The use of SSRs for predicting the hybrid yield and yield heterosis in 15 key inbred lines of Chinese maize

Abstract

A challenge to maize breeders is to predict and identify inbred lines that can produce highly heterotic hybrids precisely. In the present study we surveyed the genetic diversity among 15 elite inbred lines of maize in China with SSR markers and assessed the relationship between SSR marker and hybrid yield/yield heterosis in a diallel set of 105 crosses. Forty-three SSR primers selected from all sixty-three primers gave stable profiles amplified in the sample of 15 inbred lines, which could clearly resolve on 4% metaphor agarose gel. The average number of alleles per SSR locus was 4.44 with a range from 2 to 9. The polymorphism information content (PIC) for the SSR loci varied from 0.28 to 0.81 with a mean of 0.6281. Genetic similarity (GS) among 15 lines was estimated with 191 alleles identified as raw data, the Nei's coefficient of GS ranged from 0.492 for 478 vs HZ4 up to 0.745 for E28 to ZH64 with a mean of 0.619. The cluster diagram based upon the SSR data grouped the 15 lines into families consistent with the yield heterotic response of these. Genetic distance (GD) based on SSR data was significantly correlated with hybrid yield/yield heterosis, the correlation coefficient (r) being 0.5432 and 0.4271 in 1999 and 0.4305 and 0.3614 in 1998 field test, respectively, whereas the determination coefficient (r 2 ) was lower. The correlation between GD based on SSR data and hybrid yield/yield heterosis changed alone with the difference of number and pedigree relationship among parents that were used in this study. SSR makers showed high polymorphism and could be used to assess the relationship between inbre lines of maize, but it was difficult to predict the yield heterosis of maize.

Sequence Polymorphism Characteristics in the See2β Gene from Maize Key Inbred Lines and Derived Lines in China

“…Many key genes governing these traits have also been cloned and identified. At the same time, the genetic diversity and division of heterotic groups of maize inbred lines have been studied intensively (Taramino and Tingey 1996;Xu et al 2004;Menkir et al 2005;Legesse et al 2007). Patterns of genetic transmission of these QTLs and key genes, however, remain largely unknown in key inbred lines of maize and their derived lines.…”

Genetic Diversity of Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines Revealed by Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

“…In this study, we found SSR as a good complementing tool along with morphological markers for maize genetic characterization. low level of polymorphism are some of the major limitations of the biochemical markers (Xu et al, 2004). Lopes et al, (2015) investigated the genetic diversity of twenty-two sweet corn cultivars viz., seventeen open-pollinated varieties (OPV) and five hybrids (H) by applying 30 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers.…”

Individual and combined (Plus-hybrid) effect of cytoplasmic male sterility and xenia on maize grain yield

“…Betran et al (2003) andMladenović Drinić et al (2012) found positive correlation between genetic distance of inbred lines and resulting heterosis, but some studies showed weak or no correlation (Xu et al, 2004;Kiula et al, 2007).…”