Authors: Susanne Kohls Peter Stamp Carsten Knaak Rainer Messmer
Publish Date: 2011/04/09
Volume: 123, Issue: 2, Pages: 327-
Abstract
Partial restoration of male fertility limits the use of Ctype cytoplasmic male sterility CCMS for the production of hybrid seeds in maize Nevertheless the genetic basis of the trait is still unknown Therefore the aim to this study was to identify genomic regions that govern partial restoration by means of a QTL analysis carried out in an F2 population n = 180 This population was derived from the Corn Belt inbred lines B37C and K55 F2BC1 progenies were phenotyped at three locations in Switzerland Male fertility was rated according to the quality and number of anthers as well as the anthesissilking interval A weak effect of environment on the expression of partial restoration was reflected by high heritabilities of all fertilityrelated traits Partial restoration was inherited like an oligogenic trait Three major QTL regions were found consistently across environments in the chromosomal bins 209 306 and 703 Therefore a markerassisted counterselection of partial restoration is promising Minor QTL regions were found on chromosomes 3 4 5 6 and 8 A combination of partial restorer alleles at different QTL can lead to full restoration of fertility The maternal parent was clearly involved in the partial restoration because the restorer alleles at QTL in bins 209 604 and 703 originated from B37 The three major QTL regions collocated with other restorer genes of maize a phenomenon which seems to be typical for restorer genes Therefore a study of the clusters of restorer genes in maize could lead to a better understanding of their evolution and function In this respect the long arm of chromosome 2 is particularly interesting because it harbors restorer genes for the three major CMS systems C T and S of maizeWe are grateful to KarlHeinz Camp and Delley Seeds and Plants Ltd Delley Switzerland Mario Bertossa and Agroscope ChanginsWädenswil in Cadenazzo Switzerland and Ernst Weiss for their support of the field trials Agroscope ReckenholzTänikon Zurich Switzerland provided access to JoinMap 40 We further thank Marianne Wettstein for her excellent technical assistance and Angela Steinauer Adrian Ramseyer and Marylène Maillard for their assistance in the collection of data
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