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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #134238

Title: A WHEAT DNA FRAGMENT EXHIBITS REDUCED POLLEN TRANSMISSION IN TRANSGENIC MAIZE

Author
item Scott, Marvin
item SANGTONG, VARAPORN - ISU
item MORAN, DANIEL - MONSANTO

Submitted to: Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2002
Publication Date: 3/14/2002
Citation: SCOTT, M.P., SANGTONG, V., MORAN, D. A WHEAT DNA FRAGMENT EXHIBITS REDUCED POLLEN TRANSMISSION IN TRANSGENIC MAIZE. MAIZE GENETICS CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS. 2002. http://www.maizegdb.org/cgi-bin/displayrefrecord.cgi?id=641905.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An 8.2 kb fragment of wheat genomic DNA containing the Glu1-Dx5 gene has been transferred to maize using biolistic transformation. The Glu1-Dx5 gene encodes the 1Dx5 high molecular weight glutenin subunit, a seed storage protein associated with good bread making properties. The transgenic maize plants accumulate a novel protein that is immunologically related to 1Dx5 and is similar in size to this protein. This protein is found in maize endosperm, and not in other tissues examined. Surprisingly, in all three events studied, this transgene is transmitted very poorly if at all through the pollen of transgenic maize. In order to understand the mechanism of this poor pollen transmission, we have designed a series of chimeric constructs containing portions of the wheat DNA fragment in combination with the maize 27 kDa gamma zein gene. A construct in which the promoter of the 27 kDa gamma zein gene is fused to the 1Dx5 coding sequence and 3í non-coding sequences exhibits normal pollen transmission. This suggests that sequences responsible for the unusual pollen transmission of the wheat DNA fragment lie in the 1Dx5 promoter or upstream of this sequence.