Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
Open access
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Abstract
The elite maize inbred line Zheng58, female parent of the widely cultivated hybrid Zhengdan958, is renowned for conferring short stature and high-density tolerance. Despite its critical role in modern breeding, the genetic basis of its dominant dwarfing effect has remained elusive. In this study, we dissected the genetic architecture of six plant architecture traits in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from elite inbred lines Zheng58 and PH6WC. Phenotypic evaluations across four environments revealed high heritability with additive effects accounting for 45.5–64.6% of the total genetic variance. A total of 125 QTLs were identified for the traits in single-environment QTL mapping, and multi-environment analysis further detected 77 QTLs for the six traits. Notably, a major dominant-negative pleiotropic QTL was identified on chromosome 2 that consistently explains plant height (PH), plant height above ear (PHAE), and average internode length above ear (AILAE) across multiple environments. The Zheng58 allele at this locus acts dominantly to reduce plant height by approximately 8.7 cm, providing a genetic explanation for Zheng58’s characteristic dwarfing effect. Regional association mapping refined this QTL to a 351.9 kb interval harboring 13 candidate genes. Transcriptome analysis uncovered 205 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within the QTL region, with only one DEG (Zm00001d005848) located in the pleiotropic hotspot QTL on chromosome 2. This candidate gene encodes a rhomboid protease homolog, and population-wide expression data showed significantly negative correlation with PH. Our study unveils the genetic mystery of Zheng58′s dominant dwarfing phenotype by pinpointing a pleiotropic QTL hotspot, offering a strategic target for molecular breeding of compact, high-density-tolerant hybrids in maize.
Direct answer
What can I do from this paper page?
Use this page to scan "A Dominant-Negative Pleiotropic QTL from Elite Maize Inbred Line Zheng58 Underpins Ideal Plant Architecture for High-Density Maize Breeding" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.
Research areas
Follow related topics
Citation
BibTeX
@article{Zhang2026Dominant,
title = {A Dominant-Negative Pleiotropic QTL from Elite Maize Inbred Line Zheng58 Underpins Ideal Plant Architecture for High-Density Maize Breeding},
author = {Huaisheng Zhang and Tianqing Yin and Xining Jin and Ying Liu and Pingxi Wang and Xiaoxiang Zhang and Shilin Chen and Hongwei Zhang and Xiangyuan Wu},
journal = {Agronomy},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3390/agronomy16141325},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16141325}
}FAQ
Using this paper in a discovery workflow
How do I find related work for this paper?
Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.
How can I keep up with new Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals research papers?
Follow Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.
Can I cite this paper from this page?
This page includes a static BibTeX block for A Dominant-Negative Pleiotropic QTL from Elite Maize Inbred Line Zheng58 Underpins Ideal Plant Architecture for High-Density Maize Breeding. Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.
Follow this research in Scollr
Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.
Get the app