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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Corn Host Plant Resistance Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219963
Title: Generation of gene specific markers associated with aflatoxin resistance in maize

Author
item MYLROIE, J - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
item KELLEY, R - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
item Brooks, Thomas
item Williams, William
item WILKINSON, J - MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/2007
Publication Date: 2/1/2008
Citation: Mylroie, J.E., Kelley, R.Y., Brooks, T.D., Williams, W.P., Wilkinson, J.R. 2008. Generation of gene specific markers associated with aflatoxin resistance in maize [abstract]. Proceedings 2007 Annual Multi-Crop Aflatoxin/Fumonisin Elimination and Fungal Genomics Workshop. p. 96.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aflatoxins are the most potent naturally occurring carcinogens known. These mycotoxins are produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus during infections of maize (corn), peanuts, cotton, and tree nuts. In Mississippi and other southern states, high heat and drought produce the ideal conditions for fungal growth and aflatoxin production in maize. To prevent the devastating health effects of aflatoxins these contaminate crops are destroyed, resulting in a large economic burden for southern farmers. Thus, the prevention of aflatoxin contamination in corn is of vital economic and health importance. Generation of maize lines resistant to aflatoxin accumulation is one of the most promising avenues of research; however, lack of gene-specific markers for resistance has hampered these efforts. Microarray studies of resistant (Mp313E) and susceptible (Va35) maize infected with A. flavus NRRL 3357 identified 234 genes that showed differential expression. By mapping these 234 genes to aflatoxin resistance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) of Mp313E, a subset of 25 genes have been selected for further study. These genes are being analyzed in numerous maize lines using the Roche LightCycler 480 to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Identified SNP are being used to generate gene specific markers capable of discriminating between the resistant and susceptible maize genotypes. These gene-specific primers will be a valuable tool in the introgression of resistance into elite production lines.