27th Annual Student Research Conference
Histological and Molecular Characterization of Maize Mutant rgd-766
Kevin A. Kaifer*, Kevin A. Bodker, and Beth A. Osia
Dr. Diane Janick-Buckner, Faculty Mentor
The trans-acting small interfering RNA (ta-siRNA) pathway is involved in the establishment of dorsiventral polarity and mediolateral expansion in maize leaves. Mutations that disrupt this pathway, as observed in raggedseedling2 (rgd2) and leafbladeless1 (lbl1) mutants, lead to dramatic alterations in leaf morphology. A novel developmental maize mutant, rgd-766, with phenotypic abnormalities similar to rgd2 and lbl1 has been identified. Histological analysis of rgd-766 leaves reveals defects in internal polarity. rgd-766 leaves displayed epidermal defects, including altered stomatal patterning, smaller pavement cells, and mild alterations in subsidiary cell shape due to apparent subsidiary mother cell division failure. Quantitative RT-PCR, used to compare expression of genes involved in the ta-siRNA pathway, reveals lower expression levels of several of these genes in rgd-766 mutants compared to wild type plants. An interval on chromosome 10 was identified by bulked segregant analyses to be the probable location of the gene responsible for the rgd-766 phenotype.
Keywords: rgd-766, Maize, developmental genetics, forward genetics, trans-acting small interfering RNA
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 4-13
Location: GEO - SUB
Time: 3:30