MicroRNA polymorphisms conferring enhanced drought tolerance in a plant
View Patent ↗Methods of identifying a single nucleotide polymorphism associated with a plant trait and methods of identifying a plant having an improved trait. The plant trait is correlated with at least one single nucleotide polymorphism in a microRNA region of a plant genome. Isolated nucleic acids, transgenic plants, and methods of producing the same are also disclosed.
1. A method of producing a maize plant using marker-assisted breeding, wherein said maize plant exhibits increased grain yield at standard moisture percentage, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) crossing a first maize plant or a progeny thereof with a second maize plant, wherein said first maize plant or progeny thereof has been selected for said crossing based on the presence of
(a1) at least one polymorphism within a marker locus of its genome, wherein said marker locus is associated with increased grain yield at standard moisture percentage and wherein said marker locus is SEQ ID NO: 84 and
(a2) at least one single nucleotide polymorphism located at a nucleotide corresponding to a position selected from the group consisting of:
(i) position 444 of SEQ ID NO: 69, wherein the nucleotide is a C, and
(ii) position 500 of SEQ ID NO: 69, wherein the nucleotide is a C;
(b) producing a progeny plant population from the cross of (a);
(c) selecting a progeny plant from the progeny plant population of (b) based on genotyping the progeny plant's genomic DNA and selecting a progeny plant having the at least one polymorphism of (a1) and the at least one polymorphism of (a2) said marker locus; and
(d) producing a maize plant using marker-assisted breeding wherein said maize plant exhibits increased grain yield at standard moisture percentage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one single nucleotide polymorphism of (a1) is located in a pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 82.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 83.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one single nucleotide polymorphism of (a1) is located in a mature miRNA portion of the microRNA region.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the mature miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 82.
7. A method of selecting a maize plant having enhanced drought tolerance, the method comprising:
(a) isolating a nucleic acid from a maize plant cell;
(b) detecting in the nucleic acid of (a) the presence of
(a1) at least one single nucleotide polymorphism in a microRNA region comprising SEQ ID NO: 84 and (a2) at least one single nucleotide polymorphism located at a nucleotide corresponding to a position selected from the group consisting of:
(i) position 444 of SEQ ID NO: 69, wherein the nucleotide is a C, and
(ii) position 500 of SEQ ID NO: 69, wherein the nucleotide is a C, thereby identifying a maize plant having enhanced drought tolerance;
(c) crossing the maize plant of (b) with a maize plant not having the polymorphisms of (a1) and (a2); and
(d) growing progeny from (c) to produce a plant having the polymorphisms.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one single nucleotide polymorphism of (a1) is located in a pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 82.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein pre-miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 83.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one single nucleotide polymorphism of (a1) is located in a mature miRNA portion of the microRNA region.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mature miRNA portion of the microRNA region comprises SEQ ID NO: 82.