Abstract:

【Objective】 A study was conducted to obtain and validate the Mutator(Mu)insertion sites causing albino mutant in the mutagenic population with Mu elements, clone the candidate genes associated with maize albino mutation and analyze the metabolic network among these genes. 【Method】 W22∷Mu containing active MuDR transposon was used to pollinate the elite maize inbred line Z31. Using the M2 and M3 families produced from the above hybrid, the albino mutant was obtained by genetic analysis of phenotype and isolation of Mu insertion sites using Mu-TAIL-PCR. The obtained associated genes causing albino mutation was analyzed by bioinformatics and a metabolic network of these genes was constructed. 【Result】 Forty-one albino seedlings were found within 16 000 plants of 870 M2 families and about 700 plants of 36 M3 families. Thirty-five Mu insertion target sequences were cloned by Mu-TAIL-PCR, among which 14 were found to be related with chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis. Five metabolic pathways causing albino mutation were constructed with 6 target sequences. 【Conclusion】 The preliminary confirmation was that the 27 target sites by Mutator transposon insertion associated with the albino mutatants, meanwhile we constructed chlorophyll metabolic network pathway through six target sites from albino mutation of maize leaf.

Key words: maize (Zea mays L.), albino mutatants, Mutator transposon, Mu-TAIL-PCR, chlorophyll metabolic pathway