Scientists at the Univesity of oxford have paved the way for bigger and better quality maize crops by identifying the genetic processes tha determine seed development.
Plant scientists have known for some time that genes from the maternal plant control seed development, but they have not known quite how until now .Working in collabration with France, Prefessor Hugh Dickinson’s team found that only the maternal copy of key gene responsible for delivering nutrients is active. The copy derived from the paternal plant is switched off. this gene encodes a potential signalling molecule found in the endosper-a placenta-like layer that nourishes the development grain, which is involved in ‘ calling’ for nutients from the mother plant, and so trggers an increased flow of resources similar mechanisms can almost certainly be expected in other cereals, and cereal grain being a staple food across the world, the potential to harness this science toimprove yields is clear.
Prof. Dickinson explains: "By understanding the complex level of gene control in developing grain we have opened up opportunities in improving crop yield.
The knowledge and molecular tools needs to harness these natural genetic processes are now available to plant breeders and could help them improve commercial varieties further. For example, they can better understand how to successfully crossbreed to produce higher quality crops
The mechanism used to switch off paternal genes ensures supremacy of maternally-derived genes. This process is known as ‘imprinting’ and is achieved mainly through ‘ methylation’.wdkka7w