Transcriptomic dissection of gene functions in the stigmatic silks of maize across genetic, environmental and developmental contexts

Silks are the extraordinarily long stigmatic organs in corn that transition from well-protected, husk-encased environments into external, often harsh surroundings for pollen reception. Through a lens of genetic variation, this research documents how gene expression changes along their length and between encased and emerged states, offering a model for how stigmata develop and respond to their environment.

玉米的丝状器官，其非凡之长，为花粉接收而过渡于严密保护、苞叶包裹的环境中，至外部，往往严酷的环境中。本研究透过遗传变异的视角，记录了基因表达在其长度及包裹与露出状态之间的变化，为研究花柱的发展及其对环境的响应提供了模型。