Development of a novel recessive genetic male sterility system for hybrid seed production in maize and other cross‐pollinating crops

• Published in: Plant biotechnology journal Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 1046 - 1054
• Main Authors: Wu, Yongzhong, Fox, Tim W, Trimnell, Mary R, Wang, Lijuan, Xu, Rui‐ji, Cigan, A. Mark, Huffman, Gary A, Garnaat, Carl W, Hershey, Howard, Albertsen, Marc C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Pub 01-03-2016; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Alleles; alpha-amylase; Amylases; Biomarkers - metabolism; Color; Corn; Crop production; Crops; Crops, Agricultural - genetics; Cross-pollination; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Depletion; DNA; females; Fertility; Fluorescence; fluorescent proteins; gamete selectivity; Gene expression; Genes; Genes, Plant; Genes, Recessive; Genetic crosses; Genetic engineering; genetic male sterility; genetic markers; Genetic testing; genetically modified organisms; Germination; Germplasm; Grains; Herbicides; homozygosity; hybrid production; Hybrid systems; Hybridization; Hybridization, Genetic; Hybrids; Inventors; Maize; male fertility; Male sterility; Males; Ms45; mutants; Mutation; nontransgenic progeny; parents; Pigmentation - genetics; Plant reproduction; Plants, Genetically Modified; Pollen; Pollination; production technology; Progeny; Red fluorescent protein; Seed industry; Seeds; Seeds - growth & development; Sorghum; sporophytes; Starch; Transgenes; Transgenic plants; transgenic process; Zea mays; Zea mays - genetics; Zea mays - physiology; α-Amylase; transgenic process; hybrid production; genetic male sterility; Ms45; nontransgenic progeny; gamete selectivity
• ISSN: 1467-7644; 1467-7652
• DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12477

We have developed a novel hybridization platform that utilizes nuclear male sterility to produce hybrids in maize and other cross‐pollinating crops. A key component of this platform is a process termed Seed Production Technology (SPT). This process incorporates a transgenic SPT maintainer line capable of propagating nontransgenic nuclear male‐sterile lines for use as female parents in hybrid production. The maize SPT maintainer line is a homozygous recessive male sterile transformed with a SPT construct containing (i) a complementary wild‐type male fertility gene to restore fertility, (ii) an α‐amylase gene to disrupt pollination and (iii) a seed colour marker gene. The sporophytic wild‐type allele complements the recessive mutation, enabling the development of pollen grains, all of which carry the recessive allele but with only half carrying the SPT transgenes. Pollen grains with the SPT transgenes exhibit starch depletion resulting from expression of α‐amylase and are unable to germinate. Pollen grains that do not carry the SPT transgenes are nontransgenic and are able to fertilize homozygous mutant plants, resulting in nontransgenic male‐sterile progeny for use as female parents. Because transgenic SPT maintainer seeds express a red fluorescent protein, they can be detected and efficiently separated from seeds that do not contain the SPT transgenes by mechanical colour sorting. The SPT process has the potential to replace current approaches to pollen control in commercial maize hybrid seed production. It also has important applications for other cross‐pollinating crops where it can unlock the potential for greater hybrid productivity through expanding the parental germplasm pool.