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Prevalence of segregation distortion in diploid alfalfa and its implications for genetics and breeding applications

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Abstract

Segregation distortion (SD) is often observed in plant populations; its presence can affect mapping and breeding applications. To investigate the prevalence of SD in diploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), we developed two unrelated segregating F1 populations and one F2 population. We genotyped all populations with SSR markers and assessed SD at each locus in each population. The three maps were syntenic and largely colinear with the Medicago truncatula genome sequence. We found genotypic SD for 24 and 34% of markers in the F1 populations and 68% of markers in the F2 population; distorted markers were identified on every linkage group. The smaller percentage of genotypic SD in the F1 populations could be because they were non-inbred and/or due to non-fully informative markers. For the F2 population, 60 of 90 mapped markers were distorted, and they clustered into eight segregation distortion regions (SDR). Most SDR identified in the F1 populations were also identified in the F2 population. Genotypic SD was primarily due to zygotic rather than allelic distortion, suggesting zygotic not gametic selection is the main cause of SD. On the F2 linkage map, distorted markers in all SDR except two showed heterozygote excess. The severe SD in the F2 population likely biased genetic distances among markers and possibly also marker ordering and could affect QTL mapping of agronomic traits. To reduce the effects of SD and non-fully informative markers, we suggest constructing linkage maps and conducting QTL mapping in advanced generation populations.

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Acknowledgment

This research was funded by the USDA-DOE Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy program, award # 2009-65504-05809 to ECB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA

    Xuehui Li, Yanling Wei & E. Charles Brummer

  2. School of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China

    Xiaojuan Wang

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  1. Xuehui Li
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  2. Xiaojuan Wang
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  3. Yanling Wei
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  4. E. Charles Brummer
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Correspondence to E. Charles Brummer.

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Communicated by J. Yu.

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Li, X., Wang, X., Wei, Y. et al. Prevalence of segregation distortion in diploid alfalfa and its implications for genetics and breeding applications. Theor Appl Genet 123, 667–679 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-011-1617-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-011-1617-5

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