Identification of Transposon Insertion Sites in Maize Mu -Tagged Mutants Using Mu-Seq.

Mutator ( Mu ) transposons facilitate untargeted insertional mutagenesis in maize by moving within the genome and disrupting genes. Such an approach has been used to generate collections such as the BonnMu resource, a Mu- tagged maize population for functional genomics studies. Mutant-Seq (Mu-Seq) is a sequencing-based method for the high-throughput identification and mapping of Mu insertion sites. The approach involves the construction of multiplexed sequencing libraries (known as Mu-Seq libraries) from Mu -tagged populations, followed by high-throughput sequencing and data processing using the Mu-Seq Workflow Utility (MuWU) tool, to determine the location of Mu insertions. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for Mu-Seq, from the generation of the maize Mu -tagged mutant population to data analysis. Researchers can use this approach to develop mutant collections customized to specific genetic backgrounds of interest, which can aid in characterizing genotype-specific mutations and identifying candidate genes linked to visible mutant phenotypes.