CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS
Boston College
More studies on the expression of the cloning gene in tetraploid maize
--Ting, YC, Tran, L
In the last edition of this Newsletter (MNL 76, 2002), I reported that
the study on the day-length effect on the expression of the cloning gene
in tetraploid maize was inconclusive. Hence, a repeated experiment was
carried out by planting the same material in November and December of the
year 2001 and in January of this year. The material was from a selfed progeny
of the genotype Clg clg clg clg. For each planting, about 25 kernels
were sown in the greenhouse. A month later, of the above three plantings,
53 vigorous plants were obtained. They were watered and fertilized as before.
Four months later, all of the plants tasselled. However, none of them regenerated
into plantlets. This was unexpected. Hence, control of the expression of
the cloning gene is still intriguing. Lack of environmental signals may
lead to the failure of the expression of this particular gene. In order
to identify the signal or signals, a continuing experiment is carried out
in the greenhouse during the winter. In addition, four plants of the last
year's three plantings were found to be perennial under greenhouse conditions.
Since stalks of these plants were cut off three times, regeneration of
the propagules in the root stocks continued, and the regenerated plants
were vigorous and normal. Thus, this perhaps suggests that a directed genomic
restructuring may lead to the development of a successful perennial maize
variety. This is encouraging. The next step of the experiment will be growing
those putative perennial plants in the field to see how they will respond
to the natural condition in the New England Area.
Please Note: Notes submitted to the Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter may be cited only with consent of the authors.
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