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Dissection of the genetic basis of heterosis in an elite maize hybrid by QTL mapping in an immortalized F2 population

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Abstract

The genetic basis of heterosis for grain yield and its components was investigated at the single- and two-locus levels using molecular markers with an immortalized F2 (IF2) population, which was developed by pair crosses among recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the elite maize hybrid Yuyu22. Mid-parent heterosis of each cross in the IF2 population was used to map heterotic quantitative trait loci. A total of 13 heterotic loci (HL) were detected. These included three HL for grain yield, seven for ear length, one for ear row number and two for 100-kernel weight. A total of 143 digenic interactions contributing to mid-parent heterosis were detected at the two-locus level involving all three types of interactions (additive × additive = AA, additive × dominance = AD or DA, dominance × dominance = DD). There were 25 digenic interactions for grain yield, 36 for ear length, 31 for ear row number and 51 for 100-kernel weight. Altogether, dominance effects of HL at the single-locus level as well as AA interactions played an important role in the genetic basis of heterosis for grain yield and its components in Yuyu22.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the State Key Basic Research and Development Plan of China. B.S. Dhillon and A.E. Melchinger were financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the priority program SPP 1149 "Heterosis in Plants" (Research Grant ME931/4-3). The authors appreciate Dr. Qifa Zhang for providing a computer program to analyze the digenic interactions, and Dr. J. Dudley for critical reading of the manuscript and helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China

    Jihua Tang, Jianbing Yan, Xiqing Ma, Wentao Teng, Jingrui Dai & Jiansheng Li

  2. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600, Mexico, D.F., Mexico

    Jianbing Yan

  3. Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, 310029, Hangzhou, China

    Weiren Wu

  4. Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    Baldev S. Dhillon & Albrecht E. Melchinger

Authors
  1. Jihua Tang
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  2. Jianbing Yan
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  3. Xiqing Ma
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  4. Wentao Teng
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  5. Weiren Wu
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  6. Jingrui Dai
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  7. Baldev S. Dhillon
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  8. Albrecht E. Melchinger
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  9. Jiansheng Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiansheng Li.

Additional information

Communicated by C. Schön.

Contribution to the special issue “Heterosis in Plants”.

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Tang, J., Yan, J., Ma, X. et al. Dissection of the genetic basis of heterosis in an elite maize hybrid by QTL mapping in an immortalized F2 population. Theor Appl Genet 120, 333–340 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1213-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1213-0

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