describe the necrotic leaf（nec-t） mutant,which was obtained from an inbred line,81647.The nec-t mutant plants had yellow leaves with necrotic spots,reduced chlorophyll content,and the etiolated seedlings died under normal growth conditions.Transmission electron microscopy revealed scattered thylakoids,and reduced numbers of grana lamellae and chloroplasts per cell.Histochemical staining suggested that spot formation of nec-t leaves might be due to cell death.Genetic analysis showed that necrosis was caused by the mutation of a recessive locus.Using simple sequence repeat markers,the Nec-t gene was mapped between mmc0111 and bnlg2277 on the short arm of chromosome 2.A total of 1287 individuals with the mutant phenotype from a F_2 population were used for physical mapping.The Nec-t gene was located between markers T31 and H8 within a physical region of 131.7 kb.展开更多
Waterlogging strongly affects agronomic performance of maize （Zea mays L.）. In order to investigate the suitable selection criteria of waterflooding tolerant genotypes, and identify the most susceptible stage and th...Waterlogging strongly affects agronomic performance of maize （Zea mays L.）. In order to investigate the suitable selection criteria of waterflooding tolerant genotypes, and identify the most susceptible stage and the best continuous treatment time to waterlogging, 20 common maize inbred lines were subjected to successive artificial waterflooding at seedling stage, and waterlogging tolerance coefficient （WTC） was used to screen waterflooding tolerant genotypes. In addition, peroxidase （POD） activities and malondialdehyde （MDA） contents were measured for 6 of 20 lines. The results showed that the second leaf stage （V2） was the most susceptible stage, and 6 d after waterflooding was the best continuous treatment time. Dry weight （DW） of both shoots and roots of all lines were significantly reduced at 6 d time-point of waterlogging, compared to control. POD activities and MDA contents were negatively and significantly correlated, and the correlation coefficient was -0.9686 （P 〈 0.0001）. According to the results, WTC of shoot DW can be used for practical screening as a suitable index, which is significantly different from control and waterlogged plants happened 6 d earlier. Furthermore, leaf chlorosis, MDA content and POD activities could also be used as reference index for material screening. The implications of the results for waterlogging-tolerant material screening and waterlogging-tolerant breeding have been discussed in maize.展开更多
A reliable system was developed for regeneration from mature embryos derived from callus of four maize inbred lines （Liao 7980, Dan 9818, Dan 340, and Dan 5026）. The protocol was mainly based on a series of experime...A reliable system was developed for regeneration from mature embryos derived from callus of four maize inbred lines （Liao 7980, Dan 9818, Dan 340, and Dan 5026）. The protocol was mainly based on a series of experiments involving the composition of culture medium. We found that 9 pM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in MS medium was optimum for the induction of callus. The induction frequency of primary calli was over 85% for four inbred lines tested. The addition of L- proline （12 mM） in subculture medium significantly promoted the formation of embryogenic callus but it did not significantly enhance growth rate of callus. Efficient shoot regeneration was obtained on regeneration medium containing 2.22 μM 6- benzylaminopurine in combinations with 4.64 μM Kinetin. Regenerated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.85 μM indole-3-butyric acid. This plant regeneration system provides a foundation for genetic transformation of maize.展开更多
[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the dry matter accumulation,moisture content in maize kernel and their influences on mechanical harvesting.[Methods] Using Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 335,Hongda 8 and Liyu...[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the dry matter accumulation,moisture content in maize kernel and their influences on mechanical harvesting.[Methods] Using Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 335,Hongda 8 and Liyu 16 as experimental materials,we preliminarily measured the dynamic changes of dry matter accumulation and moisture content with the days after pollination lasted,and investigated the effect of moisture content in kernels on mechanical harvesting of Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16.[Results] During summer growing season,Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 became physiologically mature and suitable for harvesting at about 51 days after pollination,Xianyu 335 and Hongda 8 required 58 days to become physiologically mature and suitable for harvesting after pollination.At physiologically mature stage,the moisture contents in kernels of Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 335,Hongda 8 and Liyu 16 were respectively 33.74%,28.86%,32.05% and 35.24%,respectively.Adopting mechanical harvesting at physiologically mature stage,the kernel loss rate of Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 was consistent with the range of mechanical operation index（kernel loss rate of 0.84%≤2%）,while the percentage of broken kernels did not accord with the range of mechanical operation index（kernel crashing rate of 10.12%≧1%）.The results indicate that Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 are not suitable for mechanical harvesting using full feeding combine havester.[Conclusion] This study provided theoretical basis for improving the maize harvest index under delayed harvesting.展开更多
common maize synthetic rate（ Photosynthetic characteristics were probed by sweet maize, waxy maize, high starch maize and The results revealed that leaf area index （LAI）, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b cont...common maize synthetic rate（ Photosynthetic characteristics were probed by sweet maize, waxy maize, high starch maize and The results revealed that leaf area index （LAI）, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content,photo-PR） showed single peak curve at the whole growth stage. The stages of peak were different according to different varieties. NEAUS4 had the lowest peak and while SIDAN 19 had the highest among all stages. Ratio of chlorophyll a to b was low at seedling stage, reached the peak atjointing stage and then declined. SIDAN 19 had the lower level at the last stages.展开更多
[Objective]The aim was to optimize SSR reaction system applied in the identification of authenticity of maize variety.[Method]The technical parameters of SSR including PCR reaction system,annealing temperature and ele...[Objective]The aim was to optimize SSR reaction system applied in the identification of authenticity of maize variety.[Method]The technical parameters of SSR including PCR reaction system,annealing temperature and electrophoresis time were optimized to identify 10 major maize varieties in Liaoning Province.[Result]The optimum PCR reaction system was：14.60 μl sterile ultrapure water,2.00 μl 10 × Buffer（Mg2＋）,1.20 μl dNTPs,0.20 μl Taq enzyme,0.50 μl each of the forward and reverse primers and1.00 μl DNA stock solution.Annealing temperature and electrophoresis time could greatly influence the results of PCR amplification.The optimal annealing temperature and electrophoresis time required for the ideal electrophoresis bands under the same conditions were different when different primers were used.[Conclusion]The system was feasible to be applied in rapid identification of authenticity of hybrid maize varieties.展开更多
