Genetic regulation of somatic mutability of two Mu-induced a1 mutants of maize

Previous studies of stocks of two Mutator-induced mutable a1 alleles (a1-Mum2 and al-Mum3) gave results consistent with the presence of one or more autonomous elements regulating the expression of mutability. This article reports on the results of studies designed to map these autonomous elements by using a series of waxy marked translocations. Linkage of waxy with autonomous elements was found for a1-Mum2 by using the translocations wx T2-9d, wx T4-9e and wx T4-9b. Several different linkage values were found in crosses involving wx T2-9d, suggesting that autonomous elements have transposed to different locations on chromosome 2. Linkage of autonomous elements with waxy was found for a1-Mum3 using translocation wx T2-9d. Again, several different linkage values were found. Some of these values were the same as those observed for a1-Mum2, but some were unique. In some crosses, the number of autonomous elements increased by one or two unlinked elements in addition to the linked element in one generation (i. e. the generation of the cross to the translocation series). Such an increase in number is probably the result of transposition of the original autonomous element to an independent locus while retaining the autonomous element at the original locus. Reduction in the number of autonomous elements is probably the result of the independent assortment in crosses of plants with two or more autonomous elements.