title: Microtubule-Associated Protein SBgLR Facilitates Storage Protein Deposition and Its Expression Leads to Lysine Content Increase in Transgenic Maize Endosperm.
abstract: Maize (Zea mays) seed is deficient in protein and lysine content. Many studies have been made to improve the nutritional quality of maize seeds. Previously, we reported the role of a natural lysine-rich protein gene SBgLR in increasing protein and lysine content. However, how the SBgLR improves lysine and protein content remains unclear. Here, the reasons and possible mechanism for SBgLR in protein and lysine improvement have been analyzed and discussed. Through seed-specific expression of SBgLR, we obtained transgenic maize with the simultaneously increased lysine and protein contents. High-protein and high-lysine characters were stably inherited across generations. The expression of SBgLR in maize kernels increased the accumulation of both zeins and non-zein proteins. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the number of protein bodies (PBs) was increased obviously in SBgLR transgenic immature endosperms with the morphology and structure of PBs unchanged. The proteinaceous matrix was more abundant in transgenic mature endosperms under scanning electron microscopy. The stabilities of zein and lysine-rich non-zein genes were also increased in transgenic endosperms. Finally, the potential application of SBgLR in maize nutrient improvement was evaluated. This study shows that a cytoskeleton-associated protein has potential applicable value in crop nutrient improving, and provided a feasible strategy for improvement of maize grain quality.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. liuchen@iae.ac.cn.|Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China. liuchen@iae.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. lishixue19890105@126.com.
authors.forename: Shixue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. yuejinglove@126.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. zb1106052@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wenhan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. zhaoqian@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. zhudy@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Dengyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China. yujj@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jingjuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D056625:Endosperm / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015028:Zein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D015028:Zein; D008239:Lysine
keywords: SBgLR; maize nutrient improvement; microtubule-associated protein; protein body formation