Identifying genes of agronomic importance in maize by screening microsatellites for evidence of selection during domestication.

ABSTRACT: Crop species experienced strong selective pressure directed at genes controlling traits of agronomic importance during their domestication and subsequent episodes of selective breeding. Consequently, these genes are expected to exhibit the signature of selection. We screened 501 maize genes for the signature of selection using microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs). We applied the Ewens-Watterson test, which can reveal deviations from a neutral-equilibrium model, as well as two nonequilibrium tests that incorporate the domestication bottleneck. We investigated two classes of SSRs: those known to be polymorphic in maize (Class I) and those previously classified as monomorphic in maize (Class II). Fifteen SSRs exhibited some evidence for selection in maize and 10 showed evidence u

SUBMITTER: Vigouroux Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC124964 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature