14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists have finally managed to decipher the genome of maize, one of the most important plants in the world in terms of production and importance. Details of the high-quality sequence appear as a cover story in the November 20 issue of the top journal Science. The analysis also reveals the order in which the genes of corn are arranged along its ten chromosomes, and also a detailed physical map of the distances between each individual gene, a press release on the official website of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) shows.
The team behind the new accomplishment has also managed to map the detailed location of centromeres on the chromosomes. These structures are interesting, repeated sections of DNA, which play a vital role in the organism, in that they ensure that the exact same traits that exist in parent cells are transmitted to their daughter cells, during the division and multiplication process. The implications that the new study has are far-reaching, analysts say after reviewing the document.
One of the primary benefits of a full genome sequence is that basic research in corn and maize will now be significantly boosted. Another huge benefit is that this research will allow geneticists and other experts in the near future to begin work on improving the quality and yield of corn crops, which is one of the most important plants in the world. Maize serves as a source of food, fiber and fuel, among other uses. The accomplishment was made by a consortium of groups, led by the Genome Sequencing Center (GSC), at the Washington University in St. Louis. Other members included experts from the University of Arizona, Iowa State University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, in New York.
“Production of a high quality maize genome sequence was a high priority for the NPGI from the beginning. This accomplishment builds on technological advances and basic research into maize biology that were essential to the design of the most cost-effective strategy to assemble and anchor the genes onto the genetic and physical maps,” NSF scientist Jane Silverthorne explains. “The new maize sequence will pave the way for the development of maize breeding programs that will improve the quality and quantity of maize crops, and thereby benefit people living throughout the world,” GSC lead investigator and director Rick Wilson adds.