As the most important organ in plant photosynthesis, the leaf plays an important role in plant growth and development. Leaf senescence is associated with fundamental changes in the proteome. To research the molecular ...As the most important organ in plant photosynthesis, the leaf plays an important role in plant growth and development. Leaf senescence is associated with fundamental changes in the proteome. To research the molecular mechanisms of leaf senescence, protein expression in senescing maize ear leaves grown under field conditions was analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF/TOF MS）. A total of 60 senescence-associated proteins were identified. The identified proteins are involved in many biological processes, especially energy, metabolism and protein synthesis. Several of the identified proteins have not been previously reported as senescence-associated, including glycine-rich RNA-binding protein.展开更多
Low energy ion beam implantation was applied to the maize （Zea mays L） embryo proteome using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein profile analysis detected more than Ii00 protein spots, 72 of which were dete...Low energy ion beam implantation was applied to the maize （Zea mays L） embryo proteome using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein profile analysis detected more than Ii00 protein spots, 72 of which were determined to be expressed differently in the treated and control （not exposed to ion beam implantation） embryos. Of the 72 protein spots, 53 were up- regulated in the control and 19 were more abundantly expressed in the ion beam-treated embryos. The spots of up- or down-regulated proteins were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption /ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS）. Among the identified proteins, ii were up-regulated in the treated embryos. Four of these up-regulated proteins were antioxidant molecules, three were related to stress response, two to sugar metabolism and two were associated with heat shock response. Of the five proteins up-regulated in the control embryos, three were functionally related to carbohydrate metabolism; the functions of the remaining two proteins were unknown. The data collected during this study indicate that treatment of maize embryos with low energy ion beam implantation induces changes in stress tolerance enzymes/proteins, possibly as a result of alterations in metabolism.展开更多
The pollen tube pathway method of transformation has been reported to be successful in most crops, but less successfu in maizc. DNA can be transferred by cutting the stigma following pollination and applying the DNA s...The pollen tube pathway method of transformation has been reported to be successful in most crops, but less successfu in maizc. DNA can be transferred by cutting the stigma following pollination and applying the DNA solution in a suitable period DNA presumably reaches the ovary by flowing down the pollen tube and then integrates into the just fertilized but undivided zygotic cells. To provide the molecular evidence for this procedure, the plasmids pGBIRC carrying a CaMV35S promoter-PPT acetyle transferase （bar） gene-nos terminator genc fusion construct were used. Total 3 276 seeds were produced from the ears trcated with DNA. It was found that 35 scedlings were GUS assay positive, but less intense than that of the positive controls, of which 17 were PCR amplification positive. But, only 13 of the seeds from the plants treated with DNA containing the bar gene were found to be resistant compared with the negative control. Less than 1.07% of progeny seedlings tested cxpressed a herbicide positive reaction and polymerase chain reaction （PCR） with seedling DNA did detect the bar genc. Morphological variation was observed in six plants. We succeed in obtain PPT-resistant maize inbred lines via pollen tube pathway展开更多
The calculation method of potential evapotranspiration（PET） was improved by adopting a more reliable PET estimate based on the Penman-Monteith equation into the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index（S...The calculation method of potential evapotranspiration（PET） was improved by adopting a more reliable PET estimate based on the Penman-Monteith equation into the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index（SPEI） in this study（SPEI PM）. This improvement increased the applicability of SPEI in North China Plain（NCP）. The historic meteorological data during 1962–2011 were used to calculate SPEI PM. The detrended yields of maize from Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Beijing, and Tianjin provinces/cities of NCP were obtained by linear sliding average method. Then regression analysis was made to study the relationships between detrended yields and SPEI values. Different time scales were applied, and thus SPEI PM was mentioned as SPEI PMk-j（k=time scale, 1, 2, 3, 4,…, 24 mon; j=month, 1, 2, 3,..., 12）, among which SPEI PM3-8 reflected the water condition from June to August, a period of heavy precipitation and vigorous growth of maize in NCP. SPEI PM3-8 was highly correlated with detrended yield in this region, which can effectively evaluate the effect of drought on maize yield. Additionally, this relationship becomes more significant in recent 20 yr. The regression model based on the SPEI series explained 64.8% of the variability of the annual detrended yield in Beijing, 45.2% in Henan, 58.6% in Shandong, and 54.6% in Hebei. Moreover, when SPEI PM3-8 is in the range of –0.6 to 1.1, –0.9 to 0.8 and –0.8 to 2.3, the detrended yield increases in Shandong, Henan and Beijing. The yield increasing range was during normal water condition in Shandong and Henan, where precipitation was abundant. It indicated that the field management matched well with local water condition and thus allowed stable and high yield. Maize yield increase in these two provinces in the future can be realized by further improving water use efficiency and enhancing the stress resistance as well as yield stability. In Hebei and Beijing, the precipitation is less and thus the normal water condition cannot meet the high yield target. Increasing of water input and improving water use efficiency are both strategies for future yield increase. As global climate change became stronger and yield demands increased, the relationship between drought and maize yield became much closer in NCP too. The research of drought monitoring method and strategies for yield increase should be enhanced in the future, so as to provide strong supports for food security and agricultural sustainable development in China.展开更多
Under natural pollination （NP）, early-fertilized ovaries at the base of ear promote kernel abortion of late-fertilized ovades from the tip in maize （Zea mays L.）. Synchronous pollination （SP） improves maize kern...Under natural pollination （NP）, early-fertilized ovaries at the base of ear promote kernel abortion of late-fertilized ovades from the tip in maize （Zea mays L.）. Synchronous pollination （SP） improves maize kernel set, but the physiological masons behind this response are yet unclear. We e^amined maize kernel growth at the tip of ear subjected to NP or SP with different ~.ant density of 6 plants/rr~ or 9 plants/n~. Synchronous pollination of ears baged before silking was obtained by hand pollination on 3 days after silking （DAS） and samples were taken from natural and hand-pollinated ears on 8, 13, 18, and 23 DAS. At each sampling date, kemel fresh weight, volume and dry weight at the tip of ear were all higher for maize grown under SP than NP, and the contents of soluble sugar, sucrose, starch, nitro- gen and the ratios of soluble sugar to nitrogen （C/N） in kernel at the tip of ear were all higher too for maize grown under SP than NP.展开更多
