Zm00001eb038700 gene for regulating corn plant height and application thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a Zm00001eb038700 gene for regulating corn plant height and application thereof. The nucleotide sequence of the gene is shown as SEQ ID NO:1, and the expression amount of the gene is positively correlated with the corn plant height. The amino acid sequence of the protein coded by the gene is shown as SEQ ID NO:2, the protein codes a conserved C2H2 type zinc finger protein Bud20, and the protein may be involved in the development regulation of the internode part so as to affect the corn plant height. The SNP1-206,628,704 site is located at the downstream 3801bp of the gene; when the genotype of the site is CC, the corn shows a dwarf trait; and when the genotype is changed into AA, the corn shows a high-stalk dominant trait. The application firstly discloses the dose-effect relationship between the expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene and the corn plant height, the associated SNP can explain 3.57% of the plant height phenotype variation. The application develops a molecular marker combination combining the SNP genotype and the gene expression amount, and the prediction accuracy of the plant height is obviously improved. Therefore, the results of the application provide technical support for breeding corn varieties with suitable plant type and high yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural biotechnology, and in particular to the Zm00001eb038700 gene located on chromosome 1 of maize that regulates maize plant height and its applications. Background Technology

[0002] Maize plant height is a key agronomic trait determining crop planting density, lodging resistance, and biomass. In recent years, with the development of molecular biology techniques, several gene loci regulating maize plant height have been identified, mainly including the following categories:

[0003] Plant hormone-related genes include auxin transporter genes (such as br2) and gibberellin synthesis genes. These genes mainly affect stem elongation by regulating hormone signaling pathways.

[0004] Cell elongation-related genes: such as genes encoding cell wall modifying enzymes, which regulate intersegmental elongation by altering cell wall plasticity.

[0005] Transcriptional regulatory factors: such as HD-ZIP-type transcription factors, affect stem development by regulating the expression of downstream target genes.

[0006] However, existing research has the following limitations:

[0007] (1) Most of the identified plant height-related genes are concentrated in known metabolic pathways, and few new regulatory factors have been discovered.

[0008] (2) Most studies only focus on gene sequence variations and do not explore gene expression regulation mechanisms enough;

[0009] (3) Traditional molecular markers are mostly based on a single SNP site, and their prediction accuracy is greatly affected by the environment.

[0010] Furthermore, existing technologies primarily focus on gene sequence variations, while research on gene expression regulation is relatively insufficient. This invention is the first to discover that regulating the expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene can effectively alter maize plant height, providing a new approach for plant height improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides the Zm00001eb038700 gene, which regulates maize plant height, and its applications. This invention reveals for the first time the dose-response relationship between Zm00001eb038700 gene expression levels and maize plant height, with associated SNPs explaining 3.57% of the phenotypic variation in plant height. This invention develops a molecular marker combination combining SNP genotype and gene expression levels, significantly improving the accuracy of plant height prediction. This invention also provides a multi-level regulatory strategy targeting this gene, including gene editing and expression regulation.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a Zm00001eb038700 gene that regulates maize plant height, wherein the nucleotide sequence of the Zm00001eb038700 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, and its expression level is positively correlated with maize plant height.

[0013] The present invention also provides a protein that regulates maize plant height, the protein being encoded by the gene described above, and the amino acid sequence of the protein being shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.

[0014] This invention also provides a molecular marker for detecting maize plant height, wherein the molecular marker SNP1-206,628,704 is located 3801 bp downstream of the gene; when the genotype of SNP1-206,628,704 is CC, the maize exhibits the dwarf trait; when the genotype changes to AA, the maize exhibits the dominant trait of tall (suitable height).

[0015] The present invention also provides a product for detecting the aforementioned molecular marker, the product comprising reagents, kits, or gene chips. The product detects the genotype of the molecular marker, or detects the expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene.

[0016] As a further description of the above scheme: the product includes products prepared using PCR, qPCR, Sanger sequencing, high-throughput sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization, TaqMan probe method, ARMS-PCR method or KASP method, for detecting the genotype of the molecular marker.

