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Association of Zein Body Classification with Lysine Content of Corn (Zea mays L.) Endosperm¹

Opaque-2 kernels from converted lines of corn (Zea mays L.) in different background genotypes have shown varying degrees of soft and hard starch. Selection of the hard-translucent-vitreous kernel types should alleviate some of the production problems associated with opaque-2 hybrids. However, not all translucent kernels are high in lysine. In this study, we determined an abundance of zein bodies by microscopic examination of endosperm tissue and determined their relationship with lysine content.

We found 12 out of 95 ears with normal-translucent-vitreous kernels, presumably opaque-2, that were nearly void of zein bodies. These 12 ears had lysine values equal to those of opaque-2. We classified 4 kernels from each of the 95 ears for abundance of zein bodies and found a significant negative correlation coefficient of –0.65 between zein body classification and lysine content. Zein body number was positively correlated (0.40) with the alcohol-soluble protein (zein). Each kernel that was void of zein bodies was salvaged for production of a plant. Microscopic examination of endosperm tissue for the absence of zein bodies appears to be an effective method for identifying normal appearing kernels with high-lysine.

Key Words: Protein quality • Endosperm morphology

² Graduate Assistant; Professor and Associate Director of the Division of Biological Sciences; Research Agronomist, ARS, USDA and Professor of Agronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201.

Received for publication February 22, 1973.