Expression patterns of p1 alleles in maize Zea mays L. tissues

Abstract EN

Repeated tandemly endogenous genes are common in plants, but their regulatory transcription is not well described.

The P1-wr allele of pericarp color1 in maize is composed of multiple copies arranged in an opposite fashion.

P1–wr is responsible for white kernel pericarp and red cob glume pigment phenotype which shows stability over generations.

This paper aims to describe a spontaneous epiallele of p1-wr designated probably as p1-wr* , that specifies a white pericarp and white cob glume phenotype.

To understand the mechanisms which regulate tissue – specific expression of P1–wr, P1–wr may be characterized as a spontaneous loss of function epimutation that shows a white kernel pericarp and white cob glume phenotype.

Pl–wr* shows a range of cob glume pigmentation, whereas pericarps remain colorless, with the prescence of the epigenetic modifier Ufo1 (Unstabe factor for orange1).

P1–wr*Ufo1 plants did not show any change in a distal enhancer region that has previously been implicated in Ufo1 – induced gain of pericarp pigmentation of the P1–wr allele.

These results reveal that distinct regulatory sequences in the P1– wr promoter can show independent epigenetic modification to generate tissue – specific expression patterns.