MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO A HIGH METHIONINE STORAGE PROTEIN OF MAIZE

PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING NUTRITIONALLY IMPROVED MAIZE HAS SUFFERED DUE TO THE LACK OF A SIMPLE, RAPID AND INEXPENSIVE METHOD FOR ASSESSING BREEDING PROGRESS. METHODS TO DATE HAVE GENERALLY INVOLVED THE USE OF VISIBLE VARIANTS SUCH AS OPAQUE WITH ASSOCIATE QUALITY/YIELD DEFICIENCIES OR COMPLEX/EXPENSIVE ANALYTICAL METHODS SUCH AS AMINO ACID ANALYSIS. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN IMMUNOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTICFOR USE IN BREEDING HIGH METHIONINE MAIZE THAT WILL BE SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE AND BE USEFUL FOR THOUSANDS OF SAMPLES NEEDED FOR THE BREEDING OF THIS TRAIT. IN PHASE I RESEARCH WE WILL BE GENERATING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR A HIGH METHIONINE STORAGE PROTEIN (HMSP) AND WILL INTRODUCE HMSP INTO MAIZE LINES OF DIVERSE BACKGROUND BY STORED BREEDING METHODS. THESE MONOCLONALS AND TEST SEED MATERIAL WILL BE USED FOR DETERMINING THE EXPRESSION AND HERITABILITY OF THE HMSP IN VARIOUS MAIZE BACKGROUNDS IN PHASE II. PHASE III WILL INVOLVE REFINING THE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FOR USE IN A PLANT BREEDING ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF A HIGH METHIONINE CORN HYBRID.