Alterations in gene expression mediated by DNA insertions in the waxy gene of maize.

Abstract

Studies on the waxy (wx) locus have played a central role in maize genetics and molecular biology. The locus encodes a starch granule-bound enzyme responsible for the synthesis of amylose in the endosperm, ovule sac, and pollen grain. The waxy mutants are viable and easily distinguished. For this reason, over 50 wx mutant alleles have been identified since the turn of the century.