Further Studies on the Balance between Adh and Adh in Maize: Gene Competitive Programs

Two unlinked genes which specify alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes in maize are coordinately regulated by competition for a factor which limits the rate of total ADH expression during anaerobiosis. The "gene competition hypothesis" and the existence of organ-specific competitive programs, as proposed by Schwartz (1971), is further supported. The potential balance of expression between these two genes appears to be organ-specific and may be "locked-in" and inherited via meristematic growth. The actual expression of these two genes is dependent on the mode of ADH induction. The discussion examines alternative hypotheses explaining gene competition and reinterprets extant data on the adaptive significance of maize ADH polymorphism.