Project description:F1 hybrids can outperform their parents in yield and vegetative biomass, features of hybrid vigor which form the basis of the hybrid seed industry. The yield advantage of the F1 is lost in the F2 and subsequent generations. In Arabidopsis, from F2 plants which have a F1 –like phenotype, we have by recurrent selection produced pure breeding F5/F6 lines “Hybrid Mimics”, in which the characteristics of the F1 Hybrid are stabilized. These Hybrid Mimic lines, like the F1 Hybrid, have larger leaves than the parent plant, the leaves having increased photosynthetic cell numbers, and in some lines increased size of cells, suggesting an increased supply of photosynthate. A comparison of the differentially expressed genes in the F1 Hybrid with those of eight Hybrid Mimic lines has identified metabolic pathways altered in both; these pathways include down regulation of defense response pathways and altered abiotic response pathways. F6 Hybrid Mimic lines are mostly homozygous at each locus in the genome yet retain the large F1-like phenotype. Many alleles in the F6 plants, when they are homozygous, have expression levels different to the level in the parent. We consider this altered expression to be a consequence of trans-regulation of genes from one parent by genes from the other parent. Transregulation could also arise from epigenetic modifications in the F1. The pure breeding Hybrid Mimics have been valuable in probing the mechanisms of hybrid vigor and may also prove to be useful hybrid vigor equivalents in agriculture.
Project description:F1 hybrids can outperform their parents in yield and vegetative biomass, features of hybrid vigor which form the basis of the hybrid seed industry. The yield advantage of the F1 is lost in the F2 and subsequent generations. In Arabidopsis, from F2 plants which have a F1 –like phenotype, we have by recurrent selection produced pure breeding F5/F6 lines “Hybrid Mimics”, in which the characteristics of the F1 Hybrid are stabilized. These Hybrid Mimic lines, like the F1 Hybrid, have larger leaves than the parent plant, the leaves having increased photosynthetic cell numbers, and in some lines increased size of cells, suggesting an increased supply of photosynthate. A comparison of the differentially expressed genes in the F1 Hybrid with those of eight Hybrid Mimic lines has identified metabolic pathways altered in both; these pathways include down regulation of defense response pathways and altered abiotic response pathways. F6 Hybrid Mimic lines are mostly homozygous at each locus in the genome yet retain the large F1-like phenotype. Many alleles in the F6 plants, when they are homozygous, have expression levels different to the level in the parent. We consider this altered expression to be a consequence of trans-regulation of genes from one parent by genes from the other parent. Transregulation could also arise from epigenetic modifications in the F1. The pure breeding Hybrid Mimics have been valuable in probing the mechanisms of hybrid vigor and may also prove to be useful hybrid vigor equivalents in agriculture.
Project description:F1 hybrids in Arabidopsis and crops species are uniform and high yielding. The F2 generation loses much of the yield advantage and the plants have heterogeneous phenotypes. We generated pure breeding Hybrid Mimic lines by recurrent selection and also selected a pure breeding Small phenotype line. The Hybrid Mimics are almost completely homozygous with chromosome segments from each parent. Four particular chromosomal segments from C24 and eight from Ler were present in all of the Hybrid Mimic lines whereas in the F6 Small phenotype line the 12 segments were each derived from the alternative parent. Loci critical for promoting hybrid vigor may be contained in each of these 12 conserved segments. We have identified genes with similar altered expression in Hybrid Mimics and F1 plants but not in the Small phenotype line. These genes may be critical for the generation of hybrid vigour. Analysis of transcriptomes indicated that increased expression of the transcription factor PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF4) may contribute to hybrid vigor by targeting the auxin biosynthesis gene YUCCA8 and the auxin signalling gene IAA29. A number of auxin responsive genes promoting leaf growth were upregulated in the F1 hybrids and Hybrid Mimics suggesting increased auxin biosynthesis and signaling contribute to the hybrid phenotype. The Hybrid Mimic seeds had earlier germination as did the seeds of the F1 hybrids indicating co-segregation of the genes for rosette size and the germination trait. Early germination may be an indicator of vigorous hybrids.
Project description:Hybrid breeding is of economic importance in agriculture for increasing yield, yet the basis of the heterosis is not well understood. In Arabidopsis, crosses between different accessions produce hybrids with varied levels of heterosis relative to parental phenotypes in biomass. In all hybrids the advantages of the F1 hybrid is lost in the F2 for both phenotypic uniformity and yield gain. Success in generating F5/F6 Hybrid Mimic from the cross between C24 and Landsberg erecta (Ler) demonstrated that the large plant phenotype of the F1 hybrids can be stabilized. Hybrid Mimics selection was applied to Wassilewskija (Ws)/Ler and Col/Ler hybrids. The two hybrids showing different levels of heterosis. At 30 DAS, the Col/Ler hybrid generated Hybrid Mimics with rosette diameter and fresh weight equivalent to the F1 hybrid; Ws/Ler Hybrid Mimics outperformed the F1 hybrids in both the rosette size and biomass. Transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of cell wall biosynthesis and expansion genes could be a common pathway in increased size in Arabidopsis hybrids and Hybrid Mimics. Intercross of two independent Hybrid Mimic lines can further increase the biomass gain. Our results encourage the use of Hybrid Mimics for breeding and for investigating the molecular basis of heterosis.
