Co-heritability: Its relation to correlated response,linkage, and pleiotropy in cases of polygenic inheritance

Summary The concept of co-heritability is proposed in order to describe the genetic associations within pairs of quantitative traits. The mathematical relations between co-heritability, correlated response, and the coefficient of genetic prediction are shown. From observations in a diallel experiment with 10 year-old slash pine it appeared that the genetic association of a character pair is a phenomenon of low genetic variability and high inheritance. Exploratory indicators are proposed to estimate the nature of the genetic association.     

Genetic analysis in Chrysanthemum morifolium. II. Flower doubleness and ray floret corolla splitting

Summary The inheritance of flower doubleness and floret corolla shape was studied in 70 F₁ populations from 16 parents. Singleness is partially dominant over doubleness. The overall segregation for doubleness in crosses of the type double × single was 29% single, 58% semi double and 12% double. The percentages varied with the parents.The anemone flower type is inherited as if it were a single. Crosses between plants with ligulate (split lengthwise) and tubular corollas produced ligulate, tubular and intermediate types in various ratios depending on the parents used. Flower doubleness and corolla shape are not linked.     

Effect of genome composition and cytoplasm on petal colour in resynthesized amphidiploids and sesquidiploids derived from crosses between Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea

The effect of genome composition and cytoplasm on petal colour was studied in Brassica. Three accessions of yellow‐petalled B. rapa (2n= 20, AA) were crossed with a white‐petalled B. oleracea var. alboglabra (2n= 18, CC) and with three cream‐yellow‐petalled B. oleracea var. gongylodes (2n= 18, CC) to produce resynthesized B. napus (2n= 38, AACC or CCAA) and sesquidiploids (2n= 29, AAC or CAA). Petal colour was measured with a Hunter automatic colour difference meter. The results revealed that petal colour in Brassica is controlled by nuclear genes and by cytoplasmic factors. Additive and epistatic gene effects were involved in the action of nuclear genes. When crosses were made between yellow‐petalled B. rapa and white‐petalled B. oleracea var. alboglabra, significant additive, epistatic and cytoplasmic effects were found. White petal colour was partially epistatic over yellow petal colour. When crosses were made between yellow‐petalled B. rapa and cream‐yellow‐petalled B. oleracea var. gongylodes, only epistatic effects were detected. Yellow petal colour was epistatic over cream‐yellow.     

Large yield differences between reciprocal families of Solanum tuberosum

Summary A number of reports have indicated differences in reciprocal families of Solanum tuberosum when intergroup hybrids were studied. Questions have been raised concerning the potential magnitude, frequency, and genetic basis for such differences. In this study, exact reciprocal crosses were made using parents characterized by different maturities and having different cytoplasmic sources within Solanum tuberosum in order to substantiate previous claims of reciprocal differences and to clarify the nature of such differences.Field trials revealed reciprocal differences which were large and highly significant. Reciprocal yield differences of up to 115% were observed when parents of opposite maturities were used. In seven crosses, the higher-yielding reciprocal always had the higher-yielding parent as the maternal parent. Significant reciprocal differences for flowering and vine maturity were also observed between some families. The F₂ populations were generated for one set of reciprocals and the reciprocal differences in the F₂ generation seemed to be substantially reduced relative to the F₁ generation.It is concluded that the occurrence of large reciprocal differences seems to depend more upon having parents of opposite maturity than upon the taxonomic origin of the parent's cytoplasm. This, in conjunction with the reduced F₂ reciprocal differences, suggests that observed differences may be due to very persistent maternal effects or a type of dauermodification, rather than true cytoplasmic inheritance.Cooperative Investigation of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration. Agricultural Research and the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Variation in inheritance of resistance to sorghum midge, Stenodiplosis sorghicola across locations in India and Kenya

Sorghum midge [Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Coquillett)] is an important pest of grain sorghum, and host plant resistance is one of the important components for the management of this pest. We studied the inheritance of resistance to this insect involving a diverse array of midge-resistant and midge-susceptible genotypes in India and Kenya. Testers IS 15107, TAM 2566, and DJ 6514, which were highly resistant to sorghum midge in India, showed a greater susceptibility to this insect in Kenya. The maintainer lines ICSB 88019 and ICSB 88020 were highly resistant to sorghum midge in India, but showed a susceptible reaction in Kenya; while ICSB 42 was susceptible at both the locations. General combining ability (GCA) effects for susceptibility to sorghum midge for ICSA 88019 and ICSA 88020 were significant and negative in India, but such effects were non-significant in Kenya. The GCA effects of ICSB 42 for susceptibility to sorghum midge were significant and positive at both the locations. The GCA effects were significant and positive for Swarna, and such effects for IS 15107 and TAM 2566 were negative at both the locations. GCA effect of DJ 6514 were significant and negative in India, but non-significant and positive in Kenya; while those of AF 28 were significant and positive during the 1994 season in India, but significant and negative in Kenya. Inheritance of resistance to sorghum midge is largely governed by additive type of gene action. Testers showing resistance to sorghum midge in India and/or Kenya did not combine with ICSA 88019 and ICSA 88020 to produce midge-resistant hybrids in Kenya. Therefore, it is essential to transfer location specific resistance into both parents to produce midge-resistant hybrids.     

