Study on the Regulation Network of Maize Yield and Quality Traits Development

Dear Colleagues,

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops around the world. Fully exploiting maize genetic resources and improving maize production is a way to meet the increasing demand for food and energy. Maize yield traits are composed of plant architecture (such as plant height, leaf angle, ear height, and kernel row number) and 100-grain weight; the grain quality traits include protein, oil, and moisture contents. These components are regulated by complex gene regulatory networks and other factors, including environmental conditions. To further enhance these agronomic traits, it is critical to understand the molecular mechanism and regulation networks.

Recent breakthroughs in gene characterization have provided valuable knowledge about maize development. The blossoming of next-generation sequencing and omics technologies has enabled the unprecedented discovery of transcription factor targets and protein-protein interactions. A wide range of bioinformatics tools has also been developed to infer gene regulatory networks and predict the functions of proteins and their involvement in metabolic pathways.

In this Special Issue, we aim to provide new insights into any aspect related to maize yield and quality regulation networks. We welcome original research and review articles.

Dr. Zeyang Ma
Guest Editor

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• maize
• yield
• grain quality
• gene regulatory network
• protein interaction
• regulatory mechanism