Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) grain endosperm is composed by starch and proteins (mainly zeins, Z1 and Z2) and other minor components. The dry milling industry demands grains with high endosperm hardness, which is determined by both its chemical composition and by the structure established within its componen...

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Main Authors: Laserna, María Paula, Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro, Gonzalez Belo, Raúl, Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel, Andrade, Fernando Hector, Martinez, Dionisio Roberto, Izquierdo, Natalia
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21789
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733521025000505
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104152
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author Laserna, María Paula
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Gonzalez Belo, Raúl
Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel
Andrade, Fernando Hector
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Izquierdo, Natalia
author_browse Andrade, Fernando Hector
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel
Gonzalez Belo, Raúl
Izquierdo, Natalia
Laserna, María Paula
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
author_facet Laserna, María Paula
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Gonzalez Belo, Raúl
Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel
Andrade, Fernando Hector
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Izquierdo, Natalia
author_sort Laserna, María Paula
collection INTA Digital
description Maize (Zea mays L.) grain endosperm is composed by starch and proteins (mainly zeins, Z1 and Z2) and other minor components. The dry milling industry demands grains with high endosperm hardness, which is determined by both its chemical composition and by the structure established within its components. Kernel hardness is influenced by both genotype and post-flowering environmental conditions, which affect the depositions of these components. This study aimed to explore the variations in zein composition under different post-flowering environments achieved by combining sites, sowing dates, and year, which resulted in different levels of source-sink ratio during the grain filling period. Additionally, we examined the relationship between these variations and kernel hardness. The combination of site, sowing date and genotype resulted in a wide range of protein and total zein percentage, primarily driven by variations in Z1. Moreover, for the semi-dent and flint hybrids, an increase in Z1/Z2 ratio was explained by a higher source-sink ratio during the grain filling period. While variation in total, Z1 and Z2 percentages did not account for the differences in kernel hardness across environments, kernel hardness was linked to an increase in Z1/Z2 ratio. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying kernel hardness.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
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spelling INTA217892025-03-21T16:19:39Z Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize Laserna, María Paula Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro Gonzalez Belo, Raúl Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel Andrade, Fernando Hector Martinez, Dionisio Roberto Izquierdo, Natalia Maíz Relación Fuente Sumidero Proteínas Maize Source Sink Relations Proteins Zein Zeina Maize (Zea mays L.) grain endosperm is composed by starch and proteins (mainly zeins, Z1 and Z2) and other minor components. The dry milling industry demands grains with high endosperm hardness, which is determined by both its chemical composition and by the structure established within its components. Kernel hardness is influenced by both genotype and post-flowering environmental conditions, which affect the depositions of these components. This study aimed to explore the variations in zein composition under different post-flowering environments achieved by combining sites, sowing dates, and year, which resulted in different levels of source-sink ratio during the grain filling period. Additionally, we examined the relationship between these variations and kernel hardness. The combination of site, sowing date and genotype resulted in a wide range of protein and total zein percentage, primarily driven by variations in Z1. Moreover, for the semi-dent and flint hybrids, an increase in Z1/Z2 ratio was explained by a higher source-sink ratio during the grain filling period. While variation in total, Z1 and Z2 percentages did not account for the differences in kernel hardness across environments, kernel hardness was linked to an increase in Z1/Z2 ratio. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying kernel hardness. EEA Balcarce Fil: Laserna, María Paula. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Laserna, María Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: González Belo, Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cirilo, Alfredo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; Argentina Fil: Andrade, Fernando Héctor. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Andrade, Fernando Héctor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Martínez, Dioniso. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Izquierdo, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Izquierdo, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina 2025-03-21T16:09:32Z 2025-03-21T16:09:32Z 2025-05 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21789 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733521025000505 1095-9963 (online) 0733-5210 (print) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104152 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Journal of Cereal Science 123 : 104152 (May 2025)
spellingShingle Maíz
Relación Fuente Sumidero
Proteínas
Maize
Source Sink Relations
Proteins
Zein
Zeina
Laserna, María Paula
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Gonzalez Belo, Raúl
Cirilo, Alfredo Gabriel
Andrade, Fernando Hector
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Izquierdo, Natalia
Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title_full Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title_fullStr Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title_full_unstemmed Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title_short Post-flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
title_sort post flowering environment determines zein composition and kernel hardness in maize
topic Maíz
Relación Fuente Sumidero
Proteínas
Maize
Source Sink Relations
Proteins
Zein
Zeina
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21789
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733521025000505
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104152
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