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Rate and pattern of mutation at microsatellite loci in maize
Yves Vigouroux1, Jennifer S Jaqueth, Yoshihiro Matsuoka
1Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|July 26, 2002
Summary
Microsatellite mutation rates in maize were studied using mutation accumulation experiments. Dinucleotide repeat microsatellites showed a mutation rate of 7.7 x 10(-4), with larger alleles being more probable.
Area of Science:
- Plant Genetics
- Molecular Evolution
- Genomics
Background:
- Microsatellites are valuable genetic markers in plants.
- Limited data exists on microsatellite mutation patterns in plants.
- Understanding mutation rates is crucial for plant breeding and evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate microsatellite mutation rates in maize (Zea mays subsp. mays).
- To analyze mutation patterns and their relationship with repeat motifs and allele size.
- To provide a microsatellite-based estimate of maize effective population size.
Main Methods:
- Mutation accumulation experiments were conducted on 142 microsatellite loci in maize.
- Mutation rates were estimated for different repeat motif types.
- Observed mutations were sequenced to identify their nature.
Main Results:
- The mutation rate for dinucleotide repeat microsatellites was 7.7 x 10(-4) per generation.
- No mutations were detected for microsatellites with repeat motifs >2 bp, yielding an upper bound of 5.1 x 10(-5).
- Mutations primarily involved changes in repeat numbers, with a bias towards larger allele sizes.
Conclusions:
- Microsatellite mutation rates in maize vary, with dinucleotide repeats being more mutable.
- Mutation rate is positively correlated with the number of repeats in the progenitor allele.
- Microsatellite-derived estimates of maize effective population size are lower than previously reported values.