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USDA/ARS/MWA - Soybean/Maize Germplasm, Pathology & Genetics Research Unit & University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign - Department of Crop Sciences |
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S-123 Turner Hall
(217) 333-6631 [phone]
1102 South Goodwin Avenue (217) 333-6064 [fax] Urbana, IL 61801-4798 [email protected] [internet] http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/maize [URL] |
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3,797 seed samples have been supplied in response to 306 requests, for 2001. Of these, a total of 67 requests were received from 18 foreign countries. Approximately 90% of our requests were received by electronic mail or through our order form on the World Wide Web.
We received a collection of the 94 IBM (B73 Mo17 intermated population) recombinant inbred lines from Mike Lee, and other families in that population from Georgia Davis. We received enough quality-tested seeds of each line to distribute immediately.
We have listed more stocks to our �Phenotype Only� category of stocks. These are stocks that have been donated to the COOP over the years, and have been classified according to their mutant phenotype only. For the most part, these stocks have not as yet been allele tested, nor has their gene been located to a chromosome arm. While we expect that most of these will represent new alleles of known loci, some will represent unique, as yet undescribed loci. Over the past few years, some mutants in this class have been mapped and/or allele tested and where appropriate, the now characterized mutant stock was added to our main catalog. We are now listing all of these mutants to give cooperators that are interested in specific traits, easier access to these mutants.
Approximately 9.1 acres of nursery were grown this summer at the Crop Sciences Research & Education Center located at the University of Illinois. Cooler than normal weather inhibited germination and seedling emergence in our second nursery planting, but overall growing conditions were excellent. With additional water supplied by irrigation, we obtained good increases of most stocks grown this year.
Special plantings were made of several categories of stocks:
2. Plantings were also made from donated stocks from the collections of Don Auger (translocated Ac lines), Jack Beckett (B-A translocation lines), Ben and Frances Burr (rd4, various transposon-induced mutants), Ed Coe (various genetic stocks), Greg Doyle (inversions), Guiseppe Gavazzi (lil1 and Sn1 alleles), Scott Hulbert (Rp alleles), Jerry Kermicle (extensive collection of Brink's R1 alleles), Gaylon Krim of the NCRPIS (shrunken kernel mutant), Don McCarty (vp14), Oliver Nelson (bronze1 alleles and other mutants in his collection), Yong-Bao Pan (ba3 and Mn::Uq), Tom Peterson (Ufo1), Mike Scanlon (ns1 ns2), Bill Sheridan (dek mutants and A-A translocations), J. Torné (salt tolerant line), Bill Tracy (bilateral coleoptile mutant), and others. We expect to receive additional accessions of stocks from maize geneticists within the upcoming year.
3. We conducted allelism tests of several categories of mutants with similar phenotype or chromosome location. We found additional alleles of japonica1, pink scutellum1, yellow endosperm1, yellow endosperm8, and albescent1. In this manner, we hope to move stocks from our vast collection of unplaced uncharacterized mutants and integrate them into the main collection.
4. We conducted linkage tests of several mutants that had been placed to chromosome arm using B-A translocations or waxy-marked A-A translocations. More precise locations were determined for inhibitor of r1 and inhibitor of r2.
5. Two acres were devoted to the propagation of the large collection of cytological variants, including A-A translocation stocks and inversions. In this collection is a series of waxy1-marked translocations that are used for mapping unplaced mutants. Over the years, pedigree and classification problems arose during the propagation of these stocks. We were able to sort through the problem ones, and we can now supply good sources proven by linkage tests to include the correct translocated chromosomes. Many additional translocation stocks were tested this last year. Results of these tests will be reported in the next issue of the Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter.
6. Stocks produced from the NSF project "Maize Gene Discovery, Sequencing and Phenotypic Analysis" (see: http://zmdb.iastate.edu/) were grown this summer. Approximately 30% of these represented plants that originally had to be outcrossed, and needed to be selfed to analyze for mutant segregation. The remaining 70% were seed increases that were planted from those families that originally yielded poorly. These increases help to maintain adequate seed stock to fill future requests. Additionally, we grew 3,000 families of this material to screen for new adult plant mutant traits (see below).
We continue to grow a winter nursery of 0.5 acres at the Illinois Crop Improvement Association�s facilities in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. We had an excellent winter crop last year, and all indications are that the crop will perform well this year as well. We plan to continue growing our winter nurseries at this location.
Philip continued his work on characterizing modifiers and inhibitors of certain R1 alleles, inhibitors of Bn1 alleles, and the inheritance and expression of the duplicate factor pairs brn1 brn2 and su3 su4. He is also testing and pedigree searching problematic stocks and mutants that have been reported to have anomalous inheritance patterns, such as the "cytoplasmic glossy" cgl1.
Janet continues with linkage testing and propagation of translocation stocks. She has finished setting up an internal database for the �Phenotype Only� category of stocks beyond those in the Neuffer collection. Of the original approximately 1600 stocks in the collection, 1200 have been recovered and are now listed on our web page as available for distribution. Over the past years ~140 mutants in this class have been allele tested and moved to our main collection of characterized stocks. This collection continues to grow with accessions from maize cooperators and with new mutations we identify each year in our summer growouts.
The NSF project "Maize Gene Discovery, Sequencing and Phenotypic Analysis" has, to date, generated 11,894 stocks that have been sent to the Stock Center. All of these stocks were screened for ear and kernel mutants at the Stock Center; families with ample seed supplies had two samples removed for additional trait screening. The first sample from each family was sent to UC Berkeley for seedling mutant screening. From the second sample, 3,000 families of the most genetically active grids were planted and screened (by us, other project members and colleagues in the Maize Genetics community) at the University of Illinois for adult plant mutant traits. This was an organized mutant hunt and was very successful in the discovery of novel adult plant mutants. We plan to organize another mutant hunt next summer. The remaining seed generated by this project was placed into cold storage to fulfill requests. Results from the mutant screenings can be found at the ZmDB: Phenotype Database (http://zmfmdb.zool.iastate.edu/). Shane's future work will involve increasing stocks as necessary to maintain seed supply for requests and continue scoring these stocks for kernel and adult plant mutant traits.
Due to a slow down in international airmail service, we have started
shipping overseas requests via FedEx. With the prospect of the the US Postal
Service irradiating all packages, we will soon need to fill domestic requests
via FedEx, as well.
| Marty Sachs
Director |
Philip Stinard
Curator |
Janet Day Jackson
Senior Research Specialist |
Shane Zimmerman
Research Specialist |
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