[0017] This invention also provides applications of the aforementioned gene, protein, or molecular marker, wherein the applications include any one of the following:

[0018] a) Evaluation of genetic diversity of maize plant height based on haplotype analysis of SNP1-206,628,704 loci;

[0019] b) Construction of a molecular genetic map integrating the expression levels of SNP1-206,628,704 loci and / or Zm00001eb038700 gene;

[0020] c) Genome-wide association analysis of maize plant height was performed using SNP1-206,628,704 loci and their linkage markers;

[0021] d) Identify dwarf maize varieties by detecting the genotypes of SNP1-206,628,704 loci and / or the haplotype of the Zm00001eb038700 gene;

[0022] e) Molecular marker-assisted selection breeding based on SNP1-206,628,704 sites and / or associated haplotypes;

[0023] f) Maize plant height breeding using SNP1-206,628,704 as genomic selection markers;

[0024] g) Gene editing breeding that targets SNP1-206,628,704 sites and / or regulates the expression of the Zm00001eb038700 gene.

[0025] This invention also provides a method for regulating maize plant height, wherein the method alters the gene editing target site using gene editing technology, and the gene editing target site is selected from:

[0026] SNP1-206, 628, 704 sites, the promoter region of the Zm00001eb038700 gene, or the coding region of the Zm00001eb038700 gene.

[0027] This invention also provides a method for polymer breeding of maize plants, comprising the following steps:

[0028] (1) Detect the genotype of SNP1-206,628,704 loci in the maize sample to be tested;

[0029] (2) Detect the expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene;

[0030] (3) Combine SNP genotype and gene expression data to screen maize varieties with the target plant height trait.

[0031] This invention also provides a maize plant height prediction model, which establishes a multiple linear regression equation based on the expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene and the genotypes of SNP1-206,628,704 loci, to predict the maize plant height phenotype.

[0032] This invention utilizes the short-statured temperate maize inbred line Ye107 as a common male parent, and crosses it with one temperate and four tropical / subtropical maize inbred lines as female parents to construct a multi-parental maize population with significant differences in plant height. Genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) located SNP 1-206,628,704 on chromosome 1, which is significantly associated with plant height. This locus explains 3.57% of the phenotypic variation in plant height. From this locus, the functional gene Zm00001eb038700, which regulates maize plant height, was identified. qRT-PCR results showed that this gene is highly expressed in maize internodes, demonstrating its strong correlation with maize plant height regulation. Therefore, the results of this invention provide technical support for molecular marker-assisted breeding of high-yielding maize varieties with suitable plant architecture.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] 1. A novel gene regulating plant height

[0035] Gene function innovation: For the first time, it was discovered that Zm00001eb038700 (encoding C2H2 type zinc finger protein) regulates maize plant height. Unlike known hormone-related genes (such as auxin and gibberellin pathways) or protein modification genes (such as ubiquitin hydrolase), it belongs to a new target of transcriptional regulation.

[0036] 2. Unique molecular marker design

[0037] Innovative marker localization: SNP1-206,628,704 are located 3801 bp downstream of the gene (not inside the gene) and may affect enhancers or remote regulatory elements.

[0038] Haplotype combination application: This invention develops a molecular marker system based on 5 haplotypes (Hap1-Hap5), among which the Hap4 haplotype is significantly associated with tall stalk traits and is more accurate than a single SNP marker.

[0039] 3. Specific applications of tropical maize germplasm

[0040] Ecotype adaptability: This marker performs better in tropical / subtropical maize germplasm, filling a gap in existing technology.

[0041] Environmental stability: The association between SNP sites and phenotype was stable in various environments, including Jinghong and Yanshan in Yunnan Province (PVE was 3.57%).

[0042] 4. Multi-level technology integration

[0043] Composite detection system: It can combine SNP genotype, haplotype analysis and gene expression level to predict plant height. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 A pedigree of NAM populations with significant differences in plant height was constructed by crossing four tropical / subtropical tall parents and one temperate dwarf parent, Chang7-2, with the superior temperate dwarf parent, Ye107.

