Full text in pdf format

Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci for panicle characteristics and seed weight in sorghum^*

M. G. Pereira^I; D. Ahnert^II; M. Lee^II; K. Klier^III

^IUniversidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, CCTA-LMGV, 28015-620 Campos, RJ, Brasil. Send correspondence to M.G.P.
^IIDepartment of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
^IIIDepartment of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA

ABSTRACT

The objective of the sudy was to use restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) to determine the genetic location and the inheritance of quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling some morphological characteristics of the sorghum panicle, including panicle length, seed-branch length, sterile portion of the seed-branch, peduncle diameter, number of seed-branches per panicle, and 100-seed weight. F2 plants (152) from the cross CK60 (Sorghum bicolor spp. bicolor) X PI229828 (S. bicolor spp. drummondii) were used. An RFLP map (111 loci distributed among 10 linkage groups with an average of 12.9 cM between adjacent loci) was employed. Interval mapping identified a total of 25 QTL: six for panicle length, five for seed-branch length, two for length of sterile portion of the seed-branch, six for peduncle diameter, three for number of seed-branches per panicle, and three for 100-seed weight. The "high" parent (with higher phenotypic mean) contributed to 64% of the alleles that increased the trait mean. QTL were unlinked, with no evidence for epistasis. Phenotypic variation for each QTL ranged from 8% to 37%. Multiple models accounted for from 28% (100-seed weight) to 69% (panicle length) of the phenotypic variation. Pleiotropy or linked QTL was evident for panicle morphology traits. Positive significant correlation coefficients corresponded to pleiotropic or closely linked QTL with the same direction of additive effects.

Keywords: genetic mapping; trait loci; panicle; sorghum.

REFERENCES

Ayyangar, G.N.R. and Ayyar, M.A.S. (1938). Linkage between a panicle factor and the pearly chalky mesocarp factor Zz in sorghum. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 8: 100-107.

Beil, G.M. and Atkins, R.E. (1967). Estimates of general and specific combining ability in Fi hybrids for grain yield and its components in grain sorghum, Sorghum vulgate Pers. Crop. Sci. 7: 225-228.

Berhan, A.M., Hulbert, S.H., Butter, L.G. and Bennetzen, J.L. (1993). Structure and evolution of the genomes of Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays. Theor. Appl. Genet. 86: 598-604.

Binelli, G.L.P.E., Gianfranceschi, M.E., Taramino, G., Busso, C., Stenhouse, J. and Ottaviano, E. (1992). Similarity of maize and sorghum genomes as revealed by maize RFLP probes. Theor. Appl. Genet. 84: 10-16.

De Vicent, M.C. and Tanksley, S.D. (1993). QTL analysis of transgressive segregation in an interspecific tomato cross. Genetics 134: 585-596.

De Wet, J.M.C. (1978). Systematics and evolution of sorghum sect. sorghum (gramineae). Amer. J. Bot. 65: 477-484.

Doebley, J. and Stec, A. (1993). Inheritance of the morphological differences between maize and teosinte: Comparison of results for two F2 populations. Genetics 134: 559-570.

Doggett, H. (1988). Sorghum. Longman Group UK Ltd., Essex, England.

Dudley, J.M. (1993), Molecular markers in plant improvement: manipulation of genes affecting quantitative traits. Crop Sci. 33: 660-668.

Edwards, M.D., Stuber, C.W. and Wendel, J.F. (1987). Molecular-marker-facilitated investigations of quantitative-trait loci in maize. I. Numbers, genomic distribution and types of gene action. Genetics 116: 113-125.

Edwards, M.D., Helentjaris, T., Wright, S. and Stuber, C.W. (1992). Molecular-marker-facilitated investigations of quantitative trait loci in maize. Theor. Appl. Genet. 83: 765-774.

Fanous, M.A., Weibel, D.E. and Morrison, R.D. (1971). Quantitative inheritance of some head and seed characteristics in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). Crop Sci. 11: 787-789.

Ghawchawe, B.G., Bhale, N.L. and Shekar, V.P. (1966). Linkage groups in sorghum. Indian J. Genet. 26: 317-326.

Harlan, J.R. and De Wet, J.M.J. (1971). Toward a rational classification of cultivated plants. Taxon. 20: 509-517.

Harlan, J.R. and De Wet, J.M.J. (1972). A simplified classification of cultivated sorghum. Crop Sci. 12: 172-176.

