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U.S. Department of Energy
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Transposon-induced nuclear mutations that alter chloroplast gene expression

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6686800· OSTI ID:6686800
The goal of this project is to use mutant phenotypes as a guide to nuclear genes that determine the timing and localization of chloroplast development The immediate goals are to identify nuclear mutants with defects in chloroplast gene expression from maize lines harboring active Mu transposons; characterize their phenotypes to determine the precise defect in gene expression; clone several of the most interesting mutations by exploiting the transposon tag; and use the clones to further define the roles of these genes in modulating chloroplast gene expression. Three mutants were described earlier that had global defects in chloroplast gene expression. We have found that two of these mutations are allelic. Both alleles have global defects in chloroplast translation initiation, as revealed by the failure to assemble chloroplast mRNAs into polysomes. We have isolated and characterized three new mutants from Mu lines that have novel defects in chloroplast RNA metabolism. We are now ready to begin the task of cloning several of these genes, by using the Mu transposon tag.
Research Organization:
Oregon Univ., Eugene, OR (United States). Inst. of Molecular Biology
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FG06-91ER20054
OSTI ID:
6686800
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/20054-1; ON: DE93010774
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English