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Molecular analysis of opaque-2 alleles from Zea mays L. reveals the nature of mutational events and the presence of a hypervariable region in the 5′ part of the gene

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

Hans Hartings
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
Nadia Lazzaroni
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
Vincenzo Rossi
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
Giorgia R. Riboldi
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
Richard D. Thompson
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50879 Köln, Germany
Francesco Salamini
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50879 Köln, Germany
Mario Motto*
Affiliation:
Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
*
* Corresponding author.
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Summary

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Ten recessive Opaque-2 (O2) alleles of independent origin were characterized at the molecular level. The results revealed a high level of polymorphism at the O2 locus. In addition, our data suggest the possible cause for the recessive character of some of the alleles investigated, and allow us to infer some conclusions concerning the degree of relationship between the o2 mutations. Comparison of genomic sequences spanning the first exon and obtained from a series of wild-type and recessive alleles revealed the presence of a hypervariable region, involving different dipeptides, in the N-terminal part of the O2 protein.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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