[0045] Figure 2 Scatter plots showing the frequency distribution and correlation matrix of plant height phenotype in multi-parent populations under three different environments;

[0046] Figure 3 For (A) SNP label density heatmap; (B) phylogenetic tree of multi-parent population; (C) three-dimensional principal component analysis (PCA); (D) linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay plot;

[0047] Figure 4 Manhattan plot (left) and QQ plot (right) for analyzing significant SNPs related to maize plant height using GWAS under different environments; (A) 21 Jinghong environment, (B) 22 Yanshan environment and (C) 23 Yanshan environment (D) Significant SNPs related to maize plant height under best linear unbiased predictive analysis (BLUP);

[0048] Figure 5 The diagram shows the five haplotypes of the candidate gene Zm00001eb038700 for plant height. (A) represents the five haplotypes of the candidate gene Zm00001eb038700; (B) represents the distribution of the five haplotypes of the candidate gene Zm00001eb038700 in five RILs subgroups and their differences in regulating maize plant height, * indicates p < 0.05, ** indicates p < 0.01; (C) depicts the relative positions of the candidate gene Zm00001eb038700 and SNPs-206,628,704.

[0049] Figure 6 The relative expression levels of the Zm00001eb038700 gene at different stages; A represents the growth and development dynamics of the 7th intersegment of the five parents at four stages (V8, V14, VT, R3); B represents the relative expression levels of the Zm00001eb038700 gene in the five parents. The symbol ** indicates significance when P < 0.005, *** indicates significance when P < 0.001, and ns indicates no significant difference. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To further illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the Zm00001eb038700 gene for regulating maize plant height and its application provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] This invention provides the Zm00001eb038700 gene that regulates maize plant height. The nucleotide sequence of the Zm00001eb038700 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO:1.

[0052] The corresponding genome version is Zm-B73-REFERENCE-NAM-5.0, specifically bases 206614407-206626403 on chromosome 1 of maize. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by this gene is shown in SEQ ID NO: 2. This protein encodes a conserved C2H2 type zinc finger protein, Bud20, which may directly or indirectly regulate auxin synthesis, transport, or signal transduction, thereby affecting the distribution and accumulation of auxin in the stem, and consequently regulating internode elongation and plant height. SNP1-206,628,704 represents the physical location (base position 206,628,704) of this SNP on chromosome 1 of the maize reference genome (B73 RefGen_v5).

[0053] Example 1: Plant height phenotypic analysis

[0054] Plant materials: A population of 917 RILs was constructed by crossing the temperate dwarf inbred line Ye107 with five tropical / subtropical / temperate inbred lines (YML32, CML171, TML418, NK40-1, and Chang7-2) with the common male parent. Parental information is shown in Table 1.

[0055] Table 1 Parental Information

[0056]

[0057] Figure 1 A multi-parent population consisting of five subpopulations—Population 1 (YML32×Ye107), Population 2 (CML171×Ye102), Population 3 (TML418×Ye102), Population 4 (NK40-1×Ye107), and Population 5 (Chang7-2×Ye107)—constructed together contained a total of 917 F8 RILs. The distribution was as follows: Population 1 (173), Population 2 (190), Population 3 (176), Population 4 (180), and Population 5 (198). The parents and recombinant inbred lines from these multi-parent populations were then planted.

[0058] Planting environment: Jinghong (552.7m above sea level) in 2021 and Yanshan (1572m above sea level) in 2022-2023. A randomized block design was used with 3 biological replicates.

[0059] The experiment employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three biological replicates per environment. Each experimental plot had a row length of 3.5 meters, a row spacing of 70 centimeters, a plant spacing of 25 centimeters, and 14 plants per row. Twenty days after flowering, 5-10 plants were randomly selected from each plot to measure the plant height (PH) from the ground to the tip of the tassel, expressed in centimeters (cm).

[0060] Heredity analysis

[0061] After systematically organizing and quality-controlling the phenotypic data collected over three consecutive years, statistical analysis was performed on the data using SPSS (SPSS Statistics 26). This included calculating the mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), skewness, and kurtosis, and using kurtosis and skewness to assess the normality of the phenotypic data. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and the creation of correlation graphs were performed using Origin (Origin 2022) software. Generalized heritability was calculated following the method of Knapp et al.

[0062] Experimental Results: Preliminary statistical analysis of plant height phenotypic data from five RILs (Recombinant Inbred Lines) populations revealed significant differences in plant height between all maternal parents (156.0-216.0 cm) and the paternal parent Ye 107 (155.0 cm). The RILs populations also exhibited wide phenotypic variation in plant height. Figure 1 Descriptive statistics of plant height phenotypic data for the five RILs populations are shown in Table 2. Frequency distribution analysis of the plant height phenotypic data showed that the absolute values ​​of skewness and kurtosis of all populations in different environments were less than 1, conforming to the characteristics of a normal distribution (Table 2 and ). Figure 2 This satisfies the prerequisites for quantitative trait genetic analysis. The broad-sense heritability of plant height in populations 1-5 were 97.9%, 96.9%, 98.3%, 97.5%, and 96.2%, respectively. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis (p < 0.05 significance level) showed a highly significant positive correlation (0.94-0.97) between plant height of RILs in the same population across the three different environments. Figure 2 This indicates that maize plant height is mainly regulated by genetic factors and is less affected by the environment.

