Collaborative Research in Maize Genetics

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This award to Illinois State University will fund the purchase of small equipment items necessary for the effective participation of Dr. Weber in a collaborative research project with David Hoisington and Ed Coe at the University of Missouri (NSF 8721921). The project will continue and expand collaborative research aimed at producing an integrated physical and genetic map of maize. Genetic mapping strategies of several types will be used to identify and correlate the positions of RFLP markers, cytological markers (knobs, deletions, insertions and inversions), biochemical markers (mutations responsible for isozymes) and other, conventional markers. Although a substantial amount of positional information for these various types of markers is now available, relatively little has been done to correlate the map of cytological markers with that of the biochemical ones, the RFLP map with the cytological map and so on. Particular focus is placed on the newly developed technique of RFLP mapping because the map is not yet complete, and because no single lab has yet assembled a complete set of RFLP marker DNAs that are available to all researchers. Although the research will be performed principally by Drs. Coe and Hoisington, collaboration with other corn geneticists, especially those skilled in the identification of biochemical markers, is required. Thus, small concurrent awards are being made to this investigator at Illinois State, as well as others at both Iowa State and North Carolina State Universities. These awards will provide laboratory equipment and computers that will facilitate analysis and comparison of data developed in the separate labs and will insure that research materials developed by each investigator will be readily accessible to all the collaborators. Traditionally, techniques for genetic mapping have been a useful tool for researchers interested in a variety of basic questions in biology as well as for plant and animal breeders. The recent development of a powerful new technique called RFLP mapping will have a significant effect on the ease with which genetics can be brought to bear on both basic and applied problems. However, it is important that the knowledge and tools of the more traditional techniques be preserved and that they be integrated (or correlated) with the new RFLP maps. This is particularly true in the case of corn, which has been the subject of extensive genetic study. The proposed collaborative research will accelerate the development of a complete RFLP map of corn and will insure that the map is a tool available to all researchers and agronomists. Moreover, by facilitating the integration of the RFLP data with that obtained with other types of genetic markers, the research will insure that the RFLP map is of maximum utility for those who need it.