RESTORING IN MAJOR CROPS THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOUNDS ELIMINATED WHILE MAKING AGRICULTURE MORE SUITED FOR MASSIVE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION REQUIRES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERLYING METABOLIC PATHWAYS AND THEIR REGULATION. MAIZE LINES USED FOR PRODUCTION AND/OR BREEDING LACK THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-CANCER FLAVONES APIGENIN AND LUTEOLIN. HOWEVER, MOST MAIZE LINES ACCUMULATE SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF THESE COMPOUNDS AS C-GLYCOSYL CONJUGATES THAT, IN SILKS, PROVIDE POWERFUL PROTECTION AGAINST THE CORN EARWORM, BUT WHICH ARE UNAVAILABLE AS NUTRIENTS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD ON OUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF HOW MAIZE FLAVONES ARE SYNTHESIZED AND REGULATED TO ENHANCE THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF MAIZE SEEDS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE PLANTS.

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators