Author
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Schaeffer, Mary |
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BYRNE, PATRICK - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY |
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COE JR., EDWARD - USDA-ARS-RETIRED |
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Submitted to: Maydica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/14/2005 Publication Date: 1/15/2006 Citation: Schaeffer, M.L., Byrne, P.F., Coe Jr., E.H. 2006. Consensus quantitative trait maps in maize: a database strategy. Maydica. 51:357-367. Interpretive Summary: There are numerous reports in the literature regarding hundreds of chromosomal regions and germplasm that have important effects on many agronomic traits, for example, grain yield, or disease responses. We describe a database strategy, using MaizeGDB, for a consensus, consolidating all these data, where details are accessible in the database and published literature. The goal is to support plant breeding by providing information about candidate genes, germplasm and selectable markers for key traits. Technical Abstract: We report a strategy for consensus QTL maps that leverages the highly curated data in MaizeGDB, in particular, the numerous QTL studies and maps that are integrated with other genome data on a common coordinate system. In addition, we exploit a systematic QTL nomenclature and a hierarchical categorization of over 400 maize traits developed in the mid 90’s; the main nodes of the hierarchy align with the trait ontology at Gramene, a comparative mapping database for cereals. Consensus maps are presented for one trait category, insect response (80 QTL); and two traits, grain yield (71 QTL) and kernel weight (113 QTL), representing over 20 separate QTL map sets of 10 chromosomes each. Because these data are in the central repository for maize map and sequence data, investigators immediately gain access to tools for marker assisted selection, higher resolution mapping and candidate gene discovery. |
