Cytoplasmic male sterility in maize

Abstract
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a genetic event in plants in which the mitochondria
carry genes that cause male sterility. This leads to the inability of plants to produce
functional pollen and results in infertility. CMS is inherited maternally, meaning that it is
passed down from the mother plant to its offspring through the cytoplasm. The mechanism
behind CMS involves the interplay between the mitochondrial genome and nuclear genes.
CMS-T, CMS-S, and CMS-C systems have been identified in maize and are distinguished by
their responses to restorers, mitochondrial DNA restriction digest patterns, and
complements.plasmids with low molecular weight CMS has been widely used in plant
breeding to produce hybrid seeds with desirable traits through careful crossing of male-
sterile plants with fertile plants. However, careful management is required to prevent the
male-sterile plants from contaminating other plants in the field. Overall, CMS is a powerful
tool for plant breeding that allows for the production of hybrid plants with desirable traits.

Keywords
Cytoplasm, infertility, offspring, cytoplasmic male sterility, plant breeding.

Introduction
Corn, often known as maize (Zea mays), is a cereal grain that is widely grown all over the
world. It is a significant staple crop in many nations, especially in the Americas where it has
been grown for many centuries. CMS maize, also known as cytoplasmic male sterile maize,
is a kind of maize utilised in the generation of hybrid seeds. CMS maize plants are sterile,
which means they are unable to produce viable pollen. As a result, they cannot cross-
pollinate with other plants or create viable pollen on their own. They are therefore perfect
for use in creating hybrid seeds, which are created by crossing them with a male viable
plant.

Cytoplasmic genes, which are inherited from the maternal parent, regulate the CMS
characteristic. This indicates that only the offspring of female plants that have CMS
cytoplasm express CMS characteristics. By enabling the creation of high-yielding hybrid
maize varieties that are compatible with regional growing circumstances, CMS maize has
transformed the process of breeding corn. The introduction of CMS maize has also
enhanced disease resistance, decreased reliance on pesticides and fertilisers, and raised
yields, making it a crucial tool for sustainable agriculture.
CMS phenotype is caused by nuclear and cytoplasmic genome incompatibility (Ruiz and
Daniell, 2005) and is an importance instrument in the development of hybrid seeds.
Controlling male sterility in the cytoplasm has substantial logistical and financial advantages
in the generation of hybrid seeds. [Mackenzie,2004]

History of cytoplasmic male sterility in maize

A kind of male sterility brought on by the interplay of nuclear and cytoplasmic genes is
known as CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility) in maize. Researchers looking into maize
originally found this occurrence in the 1950s. Male plants with maize CMS are unable to
make functional pollen, which is required for fertilisation and seed formation. This results
from a genetic interaction between the cytoplasmic genes inherited from the female parent
and the nuclear DNA of the male plant. Researchers learned how to use the CMS feature in
maize breeding programmes in the 1960s to create hybrid maize seeds with higher yield and
quality traits. In order to create hybrid seeds that had higher yield and quality attributes, a
male father with CMS had to be crossed with a female parent who had normal fertility.

Types of CMS in maize

N (normal), C (Charrua), T (Texas), and S (USDA) are the four main varieties of cytoplasm,
which are characterised by varying expressions of sterility in response to various stimuli. Rf
genes (Laughanan, 1975), mitochondrial DNA restriction digest patterns (Pring and Levings,
1978), and low MW plasmid complements (Kemble and Bedrock, 1980).

While testcrossing is the most accurate way of categorising maize cytoplasms, it is labor-
and time-intensive (Liu et al., 2002). Several plant species have mitochondrial DNA that
contains CMS mutations (Schnable and Wise, 1998). In order to discriminate between the
main types of maize cytoplasm, numerous mitochondrial features, including genome
structure and gene expression, have been used (Levings and Pring, 1977).

CMS –T
In the Texas Agricultural Experimental Station, Rogers and Edwardson (1952) made the
initial discovery of T-cytoplasm in the Mexican OPV "Golden June". Lack of anther exertion,
pollen abortion, and a large percentage of binucleate cells are characteristics that set it
apart from other species (Roy and Sarkar, 1991).

One of the most often employed forms of CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility) in maize
breeding programmes is T-cytoplasm. When a dominant nuclear gene is present, it is
controlled by a mitochondrial gene and results in the production of male-sterile plants. To
create hybrid maize seeds, the CMS-T method is employed. The male-sterile line in the CMS-
T system carries the male sterility dominant gene as well as T-cytoplasm (T-URF13).
Normally s cyto (t-urf13). Because they have one copy of the dominant T-URF13 gene, the
F1 hybrid plants produced by crossing these two lines will have normal cytoplasm and be
male-fertile. . However, the male-sterile phenotype will manifest when the F1 plants are
selfed or crossed with another plant that also bears the T-cytoplasm because of the
connection between the T-cytoplasm and the T-URF13 gene (Williams et al., 1992).