[0063] Table 2. Descriptive statistical analysis of plant height in multi-parental populations

[0064]

[0065] Note: 21 Jinghong, 22 Yanshan, and 23 Yanshan represent the experiments conducted in Jinghong in 2021 and in Yanshan in 2022 and 2023, respectively. H 2 : Broadly defined heritability.

[0066] Example 2: SNP density distribution, phylogenetic tree analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and linkage disequilibrium analysis

[0067] DNA extraction and genome sequencing

[0068] Genomic DNA was first extracted from F8 RILs maize seedlings using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. DNA purity was assessed using a nanophotometer (IMPLEN, CA, USA), and DNA concentration was measured using the Qubit™ DNA Assay Kit and a Qubit 2.0 fluorometer (Life Technologies, USA, Grand Island, NY, USA). For library preparation, 1.5 µg of high-quality DNA was processed from each sample using the TruSeq NanoDNA HT Sample Preparation Kit (Illumina, USA). DNA fragmentation to an average size of 350 bp was performed by sonication, followed by end repair, 3′ adenylation, and Illumina adapter ligation. Adapter-ligated DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the resulting library was purified using the AMPure XP system. Fragment size distribution was validated using an Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer, and quantification was performed by qT-PCR. Sequencing was performed on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, producing 150 bp paired-end sequencing data with an insert length of 350 bp. Raw sequencing data underwent quality control (QC) filtering. The clean reads were aligned with the reference genome B73 (RefGen_v5) using BWA (Burrows-Wheeler Aligner) software to identify all genome-wide genetic variations. SNPs were then retrieved using Genome Analysis Toolkit software, with PLINK v1.9 used to filter SNPs. SNPs with a deletion rate greater than 10% and a minimum allele frequency (MAF) less than 5% were removed. Finally, the selected SNPs were functionally annotated using ANNOVAR software.

[0069] Phylogenetic tree, PCA and linkage disequilibrium analysis

[0070] The distance matrix was calculated using the maximum parsimony (MP) method to construct a phylogenetic tree. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using GCTA software, and cluster analysis was conducted using the GAPIT package in R software. The PCA results were then visualized using scatter plots. The linkage disequilibrium (r) between pairwise SNP markers across the entire genome was calculated using PopLDdecay software. 2 The LD attenuation analysis results were visualized using the software's built-in script, Plot_OnePop.pl. Based on the LD attenuation pattern, the required number of markers for GWAS and its detection efficiency were further evaluated.

[0071] Experimental Results: A whole-genome scan of maize using WGS technology identified 6,389,682 high-quality SNPs distributed across all 10 chromosomes. The SNP marker density heatmap showed that the number of SNPs on chromosomes 1-10 were 891,814, 699,810, 717,023, 880,707, 669,104, 485,237, 564,060, 545,295, 473,708, and 462,924, respectively. Chromosome 1 had the highest number of SNPs, while chromosome 10 had the lowest. Figure 3 A). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the phylogenetic tree constructed using the neighbor-joining method could be divided into 5 significantly different subpopulations ( Figure 3 B). The results of PCA are highly consistent with phylogenetic classification, showing five distinct subgroups ( Figure 3 C). Using 6,389,682 high-quality SNPs for LD attenuation analysis, it was found that when r 2 When the LD decays to a plateau threshold of 0.3, the physical distance of LD decay is approximately 20 kb. Figure 3 (D). Based on this characteristic, this invention screens candidate genes within a 20 kb range upstream and downstream of significant SNPs. These results indicate that further genome-wide association analysis can be performed.

