Project description:In this study, we grew three tetraploid alfalfa hybrids, two of which expressed heterosis for biomass yield in field experiments and a third that did not, and assessed global gene expression using Affymetrix Medicago GeneChip arrays. With these data, we tested the hypotheses that (i) more nonadditively expressed genes would be identified in heterotic than non-heterotic hybrids when hybrids were compared to their respective parents, (ii) more over- and under-dominant gene expression would be observed in heterotic than non-heterotic hybrids, and (iii) the two heterotic hybrids would have similar expression profiles.
Project description:Many animal and plant species exhibit increased growth rates, reach larger sizes and, in the cases of crops and farm animals, produce higher yields when bred as hybrids between genetically differing strains, a phenomenon known as hybrid vigour or heterosis. Despite the importance of heterosis, and its extensive genetic analysis, there has been little understanding of its molecular basis. We aimed to determine whether characteristics of the leaf transcriptome, as an indicator of the innate functional genetic architecture of a plant line, could be used as markers to predict heterosis and the performance of hybrids, a methodology we term Association Transcriptomics. Relationships between transcript abundance of specific genes and the values of heterosis and heterosis-dependent traits were identified and mathematical models were constructed that relate gene expression characteristics in inbred lines of Arabidopsis thaliana and maize with vegetative biomass and for grain yield, respectively, in corresponding hybrids.
Project description:The behavior of transcriptomes and epigenomes in hybrids of heterotic parents is of fundamental interest. Here we report highly integrated maps of the epigenome, mRNA and small RNA transcriptomes of two rice subspecies and their reciprocal hybrids. We found that gene activity was correlated with DNA methylation and both active and repressive histone modifications in transcribed regions. Differential epigenetic modifications correlated with changes in transcript levels among hybrids and parental lines. Distinct patterns in gene expression and epigenetic modifications in reciprocal hybrids were observed. Through analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms from our sequence data, we observed a high correlation of allelic bias of epigenetic modifications or gene expression in reciprocal hybrids with their differences in the parental lines. The abundance of distinct small RNA size classes differed between the parents and more small RNAs were down-regulated than up-regulated in the reciprocal hybrids. Together, our data reveals a comprehensive overview of transcriptional and epigenetic trends in heterotic rice crosses, and provides a very useful resource for the rice community.
Project description:The improvement of breeding efficiencies for heterotic and climate-resilient crops can mitigate the food shortage crisis from overpopulation and climate change. Thus far, diverse molecular markers have been utilized for guiding field phenotypic selections, while the accurate predictions of complex heterotic traits are rarely reported. Here we present a practical metabolome-based prediction strategy for yield heterosis in rice. The dissection of population structures based on untargeted metabolite profiles, rather than the screening of predictive variables, was proved to be the initial critical step in multivariate modeling. Then the assessment of each predictive variable's contribution to predictive models was more precise according to all latent factors compared to the conventional first one. Metabolites belonging to specific pathways were tightly connected to yield heterosis, and the up-regulation of galactose metabolism represent robust yield heterosis for hybrids across different growth conditions. Our study demonstrates that metabolome-based predictive models with correctly dissected population structures and screened predictive variables can realize accurate prediction of yield heterosis and manifest great potential for establishing molecular marker-based precision breeding programs.
Project description:We have used genome-wide proteomic profiling to examine leaves of hybrids for molecular phenotypes. Profiles of the proteome of maize leaves revealed hybrid-specific differences in the chloroplast and mitochondria; levels of their energy transduction complexes and ribosomes were selectively elevated 10-20% above mid-parent levels. Each of these protein machines is comprised of nuclear-encoded and organelle-encoded subunits and we refer to them as digenomic protein complexes. Expression heterosis of the organelle ribosome proteins was quantitatively predictive of growth heterosis in a set of hybrids. Ethylene biosynthetic enzyme levels were reduced in hybrids and an ethylene biosynthesis mutant in an inbred background partially phenocopied the molecular differences seen in hybrids indicating that reduced ethylene levels may play a role in maize heterosis.
Project description:Heterosis refers to the superior performance of the hybrid compared with its parental lines. Despite several genetic models and different molecular pathways proposed to explain heterosis, it remains unclear how cells integrate complementary gene expression, metabolic accumulation and/or hormone signaling to drive heterotic growth. In this work, using multiple omics combined with biochemical analyses, we showed an enhanced TORC1 signaling of the elite hybrid rice Shanyou 63 (SY63) relative to the parental lines, which was associated with accumulation of growth-promoting (translation, cell division) and energy metabolic (glycolysis and TCA) proteins energy metabolic activities, and superior growth of panicle meristem. Metabolism of nuclear-cytosolic acetyl-Coenzyme A was also enhanced in the hybrid, which paralleled with increases of histone H3 acetylation to selectively target growth-promoting and metabolic genes expression. Lysine acetylation of cellular proteins including TORC1, ribosomal proteins, and energy metabolic enzymes was also augmented and/or remodeled, potentially modulating their activities. The data revealed that the positive feedback loop between TOR-signaling, energy-producing metabolic activity, lysine acetylation, and growth-promoting gene expression is a mechanism underling the superior growth rate of the hybrid. The results implied that an enhanced activity in hybrids would drive and sustain the TOR signaling feedback loop to promote superior growth, which may represent a general mechanistic model for heterosis.