Seed size play a significant role in maize yield production. Two maize inbred lines with distinct seed size and weight, V671（a large-seed inbred line） and Mc（a small-seed inbred line）, were investigated by RNA-seq...Seed size play a significant role in maize yield production. Two maize inbred lines with distinct seed size and weight, V671（a large-seed inbred line） and Mc（a small-seed inbred line）, were investigated by RNA-seq at 14 days after pollination（DAP）, when maize endosperm undergoes an active transition from mitosis to storage accumulation. RNA-seq expression data showed that the small-seed line Mc had a higher storage accumulation activity, whereas the large-seed kernel line V671 possessed a higher DNA synthesis activity. An investigation of the pattern of increasing kernel width at serial DAPs showed that V671 experienced an increased kernel width later than did Mc, but the rate and duration of increase were longer in V671. SDS-PAGE of the storage proteins and quantitative RT-PCR of cell cycle-related genes and indole-3-acetic（IAA） synthesis genes certified that the transition from mitosis to storage accumulation starts earlier in Mc. We hypothesized that the difference in the mitosis-to-storage accumulation transition accounts for the larger seed size in V671 vs. Mc.展开更多
The phytohormone auxin plays a central role in coordinating plant growth and development.GH3 is one of the three gene families that respond rapidly during auxin stimulation.Here,we report the identification and charac...The phytohormone auxin plays a central role in coordinating plant growth and development.GH3 is one of the three gene families that respond rapidly during auxin stimulation.Here,we report the identification and characterization of the GH3 gene family in maize.A total of 12 GH3 genes were identified,which are not evenly distributed over the 10 maize chromosomes.Maize GH3 protein sequences share a conserved domain which occupies nearly the entire protein.Diversified c/＇s-elements were found in promoters of maize GH3 genes.In this study,the 12 maize GH3 proteins were primarily classified into two phylogenetic groups,similar to the 13 rice GH3 proteins,while 9 of the 19 Arabidopsis GH3 proteins were observed in the third phylogenetic group.Microarray analysis showed that expression of maize GH3 genes is temporally and spatially modulated.Additionally,maize GH3 genes displayed variable changes at transcript level upon pathogen infection.Results presented here provide insight into the diversification and evolution of GH3 proteins,and lay a foundation for the functional characterization of these GH3 genes in future,especially for elucidating the mechanisms of GH3-mediated pathogenesis.展开更多
In this study, six CIMMYT maize inbred lines and five representative do- mestic maize inbred lines were used as parental lines. By using incomplete diallel cross design, 30 hybrid combinations were developed to analyz...In this study, six CIMMYT maize inbred lines and five representative do- mestic maize inbred lines were used as parental lines. By using incomplete diallel cross design, 30 hybrid combinations were developed to analyze the general com- bining ability （GCA）, specific combining ability （SCA） and total combining ability （TCA） of seven panicle traits in six CIMMYT maize inbred lines. The results showed that CIMBL98 and GEMS13 were excellent inbred lines with good compre- hensive performance; CIMBL98 × 340 and GEMS13×Chang 7-2 were superior combinations.展开更多
The bacterial brown spot disease（BBS）, caused primarily by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae van Hall（Pss）, reduces plant vigor, yield and quality in maize. To reveal the nature of the defense mechanisms and ident...The bacterial brown spot disease（BBS）, caused primarily by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae van Hall（Pss）, reduces plant vigor, yield and quality in maize. To reveal the nature of the defense mechanisms and identify genes involved in the effective host resistance, the dynamic changes of defense transcriptome triggered by the infection of Pss were investigated and compared between two maize near-isogenic lines（NILs）. We found that Pss infection resulted in a sophisticated transcriptional reprogramming of several biological processes and the resistant NIL employed much faster defense responses than the susceptible NIL. Numerous genes encoding essential components of plant basal resistance would be able to be activated in the susceptible NIL, such as PEN1, PEN2, PEN3, and EDR1, however, in a basic manner, such resistance might not be sufficient for suppressing Pss pathogenesis. In addition, the expressions of a large number of PTI-, ETI-, PR-, and WRKY-related genes were pronouncedly activated in the resistant NIL, suggesting that maize employ a multitude of defense pathways to defend Pss infection. Six R-gene homologs were identified to have significantly higher expression levels in the resistant NIL at early time point, indicating that a robust surveillance system（gene-to-gene model） might operate in maize during Pss attacks, and these homolog genes are likely to be potential candidate resistance genes involved in BBS disease resistance. Furthermore, a holistic group of novel pathogen-responsive genes were defined, providing the repertoire of candidate genes for further functional characterization and identification of their regulation patterns during pathogen infection.展开更多
To better understand the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance, waterlogging effects on lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in leaves and roots o...To better understand the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance, waterlogging effects on lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in leaves and roots of two maize genotypes, HZ32 （waterlogging-tolerant） and K12 （waterlogging-sensitive）. Potted maize plants were waterlogged at the second leaf stage under glasshouse conditions. Leaves and roots were harvested 1 d before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 d after the start of waterlogging treatment. Through comparing the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, ascorbate peroxidase （APX）, glutathione reductase （GR）, catalase （CAT） and guaiacol peroxidase （POD） between waterlogging-tolerant and waterloggingsensitive genotype, we deduced that CAT was the most important H2O2 scavenging enzyme in leaves, while APX seemed to play a key role in roots. POD, APX, GR and CAT activities in conjunction with SOD seem to play an essential protective role in the O2^- and H2O2 scavenging process. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced significantly only in K12 （P 〈 0.001） and there was no difference （P 〉 0.05） in HZ32 up to 6 d after waterlogging stress. These results indicated that oxidative stress may play an important role in waterlogging-stressed maize plants and that the greater protection of HZ32 leaves and roots from waterlogging-induced oxidative damage results, at least in part, through the maintenance of increased antioxidant enzyme activity.展开更多
