Comparative physical mapping of the apospory-specific genomic region in two apomictic grasses: Pennisetum squamulatum and Cenchrus ciliaris.

ABSTRACT: In gametophytic apomicts of the aposporous type, each cell of the embryo sac is genetically identical to somatic cells of the ovule because they are products of mitosis, not of meiosis. The egg of the aposporous embryo sac follows parthenogenetic development into an embryo; therefore, uniform progeny result even from heterozygous plants, a trait that would be valuable for many crop species. Attempts to introgress apomixis from wild relatives into major crops through traditional breeding have been hindered by low or no recombination within the chromosomal region governing this trait (the apospory-specific genomic region or ASGR). The lack of recombination also has been a major obstacle to positional cloning of key genes. To further delineate and characterize the nonrecombinant ASGR, we have

SUBMITTER: Goel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1461418 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature