Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
corn, Zea mays, southern blot, RFLP, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
College
Life Sciences
Department
Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Abstract
The first step that needed to be accomplished in my proposal of mapping a corn, Zea mays, mutant was a southern blot. A southern blot is a way to look at the DNA. First, the DNA is extracted and run out on an agarose gel by electrophoresis. Then the DNA from the gel is transferred onto a nylon membrane, a process I will explain later, and probed with Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism markers or RFLPs. An RFLP is a small, known fragment of single-stranded DNA that will bind to a complementary strand of the DNA in the gel. In this way, bit by bit, the genome of the mutant corn in question can be mapped out and compared to a known corn. This will help us learn exactly where the mutations are occurring and what affect this has on the corn. We believe that if we understand these mutations well enough, we can, through breeding techniques using markers, breed a corn that is high in lysine and tryptophan as well as having good phenotypic characteristics.
Recommended Citation
Haroldsen, Kedra C. and Coleman, Dr. Craig E.
(2014)
"Summary of My Research and What Was Learned,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014:
Iss.
1, Article 978.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/978