Better understanding of genotype-by-environment interaction （GEI） is expected to provide a solid foundation for genetic improvement of crop productivity especially under drought-prone environments. To elucidate the ...Better understanding of genotype-by-environment interaction （GEI） is expected to provide a solid foundation for genetic improvement of crop productivity especially under drought-prone environments. To elucidate the genetic basis of the plant and ear height, 2 F2：3 populations were derived from the crosses of Qi 319 × Huangzaosi （Q/H） and Ye 478 × Huangzaosi （Y/H） with 230 and 235 families, respectively, and their parents were evaluated under 3 diverse environments in Henan, Beijing, and Xinjiang, China during the year of 2007 and 2008, and all the lines were also evaluated under water stress environment. The mapping results showed that a total of 21 and 12 QTLs were identified for plant height in the Q/H and Y/H population, respectively, and 24 and 13 QTLs for ear height, respectively. About 56 and 73% of the QTLs for 2 traits did not present significant QTL-by-environment interaction （QE1） in the normal joint analyses for Q/H and Y/H population, respectively, and about 73% of the QTLs detected did not show significant QEI according to joint analyses for stress condition in Q/H. Most of the detected major QTLs exhibited high stability across different environments. Besides, several major QTLs were detected with large and consistent effect under normal condition （Chr. 6 and 7 in Q/H; Chr. 1, 3 and 9 in Y/H）, or across 2 water regimes （Chr. 1, 8 and 10 for in Q/H）. There were several constitutive QTLs （3 for Q/H and 1 for Y/H） with no or minor QTL-by-environment for the 2 populations. Finally, we found several genomic regions （Chr. 1, 10, etc.） to be co-located across the populations, which could provide useful reference for genetic improvement of these traits in maize breeding programs. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that 3 genes/genetic segments associated with plant height in rice were orthologous to these 3 identified genomic regions carrying the major QTLs for plant and ear height on Chr. 1, 6, and 8, respectively.展开更多
The integration QTL map for gray leaf spot resistance in maize was constructed by compiling a total of 57 QTLs available with genetic map IBM2 2005 neighbors as reference. Twenty-six ＂real QTLs＂ and seven consensus ...The integration QTL map for gray leaf spot resistance in maize was constructed by compiling a total of 57 QTLs available with genetic map IBM2 2005 neighbors as reference. Twenty-six ＂real QTLs＂ and seven consensus QTLs were identified by refining these 57 QTLs using overview and meta-analysis approaches. Seven consensus QTLs were found on chromosomes 1.06, 2.06, 3.04, 4.06, 4.08, 5.03, and 8.06, and the map coordinates were 552.53,425.72, 279.20, 368.97, 583.21, 308.68 and 446.14 cM, respectively. Using a synteny conservation approach based on comparative mapping between the maize genetic map and rice physical map, a total of 69 rice and maize resistance genes collected from websites Gramene and MaizeGDB were projected onto the maize genetic map IBM2 2005 neighbors, and 2 （Rgene32, htl）, 4 （RgeneS, rp3, scmv2, wsm2）, and 4 （ht2, Rgene6, Rgene8 and Rgene7） positional candidate genes were found in three consensus QTLs on chromosomes 2.06, 3.04, and 8.06, respectively. The results suggested that the combination of meta-analysis of gray leaf spot in maize and sequence homologous comparison between maize and rice could be an efficient strategy for identifying major QTLs and corresponding candidate genes for the gray leaf spot.展开更多
The objective of the current study is to investigate the effects of different stages of shading after anthesis on grain weight and quality of maize at cytology level. The shading experiments were conducted in the fiel...The objective of the current study is to investigate the effects of different stages of shading after anthesis on grain weight and quality of maize at cytology level. The shading experiments were conducted in the field from 2005 to 2006, with a common maize cultivar （TY2） as the experimental material. Plants were given stress using horizontal shading net and the light intensity was reduced by 55%. Field-grown maize plants were shaded at 1-14 d （S1）, 15-28 d （$2）, and 29-42 d （$3） after pollination, respectively. Control plants （SO） were grown under natural light. Grain weight, quality, endosperm cell proliferation, cob sugar content, and grain pedicel vascular bundle cross section area were measured. The ultrastructural changes of endosperm ceils and endosperm transfer cells were observed after pollination. The result indicated that the grain weight, starch content, endosperm cell number, and volume were declined after shading. On the contrary, the proportion of embryo and endosperm, protein content, and fat content in grain increased. Shading treatments significantly delayed the development of the starch granules and remarkably reduced the endosperm filling status. Among the three treatments, the number of the grain endosperm was the least under shading stress at 1-14 d after pollination. However, the volume of starch granules and the substantiation of endosperm under shading treatment at 15-28 d after pollination were the worst. Compared with the control （natural sunlight without shading）, the soluble sugar of maize cob increased significantly, while there was no obvious change in vascular structure of small cluster stalk. The number of protein body in maize endosperm was influenced markedly by low light at different stages after pollination. Low light decreased the volume of the grain endosperm transfer and the cell wall extensions of the basal transfer ceils became thinner and shorter under shading treatment than those of the control. Furthermore, the degree of connection and the capacity of the nutrient transport were decreased and the mitochondrion number of the transfer cell was reduced after shading. The change in grain quality after shading was observed due to increase in the proportion of embryo and endosperm. The morphology and functions in endosperm transfer cell and the shortage of energy restricted the nutrient transport greatly with shading at different stages, suggesting that an impeded flux may be one of the important reasons for the reduction of maize grain weight of maize grain at later growth stage under low light condition.展开更多
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2009CB421603)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40730740,20921063)
文摘Atrazine accumulation,oxidative stress,and defense response in maize seedlings exposed to extraneous atrazine were studied.Accumulation of atrazine in maize increased with increasing exposure concentration.The abscisic acid（ABA） content was positively correlated with the atrazine concentrations in maize roots and shoots（p 0.05）.Hydroxyl radical（.OH） in maize was determined in vivo with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.Its intensity was positively correlated with atrazine concentration in roots and shoots（p 0.05）,and higher level of.OH generated in roots than in shoots corresponded to the major accumulation of atrazine in roots.Superoxide dismutase,peroxidase and catalase in roots were up-regulated by atrazine exposure at 1 mg/L compared to the control and malondialdehyde content in roots was enhanced when atrazine exposure concentration reached 10 mg/L.These results suggested the exposure and accumulation of atrazine caused oxidative toxicity and antioxidant response in maize.