Broad-few-leaflets and outwardly curved wings: two new mutants of chickpea

This study was aimed at the induction of morphological mutations for increasing genetic variability and making available additional genetic markers for linkage studies in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). A wilt‐resistant, well‐adapted chickpea cultivar of central India,‘JG 315’(Jawahar gram 315), was used for the induction of mutations. Seeds presoaked in distilled water for 2 h were treated with ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) using six different concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6%) and two different durations (6 and 8 h). Several morphological mutants were identified in M₂. One of the mutants, isolated from a treatment of 0.3% EMS for 8 h, had five to nine large leaflets per leaf in comparison with 11‐17 normal‐sized leaflets per leaf observed in the parental cultivar ‘JG 315′. The mutant was designated broad‐few‐leaflets. Many leaves of this mutant showed a cluster of three to five overlapping leaflets at the terminal end. The other mutant, designated outwardly curved wings, was isolated from the 0.5% EMS treatment for 6 h. In this mutant, the wings were curved outwards, exposing the keel petal, while the wings in typical chickpea flowers are incurved and enclose the keel. The lines developed from the broad‐few‐leaflets and outwardly curved wings mutants were named JGM 4 (Jawahar gram mutant 4) and JGM 5, respectively. Inheritance studies indicated that each of these mutant traits is governed by a single recessive gene. The gene for broad‐few‐leaflets was designated bfl and the gene for outwardly curved wings was designated ocw. The locus bfl was found to be linked with the locus lg (light green foliage) with a map distance of 18.7 ± 6.3 cM.     

Inheritance of reduced plant height in the sunflower line Dw 89

The objective of the present research was to study the inheritance of reduced plant height in the sunflower line Dw 89. Plants of the cytoplasmic male sterile version of this line, cmsDw 89 (mean plant height of 47.4 cm) were crossed with plants of the restorer line RHA 271 (mean of 120.9 cm). F₁ plants averaged 120.4 cm, which indicated dominance of standard over reduced plant height. F₂ plants followed a segregation pattern of 1 : 15 (reduced : normal height), suggesting that reduced plant height in Dw 89 is controlled by alleles at two loci, designated Dw1 and Dw2. Class assignment in the F₂ was confirmed through the evaluation of the F₃ generation. Backcrosses to Dw 89 segregated with 1 : 3 (reduced : normal height) ratios, which confirmed the digenic inheritance of the trait. The evaluation of plant height distributions in F₃ families suggested possible genetic interaction between the Dw1 and Dw2 loci.     

Evaluation of maternal parent and puroindoline allele on kernel texture in a reciprocal cross between two hard spring wheat cultivars

Kernel texture is an important characteristic for both the milling and the end-use quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Gene sequence variation and mutations to the two puroindoline genes (Pina and Pinb), located at the Ha locus on chromosome 5DS, account for the majority of variation in wheat kernel texture. Other factors also influence kernel texture, including effects associated with different maternal parent backgrounds. To investigate the effect of two hard puroindoline alleles in different maternal backgrounds, a population of 228 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a reciprocal cross between two wheat cultivars ID377s (Pina-D1b/Pinb-D1a) and Klasic (Pina-D1a/Pinb-D1b) were examined in two succeeding generations (F₇ & F₈). Kernel texture was determined using the Single Kernel Characterization System (SKCS) and the RIL puroindoline haplotype was identified by the sequence-specific PCR amplification of each gene. Analysis of variance identified a significant (P 0.001) effect of the maternal parent and puroindoline mutation on kernel texture. RILs containing the Pina-D1b mutation were significantly harder than lines containing the Pinb-D1b mutation. RILs which had Klasic as the maternal parent were significantly harder than those which had ID377s as the maternal parent. When the maternal parent and puroindoline allele were analyzed in combination, RILs derived from Klasic as the maternal parent and the Pina-D1b allele were significantly harder (P 0.001) than those containing the same allele but ID377s as the maternal parent. The same occurred for RILs containing the Pinb-D1b allele, lines with Klasic as the maternal parent were harder than lines with ID377s as the maternal parent. These results corroborate the harder phenotype of the Pina-D1b allele and indicate a significant maternally-inherited contribution to kernel texture variation.     

Resynthesis of Brassica napus L. for self-incompatibility: self-incompatibility reaction, inheritance and breeding potential

Self-incompatibility (SI) in Brassica has been considered as a pollination control mechanism for commercial hybrid seed production, and so far has been extensively used in vegetable types of Brassicas. Oilseed rape Brassica napus (AACC) is naturally self-compatible in contrast to its parental species that are generally self-incompatible. Introduction of S-alleles from its parental species into oilseed rape is therefore needed to use this pollination control mechanism in commercial hybrid seed production. Self-incompatible lines of B. napus , carrying SI alleles in both A and C genomes, were resynthesized from self-incompatible B. oleracea var. italica (CC) cv.'Green Duke' and self-incompatible B. rapa ssp. oleifera (AA) cv. 'Horizon', 'Colt' and 'AC Parkland'. All resynthesized B. napus lines exhibited strong dominant SI phenotype. Reciprocal cross-compatibility was found between some of these self-incompatible lines. The inheritance of S-alleles in these resynthesized B. napus was digenic confirming that each of the parental genomes contributed one S-locus in the resynthesized B. napus lines. However, the presence of two S-loci in the two genomes was found not to be essential for imparting a strong SI phenotype. Possible use of these dominant self-incompatible resynthesized B. napus lines in hybrid breeding is discussed.     

Inheritance studies of caffeine and theobromine content of Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in Misiones, Argentina

In order to start a genetic improvement program for quality in the Mate crop (Ilex paraguariensis), it was attempted to estimate the actual genetic parameters of caffeine, theobromine and related quality traits, using available progeny tests in Misiones, Argentina. Using cluster analysis, eight groups of similar characteristics could be identified, and individual within full-sib family selection for quality was performed. Additive effects were strong for caffeine but weak for theobromine. Co-heritability between caffeine and theobromine was positive, suggesting that additive genetic correlations and dominance correlations are concurring. The strong influence of paternal progenitors regarding caffeine needs more research. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.