Degree Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2003
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Agronomy
First Advisor
Michael Lee
Abstract
Plant genomes have the capacity to change in response to abiotic stress and other environmental signals. In maize (Zea mays L.), enhanced genetic recombination in response to low temperature has been shown to alter recombination frequencies in maize (Shams-UI-Islam, 1956). The effect of other environmental stresses on genetic recombination has not been reported in maize. Therefore, the primary objective of this dissertation was to identify whether water-deficit stress during meiosis and defoliation during pre-meiosis will affect meiotic recombination in maize. A secondary objective was to observe crossover occurrence and distribution. Three experiments are presented in this dissertation. The first two experiments focus on the effect of water stress on meiotic recombination of two maize genotypes (B73/Mo17 and Mo17/H99). The third experiment investigates the effect of defoliation on meiotic recombination of Mo17/H99. For each experiment male meiotic recombination was observed in backcross populations derived from 3 stress and 3 non-stress plants. Progeny of each population was genotyped at microsatellite loci to create genetic maps for chromosomes 1 and 10. Comparisons of recombination were made within and between treatments. For water-deficit experiments genetic maps of chromosomes 1 and 10 were larger for stressed plants. Results suggest that increase on recombination under water-deficit stress is a general response in maize. Maps of populations subjected to defoliation did not differ in length from those of the control treatment.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-135
Publisher
Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu
Copyright Owner
Luis A. Verde
Copyright Date
2003
Language
en
Proquest ID
AAI3085950
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
165 pages
Recommended Citation
Verde, Luis A., "The effect of stress on meiotic recombination in maize (Zea mays L) " (2003). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 1397.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/1397