Transposable elements and process for using same

A method for identifying and isolating genes from a plant comprising:

• (1) isolating genomic DNA from a plant or a plant cell carrying a transposon insertion mutation at the locus to be isolated;
• (2) cloning fragments of the genomic DNA of Step (1);
• (3) probing the cloned fragments of Step (2) with DNA sequences from a transposon isolated from maize so as to select for cloned fragments homologous to said transposon, wherein said transposon is Ac;
• (4) subcloning the sequences flanking said transposon from the clone selected out in Step (3);
• (5) probing genomic DNA fragments from plants that carry mutant and non-mutant alleles of the locus to be isolated with the subclone of Step (4) so as to identify subclones containing the gene of interest;
• (6) cloning genomic DNA fragments from plants that carry a non-mutant allele of the locus to be isolated;
• and
• (7) probing the resulting clones of Step (6) with the subclone of Step (5) so as to isolate the locus.

A method for incorporating desired genes into the genome of a plant in a heritable manner comprising:

• (1) cloning a gene to be transferred into a transposon isolated from maize or a derivative thereof, wherein said derivative comprises a transposon isolated from maize having a marker gene inserted between the terminal sequences thereof and wherein said transposon is Ac;
• (2) incorporating, into a plant, plant cell or plant protoplast:
• (a) the resulting transposon product of Step (1);
• and
• (b) a transposon possessing an active transposase, so as to cause the gene to be transferred to be affirmatively incorporated into the genome of the plant in a heritable manner.