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Agronomic and molecular analysis of heterosis in alfalfa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2011

C. Scotti*
Affiliation:
CRA-FLC Centro per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Lodi, Italy
M. Carelli
Affiliation:
CRA-FLC Centro per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Lodi, Italy
O. Calderini
Affiliation:
CNR-Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Perugia, Italy
F. Panara
Affiliation:
CNR-Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Perugia, Italy
P. Gaudenzi
Affiliation:
CRA-FLC Centro per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Lodi, Italy
E. Biazzi
Affiliation:
CRA-FLC Centro per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Lodi, Italy
S. May
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LoughboroughLE12 5RD, UK
N. Graham
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, LoughboroughLE12 5RD, UK
F. Paolocci
Affiliation:
CNR-Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Perugia, Italy
S. Arcioni
Affiliation:
CNR-Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Perugia, Italy
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: carla.scotti@entecra.it

Abstract

Double ‘free-hybrids’ (DH) in alfalfa were obtained by crossing in a diallelic scheme, six multiplied simple hybrids (SH) derived from four partly inbred (S2) lines. Analysis of the specific combining ability demonstrated that the main source of variation was for dry matter yield (DMY) in DHs and supported heterosis values of DHs versus the best parent of an average +45% (ranging from +5 to +76%). Investigation at the molecular level was carried out by analysis of simple sequence repeat markers on the six parental SHs and 15 DH progenies and by comparison of gene expression profiles using microarrays of a single DH line to its parental lines. The variation of heterozygosity estimates of the DHs explained a small part (about 20%) of their variation in DMY, while the number of alleles was significantly related to DM performance (r = 0.61; P < 0.05). The microarray analysis identified genes with both significant additive and non-additive levels of expression in the hybrid compared with the parents. The majority of the variation in gene expression was additive (87%), but among the genes with a non-additive pattern of expression, the greater proportion of probe sets (86%) fell outside the parental range. Gene ontology analysis of these genes revealed the presence of a number of terms related to metabolism and genetic information processing.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2011

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References

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