Spontaneous germinal activation of quiescent Uq transposable elements in Zea mays L.

The spontaneous germinal activation of quiescent Uq transposable elements is reported. Thirty-nine spotted exceptions were observed at a rate of about 2 x 10(-4) from 687 otherwise colorless ears produced from the cross of a-ruq/a-ruq (colorless or occasionally sectored) X an a-ruq tester (colorless). All exceptions had spotting patterns distinct from the pattern of our original standard Uq (Uq1)-a-ruq spotting. From these spotted exceptions five new Uq elements (Uq2, Uq3, Uq4, Uq5 and Uq6) have been isolated. Genetic evidence for the Uq nature of the five germinal isolates is presented. First, each of the five spotted exceptions was homozygous for the a-ruq reporter allele. Second, four new Uq isolates (Uq2, Uq3, Uq4 and Uq5), after being reconstituted into a alpha degrees sh2/alpha degrees sh2 (no Uq) line, could transactivate the standard a-ruq allele and continue to produce their distinct spotting phenotypes. Third, these five new Uqs are also capable of transactivating the c-ruq65 and c-ruq67 alleles. However, the transactivation of c-ruq is generally weaker than that of a-ruq.