EXPERIMENTS ON THE INHERITANCE OF NIACIN IN CORN (MAIZE)

Abstract

Niacin concn. in the corn kernel was detd. almost entirely by the genetic constitution of the endosperm. The sugary gene is recessive to its starchy allele in regard to niacin production, the concn. averaging about 60% more in sugary kernels than in starchy sibs. The Su-su locus interacts with a multiple factor system of inheritance so that sugary segregates from crosses with high-niacin starchy corn had higher concns. than similar segregates from crosses with low-niacin starchy corn. Sugary segregates from crosses of starchy corn with different sweet inbreds may differ in the degree to which the niacin concn. of sugary kernels exceeds that of the starchy sibs. This suggests a possibility of su alleles differing in their niacin influence. The possibility of recessive genes for high niacin, not associated with the sugary condition, was also suggested. Selection for higher niacin among sugary segregates from crosses of high-niacin sweets with high-niacin starches initiated strains of sweet corn with niacin concn. materially above that of the parents. Some of the physiol. implications are discussed.