Comparative gene expression profiles between heterotic and non-heterotic hybrids of tetraploid Medicago sativa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Heterosis, the superior performance of hybrids relative to parents, has clear agricultural value, but its genetic control is unknown. Our objective was to test the hypotheses that hybrids expressing heterosis for biomass yield would show more gene expression levels that were different from midparental values and outside the range of parental values than hybrids that do not exhibit heterosis.

Results

We tested these hypotheses in three Medicago sativa (alfalfa) genotypes and their three hybrids, two of which expressed heterosis for biomass yield and a third that did not, using Affymetrix M. truncatula GeneChip arrays. Alfalfa hybridized to approximately 47% of the M. truncatula probe sets. Probe set signal intensities were analyzed using MicroArray Suite v.5.0 (MAS

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2736959 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature