Multiflorous spikelets are found in oat Avena sativa L. subsp. nudisativa, which is characterised by elongated rachilla and variable number of florets per spikelet. One of the main factors limiting the exploration of multiflorous spikelets in oats, aiming to produce naked grains, is its variable expressivity. This work aimed to detect the environmental influence on the variable expressivity of multiflorous spikelet formation in oats and to estimate the heritability of this trait by analysing its expression in lower, middle and upper third of the panicle in 94 inbred lines of two crosses each. Two populations of recombinant inbred lines were screened for the spikelet formation in 2 years and sowing dates under field experiments. The results demonstrate that the variable expressivity of the multiflorous spikelet formation was highly influenced by the environmental conditions. The variable expressivity varied according to the genetic background, as well as the panicle third where spikelets were produced. The upper third of the panicle showed greater stability for the multiflorous spikelet formation, which is confirmed by the highest heritability coefficients observed in this third, regardless of the assessed population. Our results provide substantial evidences of the contribution exerted by environmental conditions in multiflorous spikelet formation in oats.
ABSTRACT. Multiflorous spikelets are found in several grass species of agricultural and economic interest. In oat, this morphological characteristic is associated with the production of naked grains. Although many genetic studies have been performed over the past century, the inheritance of the multiflorous spikelet trait is not fully understood in oat. The objectives of this study were to evaluate environmental effects on the multiflorous spikelet trait, to estimate the number of genes controlling the trait, and to clone and characterize sequences of the AP2 gene in oat. Two genetic populations of recombinant inbreed lines were screened for the multiflorous spikelet trait from different years and sowing dates under field experiments. Normal, multiflorous, and mosaic spikelets were analyzed in the whole panicle for both years and sowing dates. Specific primer pairs for the AP2 gene was utilized to amplify and clone oat sequences. The results demonstrate that under higher temperature and day-length conditions, the variable expressivity of the multiflorous spikelet trait was less pronounced in both populations. Genetic analyses indicated the action of one major gene and two or three modifying genes controlling the expression of the multiflorous spikelet trait in oat, depending on the genetic background. Sequences with similarity to the AP2 gene were isolated from the oat lines UFRGS 017004-2 and URS Taura, and genetic polymorphisms were identified, which are valuable to confirm the action of AP2 on the multiflorous spikelet trait. Our results provide information to assist in the development of future studies of the multiflorous spikelet trait in oat.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.