This is due to the presence of a mitochondrial gene in the T-cytoplasm, which when
combined with the T-URF13 gene, results in a protein that renders male sterility. Breeders
can create hybrid maize seeds with better yield and quality features than the parental lines
by utilising the CMS-T method. This is because the F1 plants have hybrid vigour, which
comes from the interactions between the parental genomes that complement one another.
By increasing maize productivity and yield, the CMS-T system has made a substantial
contribution to world food security.

CMS-S
CMS-S (cytoplasmic male sterility S-cytoplasm) is another type of cytoplasmic male sterility
system that is used in maize breeding. In CMS-S, male-sterile plants carry the S-cytoplasm,
which is controlled by the S-type cytoplasmic male sterility factor, while the maintainer lines
carry normal cytoplasm and restore male fertility in the hybrid progeny.The CMS-S system is
based on a mitochondrial gene known as the S-type cytoplasmic male sterility factor, which
causes male sterility in the presence of the S-cytoplasm. The S-type cytoplasmic male
sterility factor is different from the T-URF13 gene in CMS-T, which causes male sterility in
the presence of the T-cytoplasm. . A search was made for different cytoplasmic groups that
could induce male sterility because T-susceptibility cytoplasm to B. maydis was known.
Jenkins from the USDA was the first to identify S-cytoplasm in a Teopod maize strain
(Gracen et al., 1979).

The most typical sources of CMS include Ca, F, G, H, I, IA, J, K, L, F, M, ME, ML, MY, PS, R, SD,
TA, VG, and W cytoplasm (Gracen et al., 1979).

Small, low MW plasmids S1 and S2 distinguish the mitochondrial genomes in S cytoplasm.

S1 measures 6.4 kbp, while S2 measures 5.4 kbp (Paillard et al., 1985).

In the CMS-S system, the maintainer lines carry a nuclear gene that suppresses the
expression of the S-type cytoplasmic male sterility factor, thus restoring male fertility in the
hybrid progeny. The maintainer lines must be crossed with the male-sterile lines carrying
the S-cytoplasm to produce the hybrid progeny. Because it is simple to maintain the male-
sterile and maintainer lines and the hybrid offspring display high yield and quality traits, the
CMS-S method is frequently utilised in maize breeding. The CMS-S technique is helpful for
creating novel maize varieties that are adaptable to various environmental circumstances,
resistant to diseases and pests, and improved at withstanding drought.

CMS-C
One of the most desirable sources of male sterility for the development of hybrid maize is
CMS-C, which is resistant to B. maydis. It was found in the Brazilian maize variety Charrua by
Beckett (1971), and it contains RB, E1, EL, ES, BB, and Bb sources (Pring et al., 1980).

Its restoration is thought to be caused by three or more nuclear genes, according to

Josephson et al. (1978), however that study also included incomplete restorers (Rf4, Rf5 and
Rf6). There was just one dominant restorer Rf4 on chromosome 8, according to Pour et al.
(1981) and Newton (1983).

Male-sterile plants in maize with CMS-C (cytoplasmic male sterility C-cytoplasm) carry the C-
cytoplasm, which is regulated by the C-type cytoplasmic male sterility factor. Male fertility is
restored in the hybrid offspring by the maintainer lines, which have healthy cytoplasm. The
nuclear Rf (restorer of fertility) genes, which suppress the production of the C-type
cytoplasmic male sterility factor in the male-sterile plants bearing the C-cytoplasm, are in
charge of restoring male fertility in CMS-C.The Rf genes in CMS-C are important for
maintaining the stability and effectiveness of the CMS-C system in maize breeding. The
selection of maintainer lines with the appropriate Rf genes is critical for ensuring the
remake of male fertility in the hybrid progeny.

Conclusion
Maize is a staple crop that is widely grown and consumed around the world. One of the
challenges facing maize production is the presence of the maize chlorotic mottle virus
(MCMV), which can significantly reduce yields.Control measures for MCMV include cultural
practices such as crop rotation, the use of virus-free seeds, and the removal of infected
plants. In addition, there are genetic approaches such as developing MCMV-resistant maize
varieties through conventional breeding or genetic engineering.

For the purpose of creating hybrid seed, cytoplasmic male sterility may be used in some
aesthetic species or in species where the vegetative portion has commercial value. Yet, it is
useless in crop plants where seed is the main source of income because the hybrid offspring
would be male sterile.

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