Restriction fragment length polymorphism in plants and its implications.
In the last decade RFLP analysis has evolved from an idea that seemed promising to a well-established tool that has led to fundamental advances in several fields. Construction of genetic maps has now become feasible in many organisms where it would previously have been impractical. Since genetic maps are of general utility for many sorts of biological research, they cannot fail to have a significant impact in the immediate future. As genetic maps become reconciled with physical maps in several plants, it will become possible to clone virtually any gene. For a plant breeder this will have the effect of broadening the gene pool available for plant improvement to include virtually all organisms, including animals and microorganisms. Much remains to be done, however. We need basic studies of the biochemistry, physiology, and genetics of plants and the insects and pathogens infesting them to be able to identify target genes for cloning. We need basic studies of transformation and gene expression to be able to have introduced genes expressed in transformed plants in the proper amounts and in the desired tissues. It must also be kept in mind that the best of our present technologies only suffice to clone and transform single genes. We will have to make another large jump in capabilities to be able to transfer QTL between plants. Since the most important agronomic traits are controlled by QTL, this effort will have to be undertaken. However, the future looks promising for plant breeding and RFLP analysis. The molecular genetic revolution now has every indication of being transferrable to practical problems such as plant breeding, and the first steps in this transferral have already occurred through the medium of RFLP analysis.
Department of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
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Kochert
D001947:Breeding; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D015342:DNA Probes; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005821:Genetic Techniques / Q000639:trends; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
D015342:DNA Probes; D005819:Genetic Markers