Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter vol 84 2010

Please Note: Notes submitted to the Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter may be cited only with consent of authors.

A new mutable allele of vp1.

‑‑Stinard, PS

A viviparous kernel mutant with large revertant sectors of aleurone color on a colorless background was found segregating on the selfed ear of a colored aleurone Spm‑w line (genotype [M14/W22 ACR X a1 Spm‑w Sh2; wx1] selfed). Colored nonviviparous kernels from this ear were planted, and the resulting plants selfed and outcrossed to vp1‑Mc and wx1‑m8::Spm‑I8 testers. This mutant was found to be allelic to vp1, and has been named vp1‑Pookie for the person who identified it. All plants segregating for sectored viviparous kernels segregated for sectored kernels in outcrosses to the vp1 tester; all such plants also happened to carry wx1. However, none of the outcrosses of these same plants to the wx1‑m8 tester segregated for waxy mutable kernels; all waxy kernels were stable, indicating that Spm is not responsible for the aleurone sectoring observed in vp1‑Pookie. Tests will be conducted with receptor alleles for other transposable element systems in order to determine the cause of mutability.