title: Development of β-carotene rich maize hybrids through marker-assisted introgression of β-carotene hydroxylase allele.
abstract: Development of vitamin A-rich cereals can help in alleviating the widespread problem of vitamin A deficiency. We report here significant enhancement of kernel β-carotene in elite maize genotypes through accelerated marker-assisted backcross breeding. A favourable allele (543 bp) of the β-carotene hydroxylase (crtRB1) gene was introgressed in the seven elite inbred parents, which were low (1.4 µg/g) in kernel β-carotene, by using a crtRB1-specific DNA marker for foreground selection. About 90% of the recurrent parent genome was recovered in the selected progenies within two backcross generations. Concentration of β-carotene among the crtRB1-introgressed inbreds varied from 8.6 to 17.5 µg/g - a maximum increase up to 12.6-fold over recurrent parent. The reconstituted hybrids developed from improved parental inbreds also showed enhanced kernel β-carotene as high as 21.7 µg/g, compared to 2.6 µg/g in the original hybrid. The reconstituted hybrids evaluated at two locations possessed similar grain yield to that of original hybrids. These β-carotene enriched high yielding hybrids can be effectively utilized in the maize biofortification programs across the globe.
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vignesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Muthusamy
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Firoz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Nepolean
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thirunavukkarasu
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mukesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.affiliation: Division of Agricultural Chemicals, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Supradip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.affiliation: Regional Research Centre, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Jayant S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Boddupalli M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Prasanna
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Hari S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D023061:Gene Order; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005819:Genetic Markers; D007178:Inbreeding; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D019207:beta Carotene; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C079232:beta-carotene hydroxylase