The discovery of a regulatory gene that underpins cellular development, nutrient metabolism and stress responses in the starchy part of corn kernels could help plant breeders develop more agronomically favourable crops.

A team that included researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences mapped the gene responsible for the small and cloudy endosperm tissue in the kernels of a mutant variety of maize. The tissue is the part of the seed that acts as a food store for the developing plant embryo, and also provides the bulk of the calories when the plant is grown for food.

This gene, dubbed opaque11, encodes a regulatory protein that controls the activity of hundreds of other genes involved in commercially relevant processes such as sugar and protein synthesis and storage. The finding could inform future maize-breeding programs for food crops, animal feed and fuel.