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Epistatic interaction is an important genetic basis of grain yield and its components in maize

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Abstract

A population of 294 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from Yuyu22, an elite maize hybrid extending broadly in China, has been constructed to investigate the genetic basis of grain yield, and associated yield components in maize. The main-effect quantitative trait loci (QTL), digenic epistatic interactions, and their interactions with the environment for grain yield and its three components were identified by using the mixed linear model approach. Thirty-two main-effect QTL and forty-four pairs of digenic epistatic interactions were detected for the four measured traits in four environments. Our results suggest that both additive effects and epistasis (additive × additive) effects are important genetic bases of grain yield and its components in the RIL population. Only 30.4% of main-effect QTL for ear length were involved in epistatic interactions. This implies that many loci in epistatic interactions may not have significant effects for traits alone but may affect trait expression by epistatic interaction with the other loci.

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Abbreviations

QTL:

Quantitative trait loci

QE:

QTL-by-environment interactions

RIL:

Recombinant inbred line

AA:

Additive interaction

AAE:

Additive × additive by environment

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the State Key Basic Research and Development Plan of China and High Technology Project of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian, Beijing, 100094, China

    X. Q. Ma, J. H. Tang, W. T. Teng, J. B. Yan, Y. J. Meng & J. S. Li

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  1. X. Q. Ma
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  2. J. H. Tang
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  3. W. T. Teng
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  6. J. S. Li
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Correspondence to J. S. Li.

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Ma, X.Q., Tang, J.H., Teng, W.T. et al. Epistatic interaction is an important genetic basis of grain yield and its components in maize. Mol Breeding 20, 41–51 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-006-9071-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-006-9071-9

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