Sequence, assembly and annotation of Bayer Crop Science’s maize inbred line LH244. LH244 Bayer

Access to elite, transformable germplasm is required to design and maintain commercial biotechnology pipelines. Product pipelines typically use transformable germplasm to initially introduce the novel variant, which is then crossed into broad, diverse germplasm lines relevant to the geographies where the product will be grown. Effective transformation pipelines are valuable for product development in the Ag industry but are also important for serving the scientific community by enabling basic science research through gene and pathway discovery and characterization. Bayer Crop Science, in collaboration with NRGene and the University of Wisconsin, reports the release of the LH244 inbred maize transformation line germplasm and assembled reference genome to academic research communities. LH244 is a commercially relevant inbred line that is readily transformable, thus making it a complete resource for genomic and genetic exploration. In this manuscript we describe the annotated genome and a physiological description of the line. In addition, we will share insights into the unique features of the LH244 genome, transformability and physiology that make it a foundation resource for the maize research.