The distribution and transposition of Bs1 retrotransposons in maize

Bibliography: pages [47]-55.Thirty-eight lines of Zea and 20 plants from related genera were surveyed for the presence of the retrotransposon Bs1. originally found in maize. All maize and teosinte lines showed the presence of Bs1 in one to five hybridizing bands. Most exotic maize lines showed the presence of two common bands of approximately 7.8 Kb and 4.7 Kb in size. All Tripsacum dactyloides showed a weakly hybridizing band of approximately 6.9 Kb under low stringency wash conditions. Bsl elements were also found in other species of the tribe Andropogoneae, though none were found in species more distantly related. DNA recombinant inbred lines were probed for the presence of Bs1 . Data thus obtained pinpoint the location of two Bsl elements in the maize genome. Bs1-F maps to chromosome 5 between loci 7.85 and 6.10. Bs1-S maps to chromosome 8, closely linked to mdhl, and most likely lies between mdhl and 10.39. In addition, genetic and molecular RFLP analysis shows the historical movement of Bsl in the maize genome.M.S. (Master of Science