Molecular Basis of Overdominance at a Flower Color Locus.

ABSTRACT: Single-gene overdominance is one of the major mechanisms proposed to explain heterosis (i.e., hybrid vigor), the phenomenon that hybrid offspring between two inbred lines or varieties show superior phenotypes to both parents. Although sporadic examples of single-gene overdominance have been reported over the decades, the molecular nature of this phenomenon remains poorly understood and it is unclear whether any generalizable principle underlies the various cases. Through bulk segregant analysis, chemical profiling, and transgenic experiments, we show that loss-of-function alleles of the FLAVONE SYNTHASE (FNS) gene cause overdominance in anthocyanin-based flower color intensity in the monkeyflower species Mimulus lewisii FNS negatively affects flower color intens

SUBMITTER: LaFountain AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714491 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature