Re: hosta-open DIGEST V1 #483
- To: hosta-open@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: hosta-open DIGEST V1 #483
- From: h*@open.org
- Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 01:18:10 -0700 (PDT)
Jim:
>I appreciate your joining us. We need some geneticists among us
Actually, I'm a plant breeder by training with undergraduate degrees
in botany. Actually, Ben knows a lot more about genetics then I do,
but it's difficult to get a straight answer from him.
>I think, however, that we could all use a simple explanation of
>transposable elements with an example such as seed color in corn.
I've been out of a university setting for over 20 years now. This is
a question that Ben should be able to easily provide an answer to.
>I have figured that in our lab we see a new variegation in something
>less than 10,000 individuals, which is clearly not a simple mutation
>process.
Are you talking about a non-variegated hosta sporting to a variegated
form, or one variegated form sporting to a diferent form? I haven't
said too much about some work I am doing, but I am working on a long
term project to personally get as many different sports from
particular hostas as I can generate and then watch them and see how
they sport. What I am trying to look for is a pattern. It is
possible to get very high rates of sporting in some hostas while other
hostas seem to be very stable.
Right now I am working with Francee and Gold Standard as my two main
test plants. I only just got Patriot this spring, so what I will do
next year is try to generate some sports from Patriot and see what I
get compared to Francee. I have several interesting Francee sports,
some of which are similar to Patriot. Also have some interesting
sports of Gold Standard to work with including two streaked plants
that will likely give a number of different forms next year. Also
several interesting Golden Tiara sports and some really interesting
Whirlwind sports if I can isolate them.
>I think we need to get terminology straight before any arguments
>proceed.
I don't believe in arguments. Differences of opinion, yes. But one
nice thing about science, there always is an answer. Sometimes you
are right and sometimes you are wrong, you learn and then move on to
the next question you don't know the answer to.
>Is the movement of an element a mutation or is there a better way to
>describe this?
A transposable element is called "transposable" because it can move
from chromosome to chromosome. It is not a mutation in the
traditional sense of mutations.
>What is a position effect?
This is a question that Ben can best answer. Basically, the position
of a gene has an effect on genes next to it. If you change the
location of a gene through inversions or translocations you can end up
altering the phenotype from what you would expect. Ben should be able
to give us some good examples since he claims to keep up with what is
happening in genetics because he teachs genetics.
Joe Halinar
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