Maize was domesticated from its wild ancestor, teosinte, in southern Mexico between ~6,250 and ~10,000 years ago. The domestication of maize resulted in an extensive phenotypic change in female inflorescence (ear) structures from teosinte. MADS-box genes encode transcription factors which are key regulators of plant inflorescence and flower development. We examined DNA sequence variation in 32 ...

In previous work, the generalized pattern search (GPS) algorithm for linearly constrained (continuous) optimization was extended to mixed variable problems, in which some of the variables may be categorical. In another paper, the mesh adaptive direct search (MADS) algorithm was introduced as a generalization of GPS for problems with general nonlinear constrained. The convergence analyses of the...

MADS-domain transcription factors are involved in signal transduction and developmental control in plants, animals and fungi. Because their diversification is linked to the origin of novelties in multicellular eukaryotes, the early evolution of MADS-domain proteins is of interest, but has remained enigmatic. Employing whole genome sequence information and remote homology detection methods, we d...

We have initiated a systematic functional analysis of the MADS box, intervening region, K domain, C domain-type MADS box gene family in petunia. The starting point for this has been a reverse-genetics approach, aiming to select for transposon insertions into any MADS box gene. We have developed and applied a family signature insertion screening protocol that is highly suited for this purpose, r...

In this paper, computational and simulation results are presented for the performance of the fitness function, decision variables and CPU time of the proposed hybridization method of Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (MADS) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). MADS is a class of direct search of algorithms for nonlinear optimization. The MADS algorithm is a modification of the Pattern Search (PS) algorithm. T...

The MADS-box gene family is an important transcription factor (TF) family that is involved in various aspects of plant growth and development, especially flowering time and floral organogenesis. Although it has been reported in many plant species, the systematic identification and characterization of MADS-box TF family is still limited in radish (Raphanus sativus L.). In the present study, a co...

Africa has been a hotspot for the development of food and bioenergy crop cultivation since 2000s, leading to systematic challenges towards its ability become bioeconomy. To reduce land-use conflicts with cultivation, marginal African drylands (MADs) are proposed sustainable cropping systems (BCSs). This study reviews foremost socio-economic environmental BCSs on MADs, key principles minimizing ...

A linker PCR procedure has been developed for preparing repetitive DNA-free probes from genomic clones, which is especially efficient for members of gene families. Using this procedure as well as standard methods to prepare hybridization probes, chromosomal map positions of MADS-box genes were determined in recombinant inbred lines of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays). It appears that MADS-box genes a...

MADS-box genes in plants control various aspects of development and reproductive processes including flower formation. To obtain some insight into the roles of these genes in morphological evolution, we investigated the origin and diversification of floral MADS-box genes by conducting molecular evolutionary genetics analyses. Our results suggest that the most recent common ancestor of today's f...