--Shehalata B. Allagikar, S. E. Pawar and N. K. Notani

We reported a case of somatic instability for aleurone color in a local maize (MNL 61:26) (Fig. 1). Testcrosses with recessive anthocyanin markers (a, a2, c1, c2 or r) and with a local A C R stock suggested that the instability is at C-I, on the short arm of chromosome 9. The plants raised from the dotted kernels after selfing showed segregation in an approximate ratio of 1 colored:2 dotted:1 colorless, indicating that the mottling is expressed in heterozygous state (C-Im/C).

Figure 1.

Genetic tests were conducted to detect the presence of transposable elements in the unstable lines with Ac and En testers. Results obtained indicated the presence of En.

To detect the presence of En at the DNA level, genomic blots were prepared using DNA extracted from dotted kernels. This DNA was cut with the restriction enzyme EcoR1. The plasmid containing En element, provided to us by Prof. Dr. H. Saedler, was also cut with EcoR1. A 3kb fragment was isolated and used as a probe. Southern hybridization revealed an intense hybridizing signal at 3kb position indicating the presence of En element.

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