[0072] Example 3 Genome-wide association analysis

[0073] After sequencing with Illumina NovaSeq 6000, the BAM files were processed, and then a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PH was conducted using a mixed linear model (MLM) in GEMMA software. During GWAS analysis, individual kinship and population stratification were the main factors causing false positives. Therefore, this study used MLM for marker-trait association analysis, treating population genetic structure as a fixed effect and individual kinship as a random effect to correct for the influence of population structure and individual kinship. Minor allele frequency (MAF) > 5% and r were used as the marker-trait association factors. 2SNPs associated with pH were screened using a plink-indep-pairwise parameter of <0.2. The statistical significance threshold of -log10(p) > 6 was calculated using the formula −log10(1 / total number of SNPs), and SNPs significantly associated with pH were identified based on this threshold. Quantile-quantile (QQ) plots and Manhattan plots were then generated using R software (v4.3.3). Significant SNPs were further screened using Bed Tools v1.7. Finally, based on the B73 v5 reference genome and annotation information, candidate genes associated with pH were identified within a 20kb range upstream and downstream of significant SNPs.

[0074] Experimental Results: Based on the phenotypic data of 917 F8 RILs and 6,389,682 high-quality SNPs in a multi-parental population, GWAS analysis was performed using a mixed linear model (MLM). Under the significance threshold of −log10(p) > 6, several SNPs significantly associated with pH were detected. Among them, SNPs 1–206,628,704 were detected in all environments (21 Jinghong, 22 Yanshan, 23 Yanshan, and BLUP), and the p-values ​​of SNPs 1–206,628,704 were relatively high, ranging from 6.67 to 8.07, with a PVE (phenotypic variation explained) of 2.31%–3.57%. These SNP sites provide important clues for further exploration of candidate genes regulating maize pH in this invention. SNP1-206,628,704 indicates that this SNP is located at the 206,628,704th base site on chromosome 1 in the maize reference genome (B73 RefGen_v5).

[0075] Example 4: Identification and Functional Annotation of Candidate Genes

[0076] Based on GWAS analysis and LD decay results, SNPs significantly associated with pH were identified. The physical location of SNPs was located using the BLAST function in Maize GDB. Candidate genes were mined within a 20kb range upstream and downstream of significant SNPs. Functional annotation of the selected candidate genes was performed using the NCBI, Maize GDB, Inter Pro, and UniProt databases, thereby identifying SNP sites and candidate genes significantly associated with maize pH.

[0077] Experimental results: This study used B73 - RefGen -The v5 reference genome was used to screen for candidate genes regulating maize pH within a 20kb range upstream and downstream of significant SNPs 1-206, 628, 704, and functional annotation of these candidate genes was performed using databases such as Maize GDB, InterPro, UniProt, and NCBI. This invention identified the candidate functional gene Zm00001eb038700 on chromosome 1. Specifically, gene Zm00001eb038700 is located 3801 bp upstream of SNPs 1-206, 628, 704. Figure 5 (C) The sequence of the gene Zm00001eb038700 is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1. The Zm00001eb038700 gene encodes a conserved C2H2 type zinc finger protein Bud20. Zinc finger proteins are a protein superfamily with a typical zinc ion binding domain, which can specifically recognize and bind nucleic acids and play an important regulatory role in plant growth, development and environmental adaptation.

[0078] Example 5: Haplotype analysis of candidate gene Zm00001eb038700

[0079] Haplotype analysis was performed on the selected candidate genes using Haploview V4.2 software. Significant haplotype blocks were identified based on LD analysis, and the candidates were grouped and compared according to the plant height phenotypic data corresponding to each haplotype. Haplotype-phenotype correlation box plots were plotted using the ggplot2 package in R software (V4.3.3), and the significance of phenotypic differences between different haplotypes was evaluated.

[0080] Experimental results: Haplotype analysis was performed on the candidate gene Zm00001eb038700, which was identified by GWAS analysis under different environments. Figure 5 The Zm00001eb038700 gene exhibits five haplotypes at base positions 206615938, 206615941, 206616123, 206616156, 206616181, 206616210, 206617611, 206617660, 206617686, and 206617726. Figure 5 A):

[0081] Hap1: ACTGGCTTGG;

[0082] Hap2: ACCGGCCCTG;

[0083] Hap3:GCCGATCCTG;

[0084] Hap4: ATCTACCCGG;

[0085] Hap5: ATCTACCCGA. Among them, the plant height of families with Hap4 was significantly higher than that of families with other haplotypes. Figure 5 B), which is therefore considered to be a favorable haplotype of the Zm00001eb038700 gene.