基金financially supported by the grants from the Agriculture Thoroughbred Industrialization of Shandong Province(No.2011-7)the Ministry of Agriculture of China(Nos.2008ZX08003-003 and 2009ZX08003-023B)the National High-tech‘863' Program of China(No. 2012AA101104)
文摘Maize（Zea mays L.） is a commercially important crop.Its yield can be reduced by mutations in biosynthetic and degradative pathways that cause death.In this paper,we describe the necrotic leaf（nec-t） mutant,which was obtained from an inbred line,81647.The nec-t mutant plants had yellow leaves with necrotic spots,reduced chlorophyll content,and the etiolated seedlings died under normal growth conditions.Transmission electron microscopy revealed scattered thylakoids,and reduced numbers of grana lamellae and chloroplasts per cell.Histochemical staining suggested that spot formation of nec-t leaves might be due to cell death.Genetic analysis showed that necrosis was caused by the mutation of a recessive locus.Using simple sequence repeat markers,the Nec-t gene was mapped between mmc0111 and bnlg2277 on the short arm of chromosome 2.A total of 1287 individuals with the mutant phenotype from a F_2 population were used for physical mapping.The Nec-t gene was located between markers T31 and H8 within a physical region of 131.7 kb.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, China (2008CDB079)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program,2006AA100103)
文摘Waterlogging strongly affects agronomic performance of maize （Zea mays L.）. In order to investigate the suitable selection criteria of waterflooding tolerant genotypes, and identify the most susceptible stage and the best continuous treatment time to waterlogging, 20 common maize inbred lines were subjected to successive artificial waterflooding at seedling stage, and waterlogging tolerance coefficient （WTC） was used to screen waterflooding tolerant genotypes. In addition, peroxidase （POD） activities and malondialdehyde （MDA） contents were measured for 6 of 20 lines. The results showed that the second leaf stage （V2） was the most susceptible stage, and 6 d after waterflooding was the best continuous treatment time. Dry weight （DW） of both shoots and roots of all lines were significantly reduced at 6 d time-point of waterlogging, compared to control. POD activities and MDA contents were negatively and significantly correlated, and the correlation coefficient was -0.9686 （P 〈 0.0001）. According to the results, WTC of shoot DW can be used for practical screening as a suitable index, which is significantly different from control and waterlogged plants happened 6 d earlier. Furthermore, leaf chlorosis, MDA content and POD activities could also be used as reference index for material screening. The implications of the results for waterlogging-tolerant material screening and waterlogging-tolerant breeding have been discussed in maize.
文摘A reliable system was developed for regeneration from mature embryos derived from callus of four maize inbred lines （Liao 7980, Dan 9818, Dan 340, and Dan 5026）. The protocol was mainly based on a series of experiments involving the composition of culture medium. We found that 9 pM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in MS medium was optimum for the induction of callus. The induction frequency of primary calli was over 85% for four inbred lines tested. The addition of L- proline （12 mM） in subculture medium significantly promoted the formation of embryogenic callus but it did not significantly enhance growth rate of callus. Efficient shoot regeneration was obtained on regeneration medium containing 2.22 μM 6- benzylaminopurine in combinations with 4.64 μM Kinetin. Regenerated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.85 μM indole-3-butyric acid. This plant regeneration system provides a foundation for genetic transformation of maize.
基金Supported by Supporting Program for Sci & Tech Research of China(2009BADA6B01)Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(090411017)~~
文摘[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the dry matter accumulation,moisture content in maize kernel and their influences on mechanical harvesting.[Methods] Using Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 335,Hongda 8 and Liyu 16 as experimental materials,we preliminarily measured the dynamic changes of dry matter accumulation and moisture content with the days after pollination lasted,and investigated the effect of moisture content in kernels on mechanical harvesting of Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16.[Results] During summer growing season,Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 became physiologically mature and suitable for harvesting at about 51 days after pollination,Xianyu 335 and Hongda 8 required 58 days to become physiologically mature and suitable for harvesting after pollination.At physiologically mature stage,the moisture contents in kernels of Zhengdan 958,Xianyu 335,Hongda 8 and Liyu 16 were respectively 33.74%,28.86%,32.05% and 35.24%,respectively.Adopting mechanical harvesting at physiologically mature stage,the kernel loss rate of Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 was consistent with the range of mechanical operation index（kernel loss rate of 0.84%≤2%）,while the percentage of broken kernels did not accord with the range of mechanical operation index（kernel crashing rate of 10.12%≧1%）.The results indicate that Zhengdan 958 and Liyu 16 are not suitable for mechanical harvesting using full feeding combine havester.[Conclusion] This study provided theoretical basis for improving the maize harvest index under delayed harvesting.
文摘common maize synthetic rate（ Photosynthetic characteristics were probed by sweet maize, waxy maize, high starch maize and The results revealed that leaf area index （LAI）, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content,photo-PR） showed single peak curve at the whole growth stage. The stages of peak were different according to different varieties. NEAUS4 had the lowest peak and while SIDAN 19 had the highest among all stages. Ratio of chlorophyll a to b was low at seedling stage, reached the peak atjointing stage and then declined. SIDAN 19 had the lower level at the last stages.
