Genetic Analysis of Production Characters in Lolium

A Triple Test Cross and basic generations (i.e. inbred parents, F1′s, F2′s and backcrosses) have been used to investigate the genetics of dry matter yield in a population of Lolium perenne. Two trial designs, short, individual plant drills and larger sown plots were used at each of two sites in the U.K., at Aberystwyth and Birmingham. The families studied correspond to those raised as spaced plants and reported in the first paper in this series. In contrast to the spaced plants trial, the drill trial resulted in considerable epistasis as well as additivity and dominance variation whilst the plot trial failed to identify any significant genetic variation. There was considerable G × E interaction over sites and harvests, particularly in the amount of dominance. The latter showed a clear linear relationship with mean performance at both sites, the dominance ratio being higher in the poorest environments. This is largely due to the additive variance decreasing in the poor environments rather than the dominance being higher. The implications of these results to grass breeding are discussed.     

Detection and characterization of epistasis between QTLs on plant height in rice using single segment substitution lines

Hua-jing-xian 74 and its 12 single segment substitution lines (SSSLs) in rice were used as crossing parents to construct a half diallel crossing population. A total number of 91 materials were grown under three planting densities. By analysis of average plant height (PH) over all environments 10 SSSLs were detected with significant additives and 6 SSSLs with significant dominances. These SSSLs were further tested under different densities respectively, indicating that some of single locus effects were sensitive to densities and the conditions under the density of 16.7 cm × 16.7 cm maybe inhibited the expressing of these PH QTLs. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of each four participating genotypes indicated that digenic interactions among these QTLs were prevalent. Of 66 tested interactions, about 42.4% were epistatic (P < 5%). Although some QTLs hadn’t single locus effects, they were possible to form digenic interactions. A significant finding was that the detected epistases were mostly negative. Additionally, these epistases were also found being sensitive to planting densities, the conditions under the density of 10 cm × 16.7 cm perhaps promoted the expressing of epistatic interactions among PH QTLs.     

Resistance to Leveillula taurica in pepper (Capsicum annuum) is oligogenically controlled and stable in Mediterranean regions

The resistance to Leveillula taurica from an african pepper line H3 Capsicum annuum) was evaluated and analysed, using the androgenetic haplodiploid progeny from an F₁ hybrid between H3 and a susceptible line. Tests were performed in natural infection conditions in two locations (France and Sicily). Stable behaviour of the parental and haplodiploid lines was observed in both locations, confirming the high level and stability of this resistance source in Mediterranean countries. Heritability of resistance was high and genetic analysis suggested that it is under oligogenic control. However, the number of genetic factors involved in resistance depended on infection conditions: two or three genetic factors with additive and partial dominance effects appear sufficient to confer resistance at the beginning of the epidemic or in weak infection conditions. However, additional genes are necessary to slow down further disease progress and secondary infections and at least five genetic factors are necessary to confer resistance in severe infection. In this case, both additive and epistatic effects are significant. The transfer of this resistance into cultivars will require the use of artificial inoculation procedures to control the severity of the test.     

Beyond redundant kill: A fundamental explanation of how insecticide mixtures work for resistance management

The use of insecticide mixtures for resistance management has been a controversial topic for many decades. Here, we provide a reassessment of the fundamental theory of insecticide mixtures. First, we examine how mixtures differ from other strategies. We suggest that the fundamental strategy concept of a mixture is defined by the simultaneous use of insecticides and their overlapping exposure. Second, we provide a simple, illustrative model to show how mixtures affect resistance evolution. Following the existing literature, we identify a role for ‘redundant kill’ acting against resistant individuals, which we link to the overlapping exposure of insecticides. We also identify the occurrence of ‘additional kill’ acting against susceptible individuals, which is the immediate consequence of the simultaneous use of insecticides. Third, we take a basic approach to the comparison of mixtures and other strategies using a simple model. We find that a common comparison of the time to resistance alone leaves the effects of additional kill unaccounted for. Moreover, we demonstrate that different approaches to comparison can lead to different results because of biases that are introduced in the comparison setup. Fourth, still using the same model, we showcase a more sophisticated approach to comparison using optimised strategies. We find that optimised mixtures always perform better than other strategies due to the combination of redundant and additional kill. We suggest that the comparison of optimised strategies is unbiased because each strategy is performing the best that it can. On this basis, in theory (but not necessarily practice), we believe that mixtures are better than other strategies and, through the steps of our argument, we can tie this success back to the fundamental properties (of simultaneous use and overlapping exposure) that distinguish mixtures from other strategy concepts. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Genetic mechanisms of postzygotic reproductive isolation: An epistatic network in rice

