Emerging molecular mechanisms for biotechnological harnessing of heterosis in crops

摘要

Heterosis (often referred to as hybrid vigour) is defined as the capacity of Fl hybrid organisms to exhibit enhanced phenotypes compared to those observed in either parent 1. Heterosis has been used for centuries to breed improved Fl hybrid plants and animals. In crop plants, heterosis effects can be observed for important traits such as yield 1. Although inbred cereals can display heterosis, heterosis is particularly important for breeding programs involving outcrossing species such as Zea mays (corn) where it can increase yields by at least 15 1. The causal genes underlying heterosis in crops are now becoming accessible owing to recent rapid progress in next-generation sequencing technologies. Due to a converging set of scientific findings and technological advances, the emerging predictive and single gene heterosis systems have the potential to more rapidly generate superior crop varieties displaying heterosis effects.