The effect of somaclonal variation on the length of the amplification products of the gene coding for the maize root-specific anodic peroxidase ZmAP1

Previously somaclonal variation was shown to affect tissue-specific spectra of isoperoxidases characteristic of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred A188. The m ethod of direct amplification of genomic DNA was used to compare three regi ons of the peroxidase gene ZmAPI in A188 and its two somaclonal variants. A mplification of the regions spanning nucleotides 165 to 316 and 843 to 1043 of cDNA produced DNA fragments of similar length, whenever cDNA and genomi c DNA were amplified. Obviously, these regions do not contain inserts. Howe ver, when the region spanning nucleotides 496 to 681 was amplified, several longer DNA fragments, apparently containing inserts, were found in additio n to the predicted 185-bp amplicon. In particular, in the somaclone R105, a 240-bp DNA fragment, absent from two other genotypes, contained a 55-bp in sert.