AUTHOR=Li Tingchun , Kong Fanna , Dong Qing , Xu Dafeng , Liu Guihu , Lei Yanli , Yang Huaying , Zhou Yingbing , Li Cheng 

TITLE=Dynamic Transcriptome-Based Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis Reveals Key Modules and Hub Genes Associated With the Structure and Nutrient Formation of Endosperm for Wax Corn

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.915400

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.915400

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The endosperm of corn kernel consists of two components, a horny endosperm, and a floury endosperm. In the experiment, a kind of floury endosperm corn was identified. The result of phenotypic trait analysis and determination of amino acid content showed that the floury endosperm filled with the small, loose, and scattered irregular spherical shape starch granules and contained higher content of amino acid. The starch biochemical properties are similar between floury corns and regular flint corn. By using dynamically comparative transcriptome analysis of endosperm at 20, 25, and 30 DAP, a total of 113.42 million raw reads and 50.508 thousand genes were obtained. By using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis, 806 genes and six modules were identified. And the turquoise module with 459 genes was proved to be the key module closely related to the floury endosperm formation. Nine zein genes in turquoise module, including two <italic>zein-alpha A20</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d019155</italic> and <italic>Zm00001d019156</italic>), two <italic>zein-alpha A30</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048849</italic> and <italic>Zm00001d048850</italic>), one <italic>50 kDa gamma-zein</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d020591</italic>), one <italic>22 kDa alpha-zein 14</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048817</italic>), one <italic>zein-alpha 19D1</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d030855</italic>), one <italic>zein-alpha 19B1</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048848</italic>), and one <italic>FLOURY 2</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048808</italic>) were identified closely related the floury endosperm formation. Both <italic>zein-alpha 19B1</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048848</italic>) and <italic>zein-alpha A30</italic> (<italic>Zm00001d048850</italic>) function as source genes with the highest expression level in floury endosperm. These results may provide the supplementary molecular mechanism of structure and nutrient formation for the floury endosperm of maize.</p>