Products of interspecific crosses often show abnormal phenotypes such as sterility, weakness and inviability. These phenomena play an important role in speciation as mechanisms of postzygotic reproductive isolation (RI). During the past two decades, genetics studies in rice have characterized a number of gene loci responsible for postzygotic RI. I have identified 10 loci including three sets of epistatic networks in a single inter-subspecific cross (Oryza sativa ssp. indica × japonica). These results suggest that RI genes cause developmental dysfunction of vegetative and/or reproductive organs through a variety of molecular pathways. The latest molecular studies demonstrated that hybrid incompatibility is mainly due to deleterious interactions caused by species-specific mutations of two or more genes, mediated by proteins acting within the same molecular pathway. Because genetic interactions provide a perspective on gene function, epistatic networks are a key to the understanding of the molecular basis of postzygotic RI. In this review, I focus on recent progress in postzygotic RI studies in rice and discuss the evolutionary significance as well as implications for improving rice productivity.     

大豆粒形性状主效QTL、环境互作和上位性检测

【目的】定位大豆粒形性状的主效QTL、环境互作和QTL间上位性。【方法】以栽培大豆晋豆23为母本,半野生大豆灰布支黑豆（ZDD2315）为父本所衍生的447个RIL构建的SSR遗传图谱及混合线性模型分析方法,对3年大豆粒形性状进行主效QTL、环境互作和QTL间上位性检测。【结果】共检测到7个与粒长、粒宽、粒厚以及长宽比、长厚比和宽厚比相关的QTL,分别位于D2、C2、J_2和O连锁群上,其中粒长、长厚比和宽厚比均表现为遗传正效应,说明增加其等位基因来源于母本晋豆23。同时,检测到3对影响粒宽和宽厚比的加性×加性上位性互作效应及其与环境互作的QTL。【结论】主效QTL对粒形性状遗传产生的影响最大,上位性次之,环境互作最小,说明加性效应、加性×加性上位性互作是大豆粒形性状的重要遗传基础。     

大豆籽粒硬实加性和上位性QTL定位

硬实是植物种子的普遍特性, 是影响大豆种子发芽率、生存能力及储存期的重要数量性状, 同时影响着大豆的加工品质。本实验通过对大豆籽粒硬实性状的加性和上位性互作QTL (quantitative trait locus)分析, 明确控制大豆籽粒硬实的重要位点及效应, 旨在为进一步解析硬实性状复杂的遗传机制提供理论依据。以冀豆12和地方品种黑豆(ZDD03651)杂交构建的包含186个家系的F_6:8和F_6:9重组自交系群体为材料, 采用WinQTL Cartographer V. 2.5的复合区间作图法(composite interval mapping, CIM)定位不同年份的籽粒硬实性状相关的加性QTL, 同时采用IciMapping 4.1软件中的完备区间作图法(inclusive composite interval mapping, ICIM)检测籽粒硬实性状的加性及上位性QTL。共检测到3个籽粒硬实性状相关的加性QTL, 分别位于第2、第6和第14染色体, 遗传贡献率范围为5.54%~12.94%。同时检测到4对上位性互作QTL, 分别位于第2、第6、第9、第12和第14染色体, 可解释的表型变异率为2.53%~3.47%。同时检测到籽粒硬实性状加性及上位性互作QTL, 且上位性互作多发生在主效QTL间或主效QTL与非主效QTL间, 表明上位性互作效应在大豆籽粒硬实性状的遗传基础中具有重要的作用。     

