Natural Genetic Variation in Lycopene Epsilon Cyclase Tapped for Maize Biofortification
Abstract
Dietary vitamin A deficiency causes eye disease in 40 million children each year and places 140 to 250 million at risk for health disorders. Many children in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on maize-based diets. Maize displays considerable natural variation for carotenoid composition, including vitamin A precursors α-carotene, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin. Through association analysis, linkage mapping, expression analysis, and mutagenesis, we show that variation at the lycopene epsilon cyclase (lcyΕ) locus alters flux down α-carotene versus β-carotene branches of the carotenoid pathway. Four natural lcyΕ polymorphisms explained 58% of the variation in these two branches and a threefold difference in provitamin A compounds. Selection of favorable lcyΕ alleles with inexpensive molecular markers will now enable developing-country breeders to more effectively produce maize grain with higher provitamin A levels.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- January 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.1150255
- Bibcode:
- 2008Sci...319..330H
- Keywords:
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- BOTANY