文摘[Objective]The aim was to optimize SSR reaction system applied in the identification of authenticity of maize variety.[Method]The technical parameters of SSR including PCR reaction system,annealing temperature and electrophoresis time were optimized to identify 10 major maize varieties in Liaoning Province.[Result]The optimum PCR reaction system was：14.60 μl sterile ultrapure water,2.00 μl 10 × Buffer（Mg2＋）,1.20 μl dNTPs,0.20 μl Taq enzyme,0.50 μl each of the forward and reverse primers and1.00 μl DNA stock solution.Annealing temperature and electrophoresis time could greatly influence the results of PCR amplification.The optimal annealing temperature and electrophoresis time required for the ideal electrophoresis bands under the same conditions were different when different primers were used.[Conclusion]The system was feasible to be applied in rapid identification of authenticity of hybrid maize varieties.
基金supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31171497)the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2011CB100105)+1 种基金the Corn Industry Technology System, Ministry of Agriculture, China (CARS-02)the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest, China (201203096, 201203100)
文摘As the most important organ in plant photosynthesis, the leaf plays an important role in plant growth and development. Leaf senescence is associated with fundamental changes in the proteome. To research the molecular mechanisms of leaf senescence, protein expression in senescing maize ear leaves grown under field conditions was analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF/TOF MS）. A total of 60 senescence-associated proteins were identified. The identified proteins are involved in many biological processes, especially energy, metabolism and protein synthesis. Several of the identified proteins have not been previously reported as senescence-associated, including glycine-rich RNA-binding protein.
基金supported by the National High-technology Project of China (2006AA100103)the Key Project of Henan Province of China (0620010200)
文摘Low energy ion beam implantation was applied to the maize （Zea mays L） embryo proteome using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein profile analysis detected more than Ii00 protein spots, 72 of which were determined to be expressed differently in the treated and control （not exposed to ion beam implantation） embryos. Of the 72 protein spots, 53 were up- regulated in the control and 19 were more abundantly expressed in the ion beam-treated embryos. The spots of up- or down-regulated proteins were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption /ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS）. Among the identified proteins, ii were up-regulated in the treated embryos. Four of these up-regulated proteins were antioxidant molecules, three were related to stress response, two to sugar metabolism and two were associated with heat shock response. Of the five proteins up-regulated in the control embryos, three were functionally related to carbohydrate metabolism; the functions of the remaining two proteins were unknown. The data collected during this study indicate that treatment of maize embryos with low energy ion beam implantation induces changes in stress tolerance enzymes/proteins, possibly as a result of alterations in metabolism.
文摘The pollen tube pathway method of transformation has been reported to be successful in most crops, but less successfu in maizc. DNA can be transferred by cutting the stigma following pollination and applying the DNA solution in a suitable period DNA presumably reaches the ovary by flowing down the pollen tube and then integrates into the just fertilized but undivided zygotic cells. To provide the molecular evidence for this procedure, the plasmids pGBIRC carrying a CaMV35S promoter-PPT acetyle transferase （bar） gene-nos terminator genc fusion construct were used. Total 3 276 seeds were produced from the ears trcated with DNA. It was found that 35 scedlings were GUS assay positive, but less intense than that of the positive controls, of which 17 were PCR amplification positive. But, only 13 of the seeds from the plants treated with DNA containing the bar gene were found to be resistant compared with the negative control. Less than 1.07% of progeny seedlings tested cxpressed a herbicide positive reaction and polymerase chain reaction （PCR） with seedling DNA did detect the bar genc. Morphological variation was observed in six plants. We succeed in obtain PPT-resistant maize inbred lines via pollen tube pathway
基金supported by the Chinese National Public Scientific Research (201203031)the Chinese National Corn Industry Technology System (CARS-02-26)the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project funded on the surface (2013M 541092)
文摘The calculation method of potential evapotranspiration（PET） was improved by adopting a more reliable PET estimate based on the Penman-Monteith equation into the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index（SPEI） in this study（SPEI PM）. This improvement increased the applicability of SPEI in North China Plain（NCP）. The historic meteorological data during 1962–2011 were used to calculate SPEI PM. The detrended yields of maize from Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Beijing, and Tianjin provinces/cities of NCP were obtained by linear sliding average method. Then regression analysis was made to study the relationships between detrended yields and SPEI values. Different time scales were applied, and thus SPEI PM was mentioned as SPEI PMk-j（k=time scale, 1, 2, 3, 4,…, 24 mon; j=month, 1, 2, 3,..., 12）, among which SPEI PM3-8 reflected the water condition from June to August, a period of heavy precipitation and vigorous growth of maize in NCP. SPEI PM3-8 was highly correlated with detrended yield in this region, which can effectively evaluate the effect of drought on maize yield. Additionally, this relationship becomes more significant in recent 20 yr. The regression model based on the SPEI series explained 64.8% of the variability of the annual detrended yield in Beijing, 45.2% in Henan, 58.6% in Shandong, and 54.6% in Hebei. Moreover, when SPEI PM3-8 is in the range of –0.6 to 1.1, –0.9 to 0.8 and –0.8 to 2.3, the detrended yield increases in Shandong, Henan and Beijing. The yield increasing range was during normal water condition in Shandong and Henan, where precipitation was abundant. It indicated that the field management matched well with local water condition and thus allowed stable and high yield. Maize yield increase in these two provinces in the future can be realized by further improving water use efficiency and enhancing the stress resistance as well as yield stability. In Hebei and Beijing, the precipitation is less and thus the normal water condition cannot meet the high yield target. Increasing of water input and improving water use efficiency are both strategies for future yield increase. As global climate change became stronger and yield demands increased, the relationship between drought and maize yield became much closer in NCP too. The research of drought monitoring method and strategies for yield increase should be enhanced in the future, so as to provide strong supports for food security and agricultural sustainable development in China.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31271645)Agricultural Science and Technology Project of Shanxi Province(20140311007-4)~~
