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Title: Genetic dissection of the maize (Zea mays L.) MAMP response

Author
item ZHANG, XINYE - North Carolina State University
item VALDEZ-LOPEZ, OSWALDO - University Of Missouri
item ARENALO, CONSUELO - North Carolina State University
item STACEY, GARY - University Of Missouri
item Balint-Kurti, Peter

Submitted to: Theoretical and Applied Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2017
Publication Date: 3/13/2017
Citation: Zhang, X., Valdez-Lopez, O., Arenalo, C., Stacey, G., Balint Kurti, P.J. 2017. Genetic dissection of the maize (Zea mays L.) MAMP response. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 130:1155. doi:10.1007/s00122-017-2876-6.

Interpretive Summary: In this paper we look at maize response to microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) - molecules that are characteristic of many microbes. We show that maize can respond to these molecules and that this response is variable between maize lines. We identify regions of the genome responsible for this variation. We were not able to show that variation in the level of this response is connected to variation in disease resistance.

Technical Abstract: Microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) are highly conserved molecules commonly found in microbes which can be recognized by plant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Recognition triggers a suite of responses including production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) and expression changes of defense related genes. In this study, we used two well-studied MAMPs (flg22 and chitooctaose) to challenge different maize lines to determine whether there was variation in the level of responses to these MAMPs, to dissect the genetic basis underlying that variation and to understand the relationship between MAMP response and quantitative disease resistance (QDR). Naturally-occurring quantitative variation in ROS, NO production and defense genes expression levels triggered by MAMPs was observed. A major quantitative traits locus (QTL) associated with variation in the ROS production response to both flg22 and chitooctaose was identified on chromosome 2 in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the maize inbred lines B73 and CML228. Minor QTL associated with variation in the flg22 ROS response were identified on chromosomes 1 and 4. Comparison of these results with data previously obtained for variation in QDR and the defense response in the same RIL population did not provide any evidence for a common genetic basis controlling variation in these traits.