Maize Genomics and Genetics 2024, Vol.15, No.4, 171-181 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 179 9 Concluding Remarks Teosinte, the wild ancestor of modern maize, has played a crucial role in the genetic enhancement of maize. Several studies have highlighted the significant genetic diversity present in teosinte, which has been harnessed to improve various agronomic traits in maize. For instance, the introgression of the UPA2 allele from teosinte has been shown to enhance high-density maize yields by altering plant architecture to facilitate dense planting1. Additionally, teosinte alleles have been identified that improve kernel composition traits such as starch, protein, and oil content, demonstrating the potential of teosinte to enhance the nutritional quality of maize. The teosinte branched1 (tb1) gene has been linked to the suppression of growth in maize, contributing to its less branched architecture compared to teosinte. Furthermore, the teosinte glume architecture1 (tga1) locus has been pivotal in the evolution of maize by reducing the hardness of glumes, making kernels more accessible for harvest. The discovery of a teosinte-derived allele of a MYB transcription repressor that confers multiple disease resistance in maize further underscores the value of teosinte in crop improvement8. The future of teosinte in maize genetic enhancement looks promising, with several avenues for further research and application. Advances in genomic and transcriptomic technologies, such as single-molecule long-read sequencing, have provided deeper insights into the genetic and transcriptomic variations between maize and teosinte, facilitating the identification of beneficial alleles for maize improvement4. The development of robust genetic transformation protocols for teosinte, such as biolistic bombardment, opens up new possibilities for functional analyses of teosinte genes and their regulatory mechanisms. Additionally, the comprehensive characterization of the teosinte transcriptome has revealed adaptive sequence divergence during maize domestication, highlighting the potential of teosinte germplasm to enhance the adaptability of maize to various environmental stimuli3. As we continue to explore the genetic potential of teosinte, it is likely that new alleles and genetic pathways will be discovered that can further enhance the yield, nutritional quality, and disease resistance of maize, ensuring food security in the face of growing global demands. Acknowledgments The CropSci Publisher extend sincere thanks to three anonymous peer reviewers for their feedback on the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Adhikari S., Joshi A., Kumar A., and Singh N., 2021, Diversification of maize (Zea mays L.) through teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis Iltis and Doebley) allelic, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 68: 2983-2995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01170-z Adhikari S., Joshi A., Kumar A., Singh N., Jaiswal J., Jeena A., and Pant U., 2022, Developing genetic resources and genetic analysis of plant architecture-related traits in teosinte-introgressed maize populations, Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization, 20(2): 145-155. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1479262122000223 Aguirre-Liguori J., Gaut B., Jaramillo‐Correa J., Tenaillon M., Montes-Hernández S., García-Oliva F., Hearne S., and Eguiarte L., 2019, Divergence with gene flow is driven by local adaptation to temperature and soil phosphorus concentration in teosinte subspecies (Zea mays parviglumis and Zea mays mexicana, Molecular Ecology, 28: 2814-2830. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15098 PMid:30980686 Calfee E., Gates D., Lóránt A., Perkins M., Coop G., and Ross-Ibarra J., 2021, Selective sorting of ancestral introgression in maize and teosinte along an elevational cline, PLoS Genetics, 17(10): e1009810. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.05.434040 Chen Q., Samayoa L., Yang C., Bradbury P., Olukolu B., Neumeyer M., Romay M., Sun Q., Lóránt A., Buckler E., Ross-Ibarra J., Holland J., and Doebley J., 2020, The genetic architecture of the maize progenitor, teosinte, and how it was altered during maize domestication, PLoS Genetics, 16(5): e1008791. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008791 PMid:32407310 PMCid:PMC7266358 Ding S., Cai Z., Du H., and Wang H., 2019, Genome-wide analysis of tcp family genes in Zea mays L. identified a role for ZmTCP42 in drought tolerance, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(11): 2762. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112762 PMid:31195663 PMCid:PMC6600213
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