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Molecular analysis of the waxy locus of Zea mays

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Summary

The structure of the wild-type waxy (wx +) locus was determined by sequence analysis of both a genomic and an almost full-size cDNA clone. The coding region comprises 3,718 bp and is composed of 14 exons and 13 small introns. The exons and the promoter region are G/C rich (60%–80%). All three waxy transcripts analysed so far reveal different polyadenylation sites and corresponding polyadenylation signals. The smallest of these mRNAs has a size of 2,263 nucleotides. Northern blot analysis suggests that the tissue-specific expression of the locus is due to transcriptional control. The insertion sites of all transposable element induced waxy mutations analysed have been mapped precisely within the locus. N-terminal sequencing of the mature wx + protein leads to the identification of a maize amyloplast-specific transit peptide of 72 aminoacid residues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, D-5000, Köln 30, Germany

    Ralf Bernd Klösgen, Alfons Gierl, Zsuzsanna Schwarz-Sommer & Heinz Saedler

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  1. Ralf Bernd Klösgen
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  2. Alfons Gierl
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  3. Zsuzsanna Schwarz-Sommer
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  4. Heinz Saedler
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Communicated by P. Starlinger

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Klösgen, R.B., Gierl, A., Schwarz-Sommer, Z. et al. Molecular analysis of the waxy locus of Zea mays . Molec Gen Genet 203, 237–244 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333960

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333960

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