Maize Genomics and Genetics 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 9-17 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 11 control these traits through genetic improvement. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the genetic basis that affects corn quality traits is of great scientific significance and application value for achieving precision breeding. 2.1 Define key traits that affect corn quality Among the many traits that affect corn quality, starch content, protein content, and oil content are regarded as the most critical indicators. As the main carbohydrate component of corn, starch content directly affects the energy supply capacity and processing characteristics of corn. Protein content defines the quality of corn from a nutritional perspective, and high-protein corn is more suitable as feed or food with high nutritional value. The increase in oil content can not only increase the energy density of corn, but also improve the taste and flavor of food, which is particularly important for the production of high-quality corn oil (Wang et al., 2007) . 2.2 Describe the major genetic factors known to influence these traits With the rapid development of molecular genetics and genomics, multiple key genetic factors affecting corn quality traits have been identified. The genetic regulation of starch content is complex and involves the expression regulation of multiple enzyme genes such as starch synthase and amylopectin synthase (Yue et al., 2005) . For example, variations in the GBSS1 gene can affect amylose synthesis, thereby affecting starch content and properties. The regulation of protein content involves the expression of storage protein genes such as Zea mays Prolamin Box Binding Factor (Opaque2). The expression level of this gene directly affects the accumulation of protein in the grain. The genetic regulation of oil content is closely related to genes related to fatty acid synthesis and fatty acid metabolism. For example, variations in the fatty acid synthase gene ACCase and the key oil synthesis enzyme gene DGAT can significantly affect the oil content in corn kernels (Figure 1) (Chaudhary et al., 2016). Figure 1 Manhattan pole and QQ pole of genome-wide association study (Chaudhary et al., 2016) Note: A: Protein content ; B : Starch content ; C : Oil content Further research shows that the genetic factors that affect these traits include not only the functional variation of a single gene, but also the interactions between genes, epigenetic regulation, and the interaction between genes and
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