[0086] Example 6: Relative expression analysis of candidate gene Zm00001eb038700 in parents

[0087] This invention samples were taken from the middle of the 7th internode of five parent lines at four developmental stages: the 8-leaf stage (V8), the rapid growth stage (V14), the tasseling stage (VT), and the milk stage (R3). Figure 6 A). Total RNA was extracted using the Tiangen RNAprep Pure Plant Kit, and genomic DNA removal and cDNA synthesis were performed using the FastKing RT Kit (With gDNase). The relative expression levels of four candidate genes in five parental lines were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) using the Tiangen SuperReal PreMix Plus (SYBR Green) kit (Tiangen, Beijing). Maize actin 1 (Actin) was used as an internal control gene. The qRT-PCR procedure and system were strictly performed according to the standardized protocol used by Bi et al. Three technical replicates were set up for each sample, and... The method calculates the relative expression level of genes.

[0088] Experimental Results: To investigate the regulatory effect of candidate gene Zm00001eb038700 on maize pH, qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression patterns of five parents at four different developmental stages of maize. Internode length measurements showed that the internode length of parent NK 40-1 was the longest at all stages, while Ye 107 maintained the shortest. Figure 6 A). Therefore, this invention uses the dwarf parent Ye107 as a reference. Analysis results show that the expression level of gene Zm00001eb038700 in parents YML 32, CML 171, TML 418, and NK40-1 significantly increased from V8 to V14, with V14 being the most critical period for stem growth and development. Furthermore, the relative expression level of gene Zm00001eb038700 in NK 40-1 and CML171 was significantly higher than that in YML 32 and TML 418. Figure 6 B). This expression pattern is consistent with the plant height phenotypic distribution trend of NK 40-1 and CML 171, suggesting that the gene Zm00001eb038700 may have a positive regulatory effect on maize plant height.

[0089] The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by the Zm00001eb038700 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO: 2. The protein encodes a conserved C2H2 type zinc finger protein Bud20. Zinc finger proteins are a protein superfamily with a typical zinc ion binding domain. They can specifically recognize and bind to nucleic acids and may also directly or indirectly regulate auxin synthesis, transport, or signal transduction, thereby affecting the distribution and accumulation of auxin in the stem, and thus regulating internode elongation and plant height.

[0090] Although the above embodiments have provided a detailed description of the present invention, they are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. People can obtain other embodiments based on these embodiments without creative effort, and these embodiments all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The application of a kit for detecting haplotype Hap4 of the Zm00001eb038700 gene in maize for the identification or breeding of tall maize, characterized in that, The Zm00001eb038700 gene corresponds to bases 206614407-206626403 on chromosome 1 of maize in the genome version Zm-B73-REFERENCE-NAM-5.0; wherein the haplotype Hap4 corresponds to bases A, T, C, T, A, C, C, C, G and G at positions 206615938, 206615941, 206616123, 206616156, 206616181, 206616210, 206617611, 206617660, 206617686 and 206617726 in the maize Zm00001eb038700 gene.

2. Use of Zm00001eb038700 gene expression level in predicting or screening for tall corn, characterized in that, The Zm00001eb038700 gene sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; the relative expression level of the gene in the internode tissue during the V14 stage of rapid growth in maize is positively correlated with plant height.

3. A method of molecular breeding of a high stalk line of maize, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step (1) Provide maize breeding populations to be screened or improved; Step (2) Perform the following tests on individual plants in the population: (i) Detect the haplotype of the Zm00001eb038700 gene and screen for single plants carrying the haplotype Hap4 as described in claim 1; and / or (ii) During the rapid growth period V14, the relative expression level of the Zm00001eb038700 gene in internode tissues was detected, and individual plants with high relative expression levels of this gene were screened. Step (3) Use the individual plants selected in step (2) for subsequent breeding to cultivate new maize lines with increased plant height; The Zm00001eb038700 gene sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or at bases 206614407-206626403 on chromosome 1 of maize in the corresponding genome version Zm-B73-REFERENCE-NAM-5.

0.

4. Use of a kit for detecting a SNP of maize chromosome 1 in a genome-wide association study of plant height in maize; characterized in that, The SNP is located at the 206,628,704th base site on chromosome 1 in the maize reference genome B73 RefGen_v5. When the genotype at the base site is CC, maize exhibits the dwarf trait; when the genotype at the base site changes to AA, maize exhibits the tall trait.

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