Il. Goldman et al., MOLECULAR MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH MAIZE KERNEL OIL CONCENTRATION IN AN ILLINOIS HIGH-PROTEIN X ILLINOIS LOW-PROTEIN CROSS, Crop science, 34(4), 1994, pp. 908-915
The Illinois Long Term Selection Strains offer a unique opportunity to
investigate the quantitative genetic basis of kernel chemical traits.
This study was conducted to determine the number and magnitude of qua
ntitative trait loci (QTL) influencing kernel oil concentration and ke
rnel weight in a maize (Zen mays L.) population derived from a cross o
f Illinois High Protein (IHP) x Illinois Low Protein (ILP). The parent
al strains had been divergently selected for protein concentration for
76 cycles, yet varied in oil concentration from 29 g kg(-1) (ILP) to
54 g kg(-1) (IHP) and in 300 kernel weight from 76.5 g (ILP) to 41.1 g
(IHP). One hundred polymorphic RFLP loci spaced throughout the maize
genome were scored in a segregating population of 100 S-1 families. Ke
rnel oil concentration and kernel weight were obtained from replicated
field trials grown during 1990 and 1991. Significant (P < 0.05 level)
QTL associations of 25 marker loci on 13 chromosome arms with oil con
centration and 18 marker loci on 10 chromosome arms with kernel weight
were identified. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ident
ification of QTL for oil concentration in strains divergently selected
for protein concentration for 76 cycles. Clusters of two or more mark
er loci in the same chromosomal region were significantly associated w
ith oil concentration at four different chromosomal locations and with
kernel weight at four chromosomal locations. The detection of relativ
ely few clusters of marker loci associated with genomic regions contro
lling oil concentration suggests the development of high oil maize ger
mplasm via RFLP marker-assisted selection may be feasible.