Molecular Genetic Approaches to Maize Improvement (Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry Book 63)

During the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in maize biotechnology. This volume provides an overview of our current knowledge of maize molecular genetics, how it is being used to improve the crop, and future possibilities for crop enhancement. Several chapters deal with genetically engineered traits that are currently, or soon will be, in commercial production. Technical approaches for introducing novel genes into the maize genome, the regeneration of plants from transformed cells, and the creation of transgenic lines for field production are covered. Further, the authors describe how molecular genetic techniques are being used to identify genes and characterize their function, and how these procedures are utilized to develop elite maize germplasm. Moreover, molecular biology and physiological studies of corn as a basis for the improvement of its nutritional and food-making properties are included. Finally, the growing use of corn as biomass for energy production is discussed. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Molecular Genetic Approaches to Maize Improvement – an Introduction....Pages 3-6 Maize Tissue Culture and Transformation: The First 20 Years....Pages 7-27 Insect Resistance in Corn Through Biotechnology....Pages 31-40 Seed Total Phosphate and Phytic Acid....Pages 41-53 Traits and Genes for Plant Drought Tolerance....Pages 55-64 Biotechnology Approaches to Improving Maize Nitrogen Use Efficiency....Pages 65-77 Enhancement of Amino Acid Availability in Corn Grain....Pages 79-89 Over-expression of Novel Proteins in Maize....Pages 91-105 Global Regulation of Transgenic Crops....Pages 107-124 Doubled Haploids....Pages 127-142 Transposon Tagging and Reverse Genetics....Pages 143-159 EMS Mutagenesis and Point Mutation Discovery....Pages 161-171 Applications of Linkage Disequilibrium and Association Mapping in Maize....Pages 173-195 Maize Genetic Resources....Pages 197-209 The Structure of the Maize Genome....Pages 213-230 Molecular Markers....Pages 231-240 Applied Cytogenetics....Pages 241-249 The Wonderland of Global Expression Profiling....Pages 251-266 Zein Storage Proteins....Pages 269-286 The Complexities of Starch Biosynthesis in Cereal Endosperms....Pages 287-301 Development of a High Oil Trait for Maize....Pages 303-323 Chloroplasts....Pages 325-343 Ethanol Production from Maize....Pages 347-364 Back Matter....Pages 365-369 "During the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in maize biotechnology. This volume provides an overview of our current knowledge of maize molecular genetics, how it is being used to improve the crop, and future possibilities for crop enhancement. Several chapters deal with genetically engineered traits that are currently, or soon will be, in commercial production. Technical approaches for introducing novel genes into the maize genome, the regeneration of plants from transformed cells, and the creation of transgenic lines for field production are covered. Further, the authors describe how molecular genetic techniques are being used to identify genes and characterize their function, and how these procedures are utilized to develop elite maize germplasm. Moreover, molecular biology and physiological studies of corn as a basis for the improvement of its nutritional and food-making properties are included. Finally, the growing use of corn as biomass for energy production is discussed."--Jacket