Project description:Heterosis is a fundamental biological phenomenon characterized by the superior performance of a hybrid over its parents in many traits, but the underlying molecular basis remains elusive. To investigate whether DNA methylation plays a role in heterosis, we compared at single base-pair resolution the DNA methylomes of Arabidopsis Ler and C24 parental lines and their reciprocal F1 hybrids that exhibited heterosis for many quantitative traits. Both hybrids displayed increased DNA methylation across their entire genomes, especially in transposable elements. Interestingly, we found that increased methylation of the hybrid genomes predominantly occurred in regions that were differentially methylated in the two parents and covered by small RNAs (sRNAs), implying that the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway may direct DNA methylation in hybrids. In addition, we found that 77 genes sensitive to remodeling of DNA methylation were transcriptionally repressed in both reciprocal hybrids, including genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and two circadian oscillator genes, CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL. Moreover, growth vigor of F1 hybrids was compromised by treatment with an agent that demethylates DNA, and by abolishing production of functional small RNAs due to mutations in Arabidopsis RNA methyltransferase HUA ENHANCER1. Together, our data suggest that genome-wide remodeling of DNA methylation directed by the RdDM pathway may play a role in hybrid vigor. Examination of DNA methylation by Bisulfite sequencing in 2 Arabidopsis ecotypes and their reciprocal hybrids.
Project description:Heterosis is a fundamental biological phenomenon characterized by the superior performance of a hybrid over its parents in many traits, but the underlying molecular basis remains elusive. To investigate whether DNA methylation plays a role in heterosis, we compared at single base-pair resolution the DNA methylomes of Arabidopsis Ler and C24 parental lines and their reciprocal F1 hybrids that exhibited heterosis for many quantitative traits. Both hybrids displayed increased DNA methylation across their entire genomes, especially in transposable elements. Interestingly, we found that increased methylation of the hybrid genomes predominantly occurred in regions that were differentially methylated in the two parents and covered by small RNAs (sRNAs), implying that the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway may direct DNA methylation in hybrids. In addition, we found that 77 genes sensitive to remodeling of DNA methylation were transcriptionally repressed in both reciprocal hybrids, including genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and two circadian oscillator genes, CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL. Moreover, growth vigor of F1 hybrids was compromised by treatment with an agent that demethylates DNA, and by abolishing production of functional small RNAs due to mutations in Arabidopsis RNA methyltransferase HUA ENHANCER1. Together, our data suggest that genome-wide remodeling of DNA methylation directed by the RdDM pathway may play a role in hybrid vigor.
Project description:Small RNAs (sRNAs) are hypothesized to contribute to hybrid vigor because they maintain genome integrity, contribute to genetic diversity, and control gene expression. We used Illumina sequencing to assess how sRNA populations vary between two maize inbred lines (B73, Mo17) and their hybrid. We sampled sRNAs from the seedling shoot apex and the developing ear, two rapidly growing tissues that program the greater growth of maize hybrids. We found that parental differences in siRNAs primarily originate from repeat regions. Although the maize genome contains greater number and complexity of repeats compared to Arabidopsis or rice, we confirmed that like these simpler plant genomes, 24-nt siRNAs whose abundance differs between maize parents also show a trend of downregulation following hybridization. Surprisingly, hybrid vigor is fully maintained when 24-nt siRNAs are globally reduced by mutation of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase2 (RDR2) encoded by modifier of paramutation1 (mop1). We also discovered that 21-22nt siRNAs derived from a number of distinct retrotransposon families differentially accumulate between B73 and Mo17 as well as their hybrid. Thus, maize possesses a novel source of genetic variation for regulating both transposons and genes at a genomic scale, which may contribute to its high degree of observed heterosis.
Project description:Heterosis is a fundamental biological phenomenon characterized by the superior performance of a hybrid over its parents in many traits, but the underlying molecular basis remains elusive. To investigate whether DNA methylation plays a role in heterosis, we compared at single base-pair resolution the DNA methylomes of Arabidopsis Ler and C24 parental lines and their reciprocal F1 hybrids that exhibited heterosis for many quantitative traits. Both hybrids displayed increased DNA methylation across their entire genomes, especially in transposable elements. Interestingly, we found that increased methylation of the hybrid genomes predominantly occurred in regions that were differentially methylated in the two parents and covered by small RNAs (sRNAs), implying that the RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway may direct DNA methylation in hybrids. In addition, we found that 77 genes sensitive to remodeling of DNA methylation were transcriptionally repressed in both reciprocal hybrids, including genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and two circadian oscillator genes, CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL. Moreover, growth vigor of F1 hybrids was compromised by treatment with an agent that demethylates DNA, and by abolishing production of functional small RNAs due to mutations in Arabidopsis RNA methyltransferase HUA ENHANCER1. Together, our data suggest that genome-wide remodeling of DNA methylation directed by the RdDM pathway may play a role in hybrid vigor. Examination of small RNA sequencing in 2 Arabidopsis ecotypes and their reciprocal hybrids.