Synteny or homology between genomes of maize and other grasses may allow the identification of genes responsible for controlling the development of plant organs, suggested Esteban Bortiri and Sarah Hake in a review paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

The researchers at the Plant Gene Expression Center in the United States also stated that maize would be an ideal species for such research because the development of inflorescence in the crop was shown to be influenced by both determinate and indeterminate meristems.

Maize also has a rich genetic history, and a large collection of genetic mutants are available for research. Investigations on the species may further shed light on other development pathways such as sex determination in plants, said the researchers.

The full paper can be accessed by journal subscribers at http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/erm015v1.
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