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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #120446
Title: ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GENES FROM THE PISTILS OF APOMICTIC BUFFELGRASS

Author
item HUSSEY, MARK - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Burson, Byron
item BUROW, GLORIA - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item LI, ZHONGSEN - DUPONT AGRIC PRODUCTS
item ZHANG, FUYAO - SORGHUM INST OF CHINA
item JESSUP, RUSSELL - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: International Plant and Animal Genome IX Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2000
Publication Date: 1/13/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link syn Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is an apomictic C1 grass that is used for pasture throughout the dry tropics. Although most buffelgrass genotypes reproduce via obligate apomixis (apospory), sexual and mixed (facultative) reproductive types are also found within the species. Hybridization of obligate sexual and apomictic genotypes allows for the recovery of full-sib genotypes that are either sexual or reproduce via apomixis. The long-term goal of this project is to utilize full-sib F1 progeny of buffelgrass to elucidate the molecular basis of apospory and other economically important traits in perennial forage grasses. For this research, cDNA libraries were developed from pistil and spikelet tissues of apomictic and sexual genotypes of buffelgrass. A modified virtual subtraction procedure was used and apomictic pistil cDNAs were screened initially using leaf cDNAs to isolate pistil specific genes from an obligate apomictic buffelgrass genotype. Results of Northern Analysis, sequence homology, in situ expression patterns, and genetic mapping data in buffelgrass will be discussed.