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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Experimental Design for Laser Microdissection RNA-Seq: Lessons from an Analysis of Maize Leaf Development
Published on: March 5, 2017
Meiotic drive of chromosomal knobs reshaped the maize genome
E S Buckler1, T L Phelps-Durr, C S Buckler
1USDA-ARS, Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7614, USA. buckler@statgen.ncsu.edu
Meiotic drive, a process favoring specific genes, may explain the evolution of large DNA arrays called chromosomal knobs in maize. These knobs, influenced by abnormal 10 (Ab10), reshape maize genome diversity.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Meiotic drive typically affects small genomic regions.
- In maize, large repetitive DNA arrays (chromosomal knobs) are observed across all chromosomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of meiotic drive in the evolution of large repetitive DNA arrays (chromosomal knobs) in maize.
- To test the hypothesis that a specific meiotic drive locus on chromosome 10 (Ab10) drives knob evolution.
Main Methods:
- Utilized simulations to model meiotic drive dynamics.
- Analyzed chromosomal knob data from maize wild relatives (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and mexicana).
- Performed phylogenetic comparisons to assess knob evolution.
Main Results:
- Meiotic drive, particularly from abnormal 10 (Ab10), is proposed as the driver for the evolution of heterochromatic chromosomal knobs in maize.
- Knob characteristics (size, frequency, position) align with the meiotic drive hypothesis.
- Knob positions are inconsistent with neutral or deleterious repetitive DNA.
Conclusions:
- Meiotic drive is a significant force in maize genome evolution, potentially responsible for widespread changes in genome structure and diversity.
- Environmental factors and transposition may also contribute to knob evolution.
- The interaction of meiotic drive and genetic linkage has likely reshaped maize genetic diversity.
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