| Abstract Detail
Economic Botany: Ethnobotany Blancas, L. [1], Arias, D.M. [2], Lubinsky, P. [3], Ellstrand, N.C. [3]. Structure of sympatric maize (Zea mays subsp. mays) and teosinte (Z.m. subsp. mexicana) populations in Central Mexico. Spontaneous hybridization is known to occur between maize (Zea mays subsp. mays) and its wild relative, teosinte (Zea mays subsp. mexicana). This dynamic is suggested to be particularly important where teosinte is found as a weed in maize fields in Central Mexico. However, it is only in the light of recent concerns about the potential spread of transgenes into already endangered populations of teosinte that the actual evolutionary significance of maize x teosinte introgression has begun to receive rigorous evaluation. We report the results of the first comprehensive population genetic analysis of extensively sampled populations of sympatric maize/teosinte pairings, and their genetic constitution compared to allopatric populations of both subspecies. Evidence for introgression of maize alleles into teosinte populations that are sympatric with maize was found, and suggests that these populations are undergoing evolution in the direction of maize. We conclude from this that maize x teosinte introgression is occurring at levels that are evolutionarily significant. Broader sampling and analysis of sympatric populations are warranted because populations of sympatric teosinte and introgressants are potential refugia for maize alleles and novel genetic diversity.
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1 - University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, Riverside, CA., 92521-0214
2 - Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Educacion Ambiental e Investigacion Sierra de Huatla, Avenida Universidad No. 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
3 - University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, Riverside, CA., 92521-0124
Keywords:
Zea mays
Crop-to-Wild Gene Flow
teosinte
Mexico
introgression
maize.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 67
Location: 157/Law
Date: Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Time: 3:00 PM
Number: 67004
Abstract ID:454 |
