Drought stress is the most important factor limiting maize productivity in India, with ~80 per cent of maize acreage under rainfed conditions. Analysis of drought stress responses of 24 selected CIMMYT-DTP inbred lines during Kharif (rainy season)-2006 and 2007 at DMR rain-out shelter at IARI, New Delhi, led to identification of promising drought tolerant genotypes. Molecular characterization of 24 selected inbreds differing in drought stress responses using 50 SSR markers resulted in effective differentiation and analysis of genetic diversity in this important germplasm. Transcriptome profiling of five selected CIMMYT-DTP genotypes was further undertaken by sampling of ear leaf, tassel leaf and silk tissues in replicates from control and drought stress blocks of experiments carried out in DMR Rain Shelter during 2006 & 2007. Transcriptome analysis using datasets using ARRAY ASSIST software for various parameters, led to identification of a large set of genes that are up-regulated or down-regulated, including those associated with osmoprotection, chaperones, oxygen radicals scavenging, defense-related proteins (PRP), photosynthesis and starch metabolism. K-means clustering led to grouping of the differentially expressed genes. Validation of a selected set of putative candidate genes using RTPCR is in progress.

Global Maize Program|Global Wheat Program

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INT2868|INT2823|INT3057