Natural genetic variation in lycopene epsilon cyclase tapped for maize biofortification
Material type:
ArticleLanguage: English Publication details: Washington, DC (USA) : AAAS, 2008.ISSN: - 0036-8075
- 1095-9203 (Online)
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library | CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection | CIS-5189 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 635044 |
Peer review
Peer-review: Yes - Open Access: Yes|http://science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&ISSN=0036-8075
Dietary vitamin A deficiency causes eye disease in 40 million children each year and places 140 to 250 million at risk for health disorders. Many children in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on maize-based diets. Maize displays considerable natural variation for carotenoid composition, including vitamin A precursors -carotene, ß-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. Through association analysis, linkage mapping, expression analysis, and mutagenesis, we show that variation at the lycopene epsilon cyclase (lcyE) locus alters flux down -carotene versus ß-carotene branches of the carotenoid pathway. Four natural lcyE polymorphisms explained 58% of the variation in these two branches and a threefold difference in provitamin A compounds. Selection of favorable lcyE alleles with inexpensive molecular markers will now enable developing-country breeders to more effectively produce maize grain with higher provitamin A levels.
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