文摘Under natural pollination （NP）, early-fertilized ovaries at the base of ear promote kernel abortion of late-fertilized ovades from the tip in maize （Zea mays L.）. Synchronous pollination （SP） improves maize kernel set, but the physiological masons behind this response are yet unclear. We e^amined maize kernel growth at the tip of ear subjected to NP or SP with different ~.ant density of 6 plants/rr~ or 9 plants/n~. Synchronous pollination of ears baged before silking was obtained by hand pollination on 3 days after silking （DAS） and samples were taken from natural and hand-pollinated ears on 8, 13, 18, and 23 DAS. At each sampling date, kemel fresh weight, volume and dry weight at the tip of ear were all higher for maize grown under SP than NP, and the contents of soluble sugar, sucrose, starch, nitro- gen and the ratios of soluble sugar to nitrogen （C/N） in kernel at the tip of ear were all higher too for maize grown under SP than NP.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91735306)the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2014CB138203)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0100103-19)
文摘Seed size play a significant role in maize yield production. Two maize inbred lines with distinct seed size and weight, V671（a large-seed inbred line） and Mc（a small-seed inbred line）, were investigated by RNA-seq at 14 days after pollination（DAP）, when maize endosperm undergoes an active transition from mitosis to storage accumulation. RNA-seq expression data showed that the small-seed line Mc had a higher storage accumulation activity, whereas the large-seed kernel line V671 possessed a higher DNA synthesis activity. An investigation of the pattern of increasing kernel width at serial DAPs showed that V671 experienced an increased kernel width later than did Mc, but the rate and duration of increase were longer in V671. SDS-PAGE of the storage proteins and quantitative RT-PCR of cell cycle-related genes and indole-3-acetic（IAA） synthesis genes certified that the transition from mitosis to storage accumulation starts earlier in Mc. We hypothesized that the difference in the mitosis-to-storage accumulation transition accounts for the larger seed size in V671 vs. Mc.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31371625)
文摘The phytohormone auxin plays a central role in coordinating plant growth and development.GH3 is one of the three gene families that respond rapidly during auxin stimulation.Here,we report the identification and characterization of the GH3 gene family in maize.A total of 12 GH3 genes were identified,which are not evenly distributed over the 10 maize chromosomes.Maize GH3 protein sequences share a conserved domain which occupies nearly the entire protein.Diversified c/＇s-elements were found in promoters of maize GH3 genes.In this study,the 12 maize GH3 proteins were primarily classified into two phylogenetic groups,similar to the 13 rice GH3 proteins,while 9 of the 19 Arabidopsis GH3 proteins were observed in the third phylogenetic group.Microarray analysis showed that expression of maize GH3 genes is temporally and spatially modulated.Additionally,maize GH3 genes displayed variable changes at transcript level upon pathogen infection.Results presented here provide insight into the diversification and evolution of GH3 proteins,and lay a foundation for the functional characterization of these GH3 genes in future,especially for elucidating the mechanisms of GH3-mediated pathogenesis.
基金Supported by 2015 Basic Research Operating Expenses Program of Chongqing Municipality‘Excavation and Appraisal of High-Se Maize Germplasm Resources’Key Project of Development and Application of Chongqing Municipality(cstc2014yykf B80014)~~
文摘In this study, six CIMMYT maize inbred lines and five representative do- mestic maize inbred lines were used as parental lines. By using incomplete diallel cross design, 30 hybrid combinations were developed to analyze the general com- bining ability （GCA）, specific combining ability （SCA） and total combining ability （TCA） of seven panicle traits in six CIMMYT maize inbred lines. The results showed that CIMBL98 and GEMS13 were excellent inbred lines with good compre- hensive performance; CIMBL98 × 340 and GEMS13×Chang 7-2 were superior combinations.
基金supported by the National High-Tech R&D Program of China (2012AA10A305 and 2011AA10A103)
文摘The bacterial brown spot disease（BBS）, caused primarily by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae van Hall（Pss）, reduces plant vigor, yield and quality in maize. To reveal the nature of the defense mechanisms and identify genes involved in the effective host resistance, the dynamic changes of defense transcriptome triggered by the infection of Pss were investigated and compared between two maize near-isogenic lines（NILs）. We found that Pss infection resulted in a sophisticated transcriptional reprogramming of several biological processes and the resistant NIL employed much faster defense responses than the susceptible NIL. Numerous genes encoding essential components of plant basal resistance would be able to be activated in the susceptible NIL, such as PEN1, PEN2, PEN3, and EDR1, however, in a basic manner, such resistance might not be sufficient for suppressing Pss pathogenesis. In addition, the expressions of a large number of PTI-, ETI-, PR-, and WRKY-related genes were pronouncedly activated in the resistant NIL, suggesting that maize employ a multitude of defense pathways to defend Pss infection. Six R-gene homologs were identified to have significantly higher expression levels in the resistant NIL at early time point, indicating that a robust surveillance system（gene-to-gene model） might operate in maize during Pss attacks, and these homolog genes are likely to be potential candidate resistance genes involved in BBS disease resistance. Furthermore, a holistic group of novel pathogen-responsive genes were defined, providing the repertoire of candidate genes for further functional characterization and identification of their regulation patterns during pathogen infection.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, China (2008CDB079)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, 2006AA100103)
文摘To better understand the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance, waterlogging effects on lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidative enzymes were investigated in leaves and roots of two maize genotypes, HZ32 （waterlogging-tolerant） and K12 （waterlogging-sensitive）. Potted maize plants were waterlogged at the second leaf stage under glasshouse conditions. Leaves and roots were harvested 1 d before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 d after the start of waterlogging treatment. Through comparing the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, ascorbate peroxidase （APX）, glutathione reductase （GR）, catalase （CAT） and guaiacol peroxidase （POD） between waterlogging-tolerant and waterloggingsensitive genotype, we deduced that CAT was the most important H2O2 scavenging enzyme in leaves, while APX seemed to play a key role in roots. POD, APX, GR and CAT activities in conjunction with SOD seem to play an essential protective role in the O2^- and H2O2 scavenging process. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced significantly only in K12 （P 〈 0.001） and there was no difference （P 〉 0.05） in HZ32 up to 6 d after waterlogging stress. These results indicated that oxidative stress may play an important role in waterlogging-stressed maize plants and that the greater protection of HZ32 leaves and roots from waterlogging-induced oxidative damage results, at least in part, through the maintenance of increased antioxidant enzyme activity.
