UFGT as a measure of Tripsacum dactyloides introgression into maize

Simple techniques for measuring and quantitating introgression offer an opportunity to survey large populations rapidly. Uridine-diphosphoglucose: flavonoid-3-0-glucosyltransferase (UFGT), involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, encoded by the Bz1 locus, fulfills this need. This soluble enzyme can be rapidly extracted and quantitated using HPLC for the analysis.

Seedling tissues extracted from maize, Tripsacum and their F1 hybrids were surveyed for UFGT activity. Quercetin was used as the flavonoid substrate and UDPG was the glucose donor. Tripsacum from several different locations was found to have the active enzyme. The F1 tissue activity appears to have an additive effect when compared to either pure maize or Tripsacum. The following table summarizes the data for maize, Huey, and the maize X Huey hybrid.

Table.

J. B. Bussard, B. Kindiger and R. Larson
 
 

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

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