Functional Genomics of Maize Centromeres

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Centromeres are long stretches of DNA that, along with a set of proteins known as kinetochore proteins, are responsible for ensuring that chromosomes are accurately segregated and passed on to the next generation. Previous work has demonstrated that centromeres are composed primarily of repeated DNA sequences. Not all of the repeats are required because large sections of a centromere can be removed without affecting chromosome segregation. Research carried out under this award is designed to identify which of the DNA sequences in the maize centromere are directly responsible for chromosome segregation. Towards this end, a sample of ~400,000 base pairs of centromeric DNA will be sequenced to determine the basic organization of the centromere. Each unique class of DNA sequence (either repetitive or single-copy) will be analyzed with respect to its distribution among the ten maize chromosomes and its interaction with a maize kinetochore protein. Based on these data, artificial centromeres will be created from selected portions of natural centromeres to test their activity in transgenic maize plants. In the final stages of the project, artificial centromeres will be used to create fully autonomous artificial chromosomes. Such artificial chromosomes could be used as vehicles for carrying agronomically important genes and could greatly improve existing methods for transferring genes into plants.