Comparative Analysis of Maize Gynogenesis Gene Mutations

The article presents an analysis of the gynogenesis (Zm_Pla1, Zm_CenH3, Zm_Dmp7) genes originated from haploid-inducing (ZMS-8, ZMS-P) and control (KM, GPL-1) maize lines of Saratov breeding. By sequencing and subsequent multiple alignment of the target gene transcripts of the studied maize lines and the reference B73 line, the presence of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), deletions, and insertions were determined, phylogenetic trees for the studied genes were constructed. The presence of a 4-nucleotide insertion (4NI) in the Zm_Pla1 gene originated from the Stock 6 ancestral line has been established in haploid-inducing (ZMS-8 and ZMS-P) maize lines, as well as 15 identical SNP. But the parthenogenetic AT-1, AT-3 and AT-4 maize lines, which also have Stock 6 as ancestral line, lack of 4NI in the Zm_Pla1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the Zm_Pla1 gene confirmed the relationship of the haploid-inducing Stock 6, ZMS-P, and ZMS-8 maize lines. The Zm_Dmp7 gene recorded the presence of 5 SNP in the ZMS-8 line and 3 SNP in the ZMS-P and KM maize lines. One of the SNP (at position 131 from the start codon) in the Zm_Dmp7 gene is the cause of the increased haploid-inducing ability of the CAU5, but not the ZMS-P maize line. In addition, a 3-nucleotide deletion was found in the Zm_Dmp7 gene in the ZMS-P line and a 9-nucleotide deletion in the KM maize line.