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PMID: 8647404 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Allelic interactions heritably alter the activity of a metastable maize pl allele.

Genetics ·Vol. 141 ·No. 2 ·1995-10-00 ·Pages 709-19

Hollick JB, Patterson GI, Coe EH, Cone KC, Chandler VL

Abstract

The maize pl locus encodes a transcriptional activator of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. The Pl-Rhoades (Pl-Rh) allele confers robust purple anthocyanin pigment in several tissues. Spontaneous derivatives of Pl-Rh, termed Pl'-mahogany (Pl'-mah), arise that confer reduced pigment and are meiotically heritable. These derivatives influence other Pl-Rh alleles such that only Pl'-mah alleles are transmitted form a Pl-Rh/Pl'mah heterozygote. Genetic crosses establish that chromosomal segregation distortion does not explain this exclusive transmission and suggest that Pl-Rh invariably changes to Pl'-mah when exposed to Pl'-mah. Such behavior is a hallmark of paramutation. Cosegregation experiments demonstrate that this paramutagenic activity is genetically linked to the pl locus. By visually quantifying pl action through successive crosses, we find that phenotypic expression is inversely related to paramutation at two other maize loci, b and r. Previous analysis of b and r paramutation revealed extensive differences and led to suggestions of distinct molecular mechanisms. Consideration of the common features of all three systems reinvigorates the interpretation that the mechanistic processes of these three allelic interactions are similar.

MeSH Terms
Alleles Anthocyanins/biosynthesis Confidence Intervals Crosses, Genetic DNA, Plant/analysis,genetics Genes, Plant Mutation Phenotype Trans-Activators/genetics Zea mays/genetics,metabolism
Chemicals
Anthocyanins DNA, Plant Trans-Activators
Authors & Affiliations
5 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Hollick J B
Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, USA.
Patterson G I
Coe E H
Cone K C
Chandler V L
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Article Info
Journal
Genetics
Abbr.
Genetics
ISSN
0016-6731
DOI
10.1093/genetics/141.2.709
Published
1995-10-00
Pages
709-19
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0374636
PMCID
PMC1206767
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM-07413 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM-35971 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/genetics/141.2.709 PMC Full Text View journal details
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