A novel allele of Sh1 facilitates the development of waxy-sweet corn from waxy corn

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ID: 325189
2026
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Ranked #137 of 520 articles by views in Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB

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Abstract
Abstract Waxy corn and sweet corn represent two major classes of fresh-eating corn, and each with distinct sensory attributes and nutritional compositions. Developing a new variety that combines both waxy and sweet traits would address rising consumer demand and expand new market potential. From a fast neutron-mutagenized population of the waxy corn inbred line HB522, we isolated a novel mutant, designated as wx-sweet, whose kernels simultaneously exhibit waxy and sweet characteristics at the milk-filling stage. Through bulked segregant analysis (BSA) combined with fine mapping, we mapped the causal locus to SHRUNKEN1 (Sh1) on chromosome 9, which was confirmed by an allelism test with a characterized Mu-insertion allele of Sh1. A 7,227-bp Copia-type LTR retrotransposon insertion was identified in exon 2 of Sh1 in the wx-sweet mutant by long-read sequencing. Consistently, the novel sh1 allele significantly reduced sucrose synthase activity. Genetic and physiological analyses demonstrate that sh1 and wx1 act synergistically to fine-tune carbohydrate metabolism in the endosperm. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling uncover extensive transcriptional reprogramming and redirected metabolic flux, leading to substantial accumulation of sucrose and a range of oligosaccharides. These metabolic shifts underlie the unique simultaneous dual waxy-sweet texture in fresh-eating wx-sweet kernels. In summary, our work not only provides valuable genetic resources for breeding next-generation fresh-eating corn, but also, for the first time, elucidates the molecular mechanism by which the sh1 and wx1 mutation cooperatively shape the waxy-sweet endosperm phenotype.
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Authors Ling Zhou, Lihua Ning, Shuaiqiang Liang, Hu QiaoQiang, Wenxiang Zhang, Yuxin Pan, Zhifang Gao, Jun Hong, Yuancong Wang, Wenming Zhao, Yanping Chen, Huixue Dai, Han Zhao
Journal Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/plphys/kiag582
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag582
Keywords Keywords not found

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