Identification of Physiological and Biochemical Markers for Rapid Testing of Hybrid Purity in Maize (Zea mays) Hybrids during Seedling Stage
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Authors
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Sukhmanjot Kaur
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Navjyot Kaur
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Damanpreet Kaur
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Sanjula Sharma
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Tarvinder Pal Singh
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Tosh Garg
Keywords:
Esterase,Hybrid, Isozyme, Maize, PolymorphismAbstract
The present study aimed to identify physiological and biochemical markers to assess the hybrid purity of two maize (Zea mays L.)
hybrids, PMH 13 and PMH 14, released by Punjab Agricultural University in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Seeds of the maize hybrid PMH
13, along with its female parent (LM 27) and male parent (LM 17), as well as seeds of hybrid PMH 14 and its female parent (LM 28) and
male parent (LM 29), were obtained from the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
Both hybrids, PMH 13 and PMH 14, exhibited significantly higher germination rates, superior seedling length, increased dry weight
and elevated SVI I and II values, accompanied by a reduced mean germination time compared to their respective parental lines.
Zymograms of superoxide dismutase and esterase revealed polymorphism and thus can be employed to test PMH 13 and PMH 14
hybrid purity. Zymography of peroxidase can be utilized to detect selfed female seed (off types) in PMH 14. Protein profiling of total
soluble proteins revealed one polymorphic polypeptide band in the hybrid corresponding to a polypeptide of 29 kDa in female and
30 kDa in male, which can be used for confirming the hybrid purity of maize hybrid PMH 13. No polymorphic polypeptide band was
observed in hybrid PMH 14. Thus, SDS-PAGE analysis of total soluble proteins cannot be used for testing the hybrid purity of PMH 14
from its off types.
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