Maize gene
Provided herein are KRN2 gene controlling kernel row number in plant, molecular markers closely linked to KRN2 and their application in molecular breeding.
1. A method of producing a transgenic maize plant having an increased kernel row number compared to a wild type maize plant, comprising obtaining a transgenic maize plant cell comprising a construct that inhibits expression of the KRN2 gene or the gene product thereof, and regenerating a transgenic maize plant comprising the construct from said transgenic maize plant cell.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the expression of the KRN2 gene or the gene product thereof is inhibited by RNA-mediated inhibition of the KRN2 gene.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the construct comprise a polynucleotide encoding a RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is at least 80% complementary to at least 19 continuous nucleotides of the KRN2 gene.
4. A transgenic plant produced by the method of claim 1 .
5. A construct comprising a polynucleotide encoding an inhibitory RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is complementary to the the KRN2 gene, wherein the expression of the construct in a maize plant results in inhibited expression of the KRN2 gene.
6. The construct according to claim 5 , wherein the RNA molecule is selected from the group consisting of an antisense RNA, MiRNA, and siRNA.
7. A transgenic maize plant, maize plant part, or maize plant cell comprising the construct of claim 5 .
8. A commodity product made from the transgenic maize plant, maize plant part, or maize plant cell of claim 7 , wherein the product comprises the construct comprising a polynucleotide encoding an inhibitory RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is complementary to the KRN2 gene.
9. The commodity product of claim 8 , wherein the commodity product is protein concentrate, protein isolate, cereal, meal, flour, biomass.
10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the construct comprises a polynucleotide encoding a RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is at least 90% continuous nucleotides of the KRN2 gene.
11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the construct comprises a polynucleotide encoding a RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is 100% complementary to at least 19 continuous nucleotides of the KRN2 gene.
12. The transgenic maize plant of claim 7 , wherein the transgenic maize plant has an increased yield as compared to a wild type maize plant not comprising the construct.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the construct is introduced into the maize plant cell by a transformation method.
14. A transgenic maize plant part or plant cell of the transgenic maize plant of claim 4 or a progeny thereof, wherein the transgenic maize plant part or plant cell of the transgenic maize plant or the progeny thereof comprises the construct comprising a polynucleotide encoding an inhibitory RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is complementary to the KRN2 gene.
15. The maize transgenic plant part of claim 14 , wherein the transgenic maize plant part is a transgenic maize seed.
16. The construct of claim 5 , wherein the construct comprises a polynucleotide encoding a RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is at least 90% complementary to at least 19 continuous nucleotides of the KRN2 gene.
17. The construct of claim 5 , wherein the construct comprises a polynucleotide encoding a RNA molecule comprising a sequence that is 100% complementary to at least 19 continuous nucleotides of the KRN2 gene.
18. The transgenic maize plant of claim 7 , wherein the transgenic maize plant has an increased kernel row number relative to a wild type maize plant.