基金supported by grants provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2006CB101700,2009CB118401,2006BAD13B03)National Natural Science Foundation of China(30730063)
文摘Better understanding of genotype-by-environment interaction （GEI） is expected to provide a solid foundation for genetic improvement of crop productivity especially under drought-prone environments. To elucidate the genetic basis of the plant and ear height, 2 F2：3 populations were derived from the crosses of Qi 319 × Huangzaosi （Q/H） and Ye 478 × Huangzaosi （Y/H） with 230 and 235 families, respectively, and their parents were evaluated under 3 diverse environments in Henan, Beijing, and Xinjiang, China during the year of 2007 and 2008, and all the lines were also evaluated under water stress environment. The mapping results showed that a total of 21 and 12 QTLs were identified for plant height in the Q/H and Y/H population, respectively, and 24 and 13 QTLs for ear height, respectively. About 56 and 73% of the QTLs for 2 traits did not present significant QTL-by-environment interaction （QE1） in the normal joint analyses for Q/H and Y/H population, respectively, and about 73% of the QTLs detected did not show significant QEI according to joint analyses for stress condition in Q/H. Most of the detected major QTLs exhibited high stability across different environments. Besides, several major QTLs were detected with large and consistent effect under normal condition （Chr. 6 and 7 in Q/H; Chr. 1, 3 and 9 in Y/H）, or across 2 water regimes （Chr. 1, 8 and 10 for in Q/H）. There were several constitutive QTLs （3 for Q/H and 1 for Y/H） with no or minor QTL-by-environment for the 2 populations. Finally, we found several genomic regions （Chr. 1, 10, etc.） to be co-located across the populations, which could provide useful reference for genetic improvement of these traits in maize breeding programs. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that 3 genes/genetic segments associated with plant height in rice were orthologous to these 3 identified genomic regions carrying the major QTLs for plant and ear height on Chr. 1, 6, and 8, respectively.
文摘The integration QTL map for gray leaf spot resistance in maize was constructed by compiling a total of 57 QTLs available with genetic map IBM2 2005 neighbors as reference. Twenty-six ＂real QTLs＂ and seven consensus QTLs were identified by refining these 57 QTLs using overview and meta-analysis approaches. Seven consensus QTLs were found on chromosomes 1.06, 2.06, 3.04, 4.06, 4.08, 5.03, and 8.06, and the map coordinates were 552.53,425.72, 279.20, 368.97, 583.21, 308.68 and 446.14 cM, respectively. Using a synteny conservation approach based on comparative mapping between the maize genetic map and rice physical map, a total of 69 rice and maize resistance genes collected from websites Gramene and MaizeGDB were projected onto the maize genetic map IBM2 2005 neighbors, and 2 （Rgene32, htl）, 4 （RgeneS, rp3, scmv2, wsm2）, and 4 （ht2, Rgene6, Rgene8 and Rgene7） positional candidate genes were found in three consensus QTLs on chromosomes 2.06, 3.04, and 8.06, respectively. The results suggested that the combination of meta-analysis of gray leaf spot in maize and sequence homologous comparison between maize and rice could be an efficient strategy for identifying major QTLs and corresponding candidate genes for the gray leaf spot.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program,2006CB101700)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30871476)the Opening Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, and the Shandong Agricultural University (2009KF07)
文摘The objective of the current study is to investigate the effects of different stages of shading after anthesis on grain weight and quality of maize at cytology level. The shading experiments were conducted in the field from 2005 to 2006, with a common maize cultivar （TY2） as the experimental material. Plants were given stress using horizontal shading net and the light intensity was reduced by 55%. Field-grown maize plants were shaded at 1-14 d （S1）, 15-28 d （$2）, and 29-42 d （$3） after pollination, respectively. Control plants （SO） were grown under natural light. Grain weight, quality, endosperm cell proliferation, cob sugar content, and grain pedicel vascular bundle cross section area were measured. The ultrastructural changes of endosperm ceils and endosperm transfer cells were observed after pollination. The result indicated that the grain weight, starch content, endosperm cell number, and volume were declined after shading. On the contrary, the proportion of embryo and endosperm, protein content, and fat content in grain increased. Shading treatments significantly delayed the development of the starch granules and remarkably reduced the endosperm filling status. Among the three treatments, the number of the grain endosperm was the least under shading stress at 1-14 d after pollination. However, the volume of starch granules and the substantiation of endosperm under shading treatment at 15-28 d after pollination were the worst. Compared with the control （natural sunlight without shading）, the soluble sugar of maize cob increased significantly, while there was no obvious change in vascular structure of small cluster stalk. The number of protein body in maize endosperm was influenced markedly by low light at different stages after pollination. Low light decreased the volume of the grain endosperm transfer and the cell wall extensions of the basal transfer ceils became thinner and shorter under shading treatment than those of the control. Furthermore, the degree of connection and the capacity of the nutrient transport were decreased and the mitochondrion number of the transfer cell was reduced after shading. The change in grain quality after shading was observed due to increase in the proportion of embryo and endosperm. The morphology and functions in endosperm transfer cell and the shortage of energy restricted the nutrient transport greatly with shading at different stages, suggesting that an impeded flux may be one of the important reasons for the reduction of maize grain weight of maize grain at later growth stage under low light condition.