Project description:Heterosis refers to the superior performance of the hybrid compared with its parental lines. Despite several genetic models and different molecular pathways proposed to explain heterosis, it remains unclear how hybrid cells integrate complementary gene expression, metabolic accumulation and/or hormone signaling to drive heterotic growth. In this work, using integrative omics combined with biochemical analyses, we uncovered an enhanced TORC1 signaling in the elite hybrid rice Shanyou 63 (SY63) relative to the parental lines, which was associated with accumulation of growth-promoting (translation, cell division) and energy metabolic (glycolysis and TCA) proteins, enhanced energy metabolic activities, increased histone H3 and cellular protein lysine acetylation, and superior growth of the panicle meristem. Metabolism of nuclear-cytosolic acetyl-Coenzyme A was also enhanced in the hybrid, which paralleled with increases of histone H3 acetylation to selectively target growth-promoting and metabolic genes expression. Lysine acetylation of cellular proteins including TORC1, ribosomal proteins, and energy metabolic enzymes was also augmented and/or remodeled, potentially modulating their activities. The data indicate that the positive feedback loop between TOR-signaling, energy-producing metabolic activity, lysine acetylation, and growth-promoting gene expression is a mechanism underling the superior growth rate of the hybrid. The results imply that any enhanced activity within the loop would drive and sustain the TOR signaling to promote superior growth of hybrids, which may represent a general mechanistic model for heterosis.
Project description:The phenomenon of heterosis describes the increased agronomic performance of heterozygous F1-plants compared to their homozygous parental inbred plants. Heterosis is already manifested during the early stages of root development in maize. The goal of this study was to identify non-additive gene expression in primary roots of maize hybrids compared to the average expression levels of their parental inbred lines. To achieve this goal a two step strategy was selected. First, a microarray preselection of non-additively expressed candidate genes was performed. Subsequently, gene expression levels in a subset of genes were determined via high throughput qRT-PCR experiments. Initial microarray experiments identified 1941 non-redundant genes which displayed non-additive gene expression in at least one of the twelve analyzed hybrids compared to the midparent value of their parental inbred lines. Comparison of these 1941 genes with non-additively expressed genes identified in maize shoot apical meristems via the same experimental procedure in the same genotypes revealed significantly less overlap than expected by pure chance supporting. This supports the notion of organ specific patterns of non-additively expressed genes. qRT-PCR analyses of 64 of the 1941 non-additively expressed genes in four different hybrids revealed that the majority of non-additively expressed genes were expressed between the high and low parent expression values and only a small fraction of genes was expressed below low or above high parent levels. Subsequently, 22 of the 64 genes that displayed non-additive expression in all four hybrids were analyzed in twelve hybrids that were generated from four inbred lines. Among those genes a superoxide dismutase 2 was expressed significantly above the midparent value in all twelve hybrids and might thus play a protective role in antioxidative defense in the primary root of maize hybrids. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that global expression trends but also the consistent differential expression of key genes might be relevant during the organ-specific manifestation of heterosis. Keywords: Comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:Heterosis is the phenomenon whereby the progeny of particular inbred lines have enhanced agronomic performance relative to both parents. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this fundamental biological phenomenon, the responsible molecular mechanisms have not been determined. The maize inbred lines B73 and Mo17 produce a heterotic F1 hybrid. Global patterns of gene expression were compared in seedlings of these three genotypes using a microarray that contains 13,999 cDNAs. Using an estimated 15% false discovery rate as a cut-off, 1,367 ESTs (9.8%) were identified as being significantly differentially expressed among genotypes. All possible modes of gene action were observed, including additivity, high- and low-parent dominance, under-dominance, and over-dominance. The largest proportion of the ESTs (78%, 1,062/1,367) exhibited expression patterns that are not statistically distinguishable from additivity. Even so, 22% of the differentially regulated genes exhibited non-additive modes of gene expression. Classified on the basis of significant pair-wise comparisons of genotype means, 181 of these 305 genes exhibited high-parent dominance and 23 exhibited low-parent dominance. In addition, 44 genes exhibited under- or over-dominant gene action. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that multiple molecular mechanisms contribute to heterosis, including over-dominance Keywords: Genotype Comparison
Project description:Heterosis is the phenomenon whereby the progeny of particular inbred lines have enhanced agronomic performance relative to both parents. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this fundamental biological phenomenon, the responsible molecular mechanisms have not been determined. The maize inbred lines B73 and Mo17 produce a heterotic F1 hybrid. Global patterns of gene expression were compared in seedlings of these three genotypes using a microarray that contains 13,999 cDNAs. Using an estimated 15% false discovery rate as a cut-off, 1,367 ESTs (9.8%) were identified as being significantly differentially expressed among genotypes. All possible modes of gene action were observed, including additivity, high- and low-parent dominance, under-dominance, and over-dominance. The largest proportion of the ESTs (78%, 1,062/1,367) exhibited expression patterns that are not statistically distinguishable from additivity. Even so, 22% of the differentially regulated genes exhibited non-additive modes of gene expression. Classified on the basis of significant pair-wise comparisons of genotype means, 181 of these 305 genes exhibited high-parent dominance and 23 exhibited low-parent dominance. In addition, 44 genes exhibited under- or over-dominant gene action. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that multiple molecular mechanisms contribute to heterosis, including over-dominance Keywords: Genotype Comparison