WASHINGTON (AFP) — US researchers have sequenced the corn genome almost in its entirety, a development that could help improve crops to meet growing global needs for food and fuel, a US university has announced.
Corn, also known as maize, is the world's top cereal crop followed by rice and wheat, and the second of those to have its genome sequenced, after rice.
"This first draft of the genome sequence is exciting because it's the first comprehensive glimpse at the blueprint for the corn plant," said Richard Wilson, director of the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri.
He will officially unveil the work February 28 at the Annual Maize Genetics Conference in Washington, according to a statement posted Tuesday on Washington University's website.
The first draft covers about 95 percent of the corn genome, and researchers are going to devote the project's remaining funds to refining and finalizing it.
"Although it's still missing a few bits ... virtually all the information is there, and while we may make some small modifications to the genetic sequence, we don't expect major changes," Wilson said.
Researchers sequenced the genome of a high-yield variety of maize known as B73 developed at Iowa State University decades ago that has been widely used in corn breeding and research.
"The genome will help unravel the basic biology of corn. That information can be used to look for genes that make corn more nutritious or more efficient for ethanol production, for example," said Ralph Quadrano, head of Washington University's biology department.
The sequencing work was arduous due to the size and complexity of the corn genome.
About 80 percent of its DNA segments are repeated, and corn also has 50,000 to 60,000 genes, roughly double the number of human genes, scientists said.
The 29.5 million dollar (20 million euro) project began in 2005, funded by the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Energy.
The research team also included scientists from the University of Arizona, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and Iowa State University.
The United States grows 44 percent of world corn production, with a record 13.1 billion bushels worth more than three billion dollars in 2007, according to US Department of Agriculture figures.
- www.maizesequence.org: http://www.maizesequence.org/index.html
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