{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T09:08:33Z","timestamp":1788772113064,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788652800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Key R&D Program of Shandong Province","award":["2023LZGC006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023LZGC006"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Leaf angle is a key determinant of plant architecture and yield under high-density planting. Loss of the ligule reduces leaf angle, offering a strategy for breeding compact maize. This study aims to identify the genetic basis of the liguleless mutant jd30 and develop a functional marker for breeding. Methods: The jd30 mutant was phenotypically characterized and compared with the wild type (WT). Genetic analysis was performed using F2 populations. Map-based cloning was conducted with simple sequence repeat (SSR) and insertion\/deletion (InDel) markers. Candidate genes were annotated and sequenced. Allelism tests were performed by crossing jd30 with other lg1 mutants. A Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence (CAPS) marker was developed based on the causal mutation. Results: The jd30 mutant showed complete ligule loss from the V2 stage onward and had a significantly smaller leaf angle than the wild type. The phenotype is controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene, mapped to a 123-kb interval on chromosome 2 containing four candidate genes. A single-base cytosine (C) deletion at nucleotide 522 of ZmLG1 caused a frameshift and premature stop codon. Two other lg1 mutants, 20292 and 29163, carried distinct mutations\u2014a C insertion and multiple base substitutions, respectively. Allelism tests confirmed jd30 as a novel allele of ZmLG1. A co-dominant CAPS marker, M5, was developed to distinguish wild-type and mutant alleles. Conclusions: This study identifies a novel loss-of-function allele of ZmLG1, designated ZmLG1-1, and the M5 marker, providing valuable genetic resources for modifying leaf architecture and improving maize plant compactness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes17091075","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T08:07:06Z","timestamp":1788768426000},"page":"1075","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Novel ZmLG1 Allele as a Genetic Resource for Breeding Compact Plant Architecture in Maize"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yue","family":"Feng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haimo","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shiyi","family":"Zhong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lijing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qingzhi","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shengkun","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Baoshen","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yongzhong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai\u2019an 271018, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1941","article-title":"Advances and prospects of maize cultivation in China","volume":"50","author":"Li","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. 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