Journal of Heredity Advance Access originally published online on July 12, 2006
Journal of Heredity 2006 97(4):423-427; doi:10.1093/jhered/esl015
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Genetic Analysis of 4 New Mutants at the Unstable k2 Mdh1-n y20 Chromosomal Region in Soybean
From the Department of Agronomy and Interdepartmental Genetics Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (Xu); and US Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service, Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, Department of Agronomy, and Interdepartmental Genetics Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (Palmer)
Address correspondence to R. G. Palmer at the address above, or e-mail: rpalmer{at}iastate.edu.
In soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), a chromosomal region defined by 3 closely linked loci, k2 (tan-saddle seed coat), Mdh1-n (malate dehydrogenase 1 null), and y20 (yellow foliage), is highly mutable. A total of 31 mutants have been reported from this region. In this study, a mutation with tan-saddle seed coat was found from bulk-harvested seed of cultivar Kenwood. Genetic analysis established that this tan-saddle seed coat mutation is allelic to the k2 locus and inherited as a recessive gene. Simple sequence repeat analysis showed that this mutant is not a contaminant from other existing k2 mutants. The mutant was named Kenwood-k2. To test for genetic instability at the k2 Mdh1-n y20 chromosomal region, Kenwood-k2 was crossed reciprocally with cultivars Harosoy and Williams. No new mutants were found in F2 families. In the genetic instability tests of T239 (k2) with cultivar Williams, 3 new mutants with yellow foliage (y20) and malate dehydrogenase 1 null (Mdh1-n) were identified. In the genetic instability tests of T261 (k2 Mdh1-n) with cultivar Williams, no new mutants were found. The Kenwood-k2 and the 3 yellow-foliage, malate dehydrogenase 1null mutants provide additional genetic materials to study chromosomal aberrations in this mutable/unstable chromosomal region.