上位性效应等水稻杂种优势理论的探讨与展望

杂种优势遗传学机理的研究一直受到人们的极大关注,其中,上位性等遗传效应在水稻等粮食作物的杂种优势形成中起着非常重要的作用,是杂种优势的重要遗传基础。此文依据显性假说和超显性假说的研究状况回顾入笔,阐述了这些观点的局限性;然后从上位性效应及杂种优势综合效应方面的研究进展展开论述,并简述了关于杂种优势理论的几种新见解,最后以杂种优势理论的相关问题进行分析与探讨,提出了笔者对该领域前景的展望。笔者期望通过此文为今后开展杂种优势基础理论尤其是上位性及综合效应研究提供一定的思路和借鉴。     

Pyramiding of partial disease resistance genes has a predictable,but diminishing,benefit to efficacy

Partial resistance genes often need to be ‘pyramided’ into a crop cultivar to obtain commercially acceptable levels of disease resistance. Analysis of data from four different wheat mapping populations, segregating for partial resistance to four contrasting foliar pathogens, showed a diminishing benefit to disease control from increasing the numbers of resistance loci in wheat lines. To test whether a general function could describe the efficacy benefit from pyramiding, a simple multiplicative survival model (MSM) was used to predict disease severities on mapping population lines carrying various combinations of two, three or four resistance loci. The effectiveness of each resistance locus was expressed as the disease severity in lines carrying resistance alleles at one locus, as a proportion of the severity in lines carrying no detectable resistance alleles. The predicted severity from any given combination of multiple resistance loci was calculated as the product of the proportional severities for the relevant single loci. A regression line fitted to transformed observed against predicted values explained 93% of the variation, with a slope and intercept not significantly different from 1 and 0, respectively. MSM may therefore provide a simple method to test contrasting types of partial resistance and search for synergistic combinations. The analysis suggests that diminishing returns are a general feature of partial resistance to foliar pathogens in wheat, a finding that is likely to apply to other crop pathosystems. Identifying and combining ever more QTL is likely to provide limited gains. The consequences of these findings for QTL analysis are described.     

甘蓝型油菜隐性上位互作核不育系的选育及其细胞学研究

【目的】利用甘蓝型油菜隐性上位互作细胞核雄性不育材料的杂种优势,阐明其雄性不育的机理。【方法】以引进的油菜杂交种"皖油14"为材料,采用自交、姊妹交、测交的方法,对其后代进行选育;通过石蜡切片法,对选育得到的纯合两型系中的可育株1740B、不育株1740A及全不育系1740CA植株的雄蕊发育特点进行细胞学观察。【结果】选育得到甘蓝型油菜隐性上位互作细胞核雄性不育材料的临保系1740C和纯合两型系1740AB。细胞学观察结果表明,可育株1740B的雄蕊发育正常,可形成成熟的花粉粒,花药发育过程主要包括孢原细胞时期、造孢细胞时期、花粉母细胞期、减数分裂期、单核花粉期、二核花粉期和三核花粉期;纯合不育株1740A的雄蕊败育发生在四分体后期,由于四分体周围的胼胝质不能解体和绒毡层细胞的径向肥大,使得四分体被挤向药室中央且原生质体浓厚,然后逐渐解体死亡,最后整个花粉囊萎缩变形;全不育系1740CA的花粉败育过程从小孢子时期到二核期均有发生,花粉细胞外只能形成极薄的一层花粉壁,绒毡层脱落并径向肥大,将花粉细胞挤向药室中央,花粉细胞质逐渐降解,细胞变形,最终变成一个无内容物的空壳。【结论】利用"临保系"进行测交选育是从定性的角度来辨别遗传分离比例的差异;甘蓝型油菜隐性上位互作细胞核雄性不育材料中,纯合不育株与杂合不育株的雄蕊败育时期及特征存在差异。