Optimizing the Use of the Transposon in Corn

在作物改良中，确实需要一种主要依赖于表型的分离植物基因的方法。在这种策略中使用植物转座子的想法很有吸引力，但其有效实施还有待对可能影响转座频率的因素进行详细调查。玉米转座子Ac(激活子)已被用于玉米基因分离，已知在烟草中有转座子，但现有的监测转座子活性的系统受到缺乏任何表型的限制，这些表型很容易在整个植株上得分。这在评估基于转座子突变的基因分离系统的有效性方面提出了问题。琼斯博士设计了一种有用的视觉测试，用于交流转座IS幼苗，其基础是对链霉素抗性基因的体细胞切除进行评分。他建议对可能影响双子叶转座频率的遗传和其他因素进行进一步的研究，以完善植物转座子技术，使其能够有效地用于这类植物的基因分离。这种转座子技术的发展将使分离用其他方法不易分离的植物基因成为可能。

There is a definite need in crop improvement for a method to isolate plant genes which relies primarily on phenotypes. The idea of using plant transposons in such a strategy is attractive but its efficient implementation awaits a detailed investigation into factors which might influence transposition frequency. The corn transposon Ac (Activator), which has been used in gene isolation in corn, is known to transpose in tobacco, but existing systems for monitoring the activity of the transposon are limited by the absence of any phenotype which can be easily scored in whole plants. This poses problems in assessing the effectiveness of systems for gene isolation based on transposon mutagenesis. Dr. Jones has engineered a useful visual assay for Ac transposition is seedlings based on scoring somatic excisions from a streptomycin resistance gene. He proposes to carry out further studies on genetic and other factors which might influence transposition frequency in dicots in order to refine plant transposon technology so that it can effectively be used for gene isolation in this group of plants. The development of this transposon technology will enable the isolation of plant genes which could not easily be isolated by other means.