Abstract
Novel Brassica napus somatic hybrids have been created through protoplast fusion of B. oleracea var. botrytis and B. rapa var. oleifera genotypes selected for high erucic acid (22:1) content in the seed oil. Fifty amphidiploids (aacc) and one putative hexaploid (aacccc) hybrid were recovered in one fusion experiment. Conversely, only one amphidiploid and numerous regenerates with higher DNA contents were produced in a similar fusion using a different B. rapa partner. Hybridity was confirmed by morphology, isozyme expression, flow cytometry, and DNA hybridization. Analysis of organellar DNA revealed a distinct bias toward the inheritance of chloroplasts from the B. rapa (aa) genome. All amphidiploids set self-pollinated seed. A erucic acid content as high as 57.4% was found in the seed oil of one regenerated plant. Fatty acid composition was stable in the R1 generation and was coupled with increased female fertility. Other novel agronomic characters in the hybrids recovered include large seed size, lodging resistance, and non-shattering seed pods.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong EL, Nicol HI (1991) Reducing height and lodging in rapeseed with growth regulators. Aust J Exp Agric 31: 245–250
Arumuganathan K, Earle ED (1991) Estimation of nuclear DNA amounts of plants by flow cytometry. Plant Mol Biol Rep 9:229–241
Arus P, Orton TJ (1983) Inheritance and linkage relationships of isozyme loci in Brassica oleracea. J Hered 74:405–412
Auld DL, Mahler KA, LeTourneau DJ (1988) Evaluation of the USDA collection of Brassica for fatty acid composition and glucosinolate content. Idaho Agric Exp Stn Misc Ser 141
Bennett MD (1971) The duration of meiosis. Phil Trans Roy Soc Lond Ser B178:277–299
Bodnaryk RP, Lamb RJ (1991) Influence of seed size in canola (Brassica napus L.) and mustard (Sinapis alba L.) on seedling resistance against flea beetles (Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze). Can J Plant Sci 71:397–404
Chen BY, Gertsson B (1988) Genotypes for high oleic acid content (about 80%) in the oil of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) Eucarpia Cruciferae Newslett 13:46–47
Chen BY, Heneen WK (1989) Fatty acid composition of resynthesized Brassica napus L., B. campestris L. and B. alboglabra Bailey with special reference to the inheritance of erucic acid content. Heredity 63:309–314
Church GM, Gilbert W (1984) Genomic sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:1991–1995
Dorrell DG, Downey RK (1964) The inheritance of erucic acid content in rapeseed (Brassica campestris). Can J Plant Sci 44:499–504
Glimelius K, Fahlesson J, Sjodin C, Sundberg E, Djupsjobacka M (1986) Somatic hybridization and cybridization as potential methods for widening of the gene-pools of crops within Brassicaceae and Solanaceae. In: Horn, Jensen, Odenbach, Schieder (eds) Genetic manipulation in plant breeding. Walter de Gruyter and Co., Berlin, pp 663–682
Harvey BL, Downey RK (1964) The inheritance of erucic acid content in rapeseed (Brassica napus). Can J Plant Sci 44:104–111
Heather DW (1993) Fatty acid modification and other improvements in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) through sexual and somatic hybridization. PhD Dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Heather DW, Sieczka JB (1991) Effect of seed size and cultivar on emergence and stand establishment of broccoli in crusted soil. J Am Soc Hort Sci 116:946–949
Jourdan PS, Earle ED, Mutschler MA (1989) Synthesis of malesterile, triazine-resistant Brassica napus by somatic hybridization between cytoplasmic male-sterile B. oleracea and atrazine-resistant B. campestris. Theor Appl Genet 78:445–455
Mahler KA, Auld DL (1989) Fatty acid composition of 2100 accessions of Brassica. Idaho Agric Exp Stn Misc Ser 125
Menczel L, Wolfe K (1984) High frequency of fusion induced in freely suspended protoplast mixtures by polyethylene glycol and dimethylsulfoxide at high pH. Plant Cell Rep 3:196–198
Murashige T, Skoog F (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol Plant 15: 473–497
Ozminkowski RH Jr (1992) Comparison of sexual and somatic interspecific hybridization in Brassica. PhD Dissertation, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, Ohio
Pelletier G, Primard C, Vedel F, Chetrit P, Remy R, Rousselle P, Renard, M (1983) Intergeneric cytoplasmic hybridization in Cruciferae by protoplast fusion. Mol Gen Genet 191: 244–250
Pryde EH, Rothfus JA (1989) Industrial and nonfood uses for vegetable oils. In: Robbelen G, Downey RK, Ashri A (eds), Oil Crops of the World. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., New York, pp 87–117
Quazi MH (1988) Interspecific hybrids between Brassica napus L. and B. oleracea L. developed by embryo culture. Theor Appl Genet 75:309–318
Robertson D, Earle ED (1986) Plant regeneration from leaf protoplasts of Brassica oleracea var. italica cv Green Comet broccoli. Plant Cell Rep 5:61–64
Robertson D, Palmer JD, Earle ED, Mutschler MA (1987) Analysis of organelle genomes in a somatic hybrid derived from cytoplasmic male-sterile Brassica oleracea and atrazine-resistant B. campestris. Theor Appl Genet 74:303–309
Schenck HR, Robbelen G (1982) Somatic hybrids by fusion of protoplasts from Brassica oleracea and B. campestris. Z. Pflanzenzuchtg 89:278–288
Sheldrake R, Boodley JW (1973) Cornell peat-lite mixes for commercial plant growing. Coop Ext IB 43, N. Y. State College of Agric and Life Sci, Cornell Univ, Ithaca, New York
Shure M, Wessier S, Fedoroff N (1983) Molecular identification and isolation of the Waxy locus in maize. Cell 35:235–242
Siderov VA, Menczel L, Nagy F, Maliga P (1981) Chloroplast transfer in Nicotiana based on metabolic complementation between irradiated and iodoacetate-treated protoplasts. Planta 152:341–345
Sundberg E, Glimelius K (1991) Effects of parental ploidy level and genetic divergence on chromosome elimination and chloroplast segregation in somatic hybrids within Brassicaceae. Theor Appl Genet 83:81–88
Sundberg E, Landgren M, Glimelius K (1987) Fertility and chromosome stability in Brassica napus resythesized by protoplast fusion. Theor Appl Genet 75:96–104
Taguchi T, Kameya T (1986) Production of somatic hybrid plants between cabbage and Chinese cabbage through protoplast fusion. Jpn J Breed 36:185–189
Terada R, Yamashita Y, Nishibayashi S, Shimamoto K (1987) Somatic hybrids between Brassica oleracea and B. campestris: selection by the use of iodoacetamide inactivation and regeneration ability. Theor Appl Genet 73:379–384
Thomzik JE, Hain R (1988) Transfer and segregation of triazinetolerant chloroplasts in Brassica napus L. Theor Appl Genet 76:165–171
Walters TW, Earle ED (1990) A simple, versatile feeder layer system for Brassica oleracea protoplast culture. Plant Cell Rep 9:316–319
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by Y. Gleba
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heath, D.W., Earle, E.D. Synthesis of high erucic acid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) somatic hybrids with improved agronomic characters. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 91, 1129–1136 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223931
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223931