Hulbert, S.H., Richter, T.E., Axtell, J.D. and Bennetzen, J.L. (1990). Genetic mapping and characterization of sorghum and related crops by means of maize DNA probes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 4251-4255.

Ibrahim, O.E., Nyquist, W.E. and Axtell, J.D. (1985). Quantitative inheritance and correlations of agronomic and grain quality traits of sorghum. Crop Sci. 25: 649-654.

Kirby, J.S. and Atkins, R.E. (1968). Heterotic response for vegetative and mature plant characters in grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. Crop Sci. 8: 335-339.

Kukadia, M.U., Desai, K.B., Desai, M.S., Patel, R.H. and Rajak, R.V. (1983). Estimates of heritability and other related genetic parameters in sorghum. Sorghum Newsletter 26: 31-32.

Kumar, S. and Singhania, D.L. (1984). Genetic advance and heritability estimates for grain yield and its components. Sorghum Newsletter 27: 15-16.

Lander, E.S. and Botstein, D. (1989). Mapping mendelian factors underlying quantitative traits using RFLP linkage maps. Genetics 121: 185-199.

Lander, E.S., Green, P., Abrahamson, J., Barlow, A., Daly, M.J., Lincoln, S.E. and Newburg, L. (1987). MAPMAKER: An interactive computer package for constructing primary genetic linkage maps of experimental and natural populations. Genomics 1: 174-181.

Laosuwan, P. and Atkins, R.E. (1977). Estimates of combining ability and heterosis in converted exotic sorghums. Crop Sci. 17: 47-50.

Liang, G.H. and Walter, T.L. (1968). Heritability estimates and gene effects for agromic traits in grain sorghum, Sorghum vulgate Pers. Crop Sci. 8: 77-81.

Lincoln, S.E. and Lander, E.S. (1990). Mapping Genes Controlling Quantitative Traits Using MAPMAKER/QTL. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA.

Patel, R.H., Desai, K.B. and Desai, S.P. (1983). Heritability estimates in grain sorghum. Sorghum Newsletter 26: 89-90.

Paterson, A.H., Lander, E.S., Hewitt, J.D., Peterson, S., Lincoln, S.E. and Tanksley, S.D. (1988). Resolution of quantitative traits into mendelian factors by using a complete linkage map of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Nature 335: 721-726.

Paterson, A.H., Damon, S., Hewitt, J.D., Zamir, D., Rabinowitch, H.D., Lincoln, S.E., Lander, E.S. and Tanksley, S.D. (1991). Mendelian factors underlying quantitative traits in tomato: Comparison across species, generatisons, and environments. Genetics 127: 181-197.

Pereira, M.G. and Lee, M. Identification of genomic regions affecting plant height in sorghum and maize. Theor. Appl. Genet. (in press).

Pereira, M.G., Lee, M., Bramel-Cox, P., Woodman, W., Doebley, J. and Whitkus, R. (1994). Construction of an RFLP map in sorghum and comparative mapping in maize. Genome 37: 236-243.

Pereira, M.G., Lee, M. and Ahnert, D. Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci for morphological and physiological traits in sorghum. Theor. Appl. Genet. (in press).

Quinby, J.R. (1967). The maturity genes of sorghum. Advanc. Agron. 19: 267-305.

Quinby, J.R. and Karper, R.E. (1954). Inheritance of height in sorghum. Agron. J. 46: 211-216.

Shapiro, S.S. and Wilk, M.B. (1965). An analysis of variance for normality (complete samples). Biometrika 52: 591-611.

Snowden, J.D. (1936). The Cultivated Races of Sorghum. Allard and Son, London. Stuber, C.W., Edwards, M.D. and Wendel, J.F. (1987). Molecular marker-facilitated investigations of quantitative trait loci in maize. II. Factors influencing yield and its component traits. Crop Sci. 27: 639-648.

Veldboom, L.R., Lee, M. and Woodman, W.L. (1994). Molecular marker-facilitated studies in an elite maize population. I. Linkage analysis and determination of QTL for morphological traits. Theor. Appl. Genet. 88: 7-16.

Wenzel, W.G. (1990). Inheritance and interrelationships of quantitative traits in sorghum. Sorghum Newsletter 31: 1-3.

Whitkus, R., Doebley, J. and Lee, M. (1992). Comparative genome mapping of sorghum and maize. Genetics 132: 1119-1130.

* Journal Paper No. J-15729 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames; Project No. 3134.