Defective Kernel Mutants of Maize II. Morphological and Embryo Culture Studies

This report presents the initial results of our study of the immature kernel stage of 150 defective kernel maize mutants. They are single gene, recessive mutants that map throughout the genome, defective in both endosperm and embryo development and, for the most part, lethal (Neuffer and Sheridan 1980). All can be distinguished on immature ears, and 85% of them reveal a mutant phenotype within 11 to 17 days post-pollination. Most have immature kernels that are smaller and lighter in color than their normal counterparts. Forty of the mutants suffer from their defects early in kernel development and are blocked in embryogenesis before their primordia differentiate, or, if primordia are formed, they are unable to germinate when cultured as immature embryos or tested at maturity; a few begin embryo degeneration prior to the time that mutant kernels became visually distinguishable. The others express the associated lesion later in kernel development and form at least one leaf primordium by the time kernels are distinguishable and will germinate when cultured or tested at maturity. In most cases, on a fresh weight basis, the mutants have embryos that are more severely defective than the endosperm; their embryos usually are no more than one-half to two-thirds the size, and lag behind by one or two developmental stages. in comparison with embryos in normal kernels from the same ear. One hundred and two mutants were examined by culturing embryos on basal and enriched media; 21 simply enlarged or completely failed to grow on any of the media tested; and 81 produced shoots and roots on at least one medium. Many grew equally well on basal and enriched media; 16 grew at a faster rate on basal medium and 23 displayed a superior growth on enriched medium. Among the latter group, 10 may be auxotrophs. One of these mutants and another mutant isolated by E. H. Coe are proline-requiring mutants, allelic to pro-1. Considering their diversity of expression as evidenced by their differences in morphological appearance, degree of defectiveness and response to embryo culturing, we believe that they represent many different gene loci.