Maize Cellulose Synthases and Uses Thereof

An isolated nucleic acid comprising a member selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a polynucleotide having at least 80% sequence identity, as determined by the BLAST 2.0 algorithm under default parameters, to a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:
• 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54 and 58
• (b) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of SEQ ID NOS:
• 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54 and 58
• (c) a polynucleotide amplified from a Zea mays nucleic acid library using primers which selectively hybridize, under stringent hybridization conditions, to loci within a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:
• 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53 and 57
• (d) a polynucleotide which selectively hybridizes, under stringent hybridization conditions and a wash in 2×SSC at 50° C., to a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NOS:
• 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53 and 57
• (e) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NOS:
• 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53 and 57
• (f) a polynucleotide which is complementary to a polynucleotide of (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e);
• and
• (g) a polynucleotide comprising at least 25 contiguous nucleotides from a polynucleotide of (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f).