Author
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Cregan, Perry |
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Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/27/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Nearly 75 years ago it was first suggested that easily observable genetic traits could be used as a tool for the indirect selection of genetically controlled traits that were more difficult to measure or assess. For example, the form of a gene (allele) controlling a specific seed coat color in common bean might be closely associated with the form of a gene (allele) that provided resistance to a pest. Thus, selection based upon seed coat would allow indirect selection for pest resistance. This initial suggestion provided the genesis of DNA marker based discovery and selection for genes controlling important crop quality traits, biotic and abiotic stress resistances, and crop productivity. Because the basic building blocks of DNA are the same in all higher organisms, the technologies that are used for DNA analysis can be employed by human, animal, plant, and microbial geneticists. Thus, the huge investment in the human genome project can in many instances be directly applicable to the improvement of plants. Following the lead of their human genetic colleagues, plant geneticists have constructed genetic maps of plant genomes, employed these maps to discover the genome position of important genes, begun to determine the DNA sequence of many plant genes, and are beginning to search for the differences in the DNA sequence and function of naturally occurring genes. Plant geneticists are now beginning to apply high throughput genetic analysis technologies to incorporate this naturally occurring genetic variation into new higher quality and more productive plant varieties. |
