Harnessing clonal gametes in hybrid crops to engineer polyploid genomes
Yazhong Wang, Roven Rommel Fuentes, Willem M. J. van Rengs, Sieglinde Effgen, Mohd Waznul Adly Mohd Zaidan, Rainer Franzen, Tamara Susanto, Joiselle Blanche Fernandes, Raphaël Mercier, Charles J. Underwood
Abstract
Heterosis boosts crop yield; however, harnessing additional progressive heterosis in polyploids is challenging for breeders. We bioengineered a 'mitosis instead of meiosis' (MiMe) system that generates unreduced, clonal gametes in three hybrid tomato genotypes and used it to establish polyploid genome design. Through the hybridization of MiMe hybrids, we generated '4-haplotype' plants that encompassed the complete genetics of their four inbred grandparents, providing a blueprint for exploiting polyploidy in crops.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyPolyploidHeterosisHybridGenomeGeneticsMeiosisBiotechnologyGeneBotanyChromosomal and Genetic VariationsPlant Virus Research StudiesPlant Reproductive Biology