Borrowed Gene Helps Maize Adapt to High Elevations, Cold Temperatures.

STEPS researchers Fausto Rodríguez-Zapata and Ruben Rellan-Alvarez in conjunction with NSF investigated the HPC1 gene in maize that modulates chemical process that contribute to flowering time. They learned more about variations in lipids called phospholipids and their role in adaptation to cold, low phosphorus, and the regulation of important processes.