Nucleotide sequences encoding maize RAD51

Transgenic plant product development by conventional transformation and breeding efforts is a slow and unpredictable process. Gene targeting systems can overcome problems with expression variability, unpredictable impacts of random gene insertion on agronomic performance, and the large number of experiments that need to be conducted. Such systems can also provide approaches to manipulating endogeneous genes. Of course, targeting system requires the ability to focus the recombination process to favor recovery of desired targeting events. Nucleic acid sequences encoding two RAD51 recombinases active in maize plants are provided. cDNA sequences including the ZmRAD51 coding sequences and unique 3′-untranslated regions which are useful as RFLP probes, are also provided. The production of plasmids containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding a ZmRAD51 fusion protein, as well as the use of the plasmids to introduce the ZmRAD51 coding sequence into a host cell, such as maize cell, are also disclosed.