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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #237960
Title: Length of Selection Around Candidate Genes for Artificial Selection During Domestication and Crop Improvement in Maize

Author
item KIM, JUN PYO - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item MCMULLEN, MICHAEL

Submitted to: Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2009
Publication Date: 3/15/2009
Citation: Kim, J., Mcmullen, M.D. 2009. Length of Selection Around Candidate Genes for Artificial Selection During Domestication and Crop Improvement in Maize. Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts. p.119.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genomic screens for artificial selection have been successful in identifying candidate genes for agronomic traits in maize (Zea mays L). However, the validity of the candidates identified requires that selection sweeps are very short, only containing the candidate gene with the nearest neighboring genes have diversity levels indicative of neutral genes. We analyzed nucleotide polymorphisms at neighboring genes of selection candidate genes in modern maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) and teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) accessions. Our objective was to determine the selection status of the neighboring genes of candidate genes for artificial selection. For 10 of 14 candidates neither of the two neighboring genes exhibited signatures of selection indicating that for most candidate genes the selection sweep only contained the initial identified gene and therefore this gene represents the true selected gene. For two candidates, one of two neighboring genes was positive for selection, and for two candidate genes, AY107228 and AY107907, both neighboring genes were selected indicating more extensive selection sweeps. Both AY107228 and AY107907 were previously classified as improvement genes with most of the diversity loss occurring during recent crop improvement. This result suggests that longer regions of reduced diversity may remain for improvement genes compared to domestication genes.