Heterosis in internode elongation and plant height is commonly observed in hybrid plants, but the molecular basis for the increased internode elongation in hybrids is unknown. In this study, midparent heterosis in plant height was determined in a wheat diallel cross involving 16 hybrids and 8 parents, and real-time PCR was used to analyze alterations in gene expression between hybrids and parents. Significant heterosis of plant height and the first internode in length were observed for all 16 hybrids, but the magnitude of heterosis was variable for different cross combinations. Analysis revealed that the heterosis of the first internode was significantly correlated to that of plant height (r = 0.56, P < 0.05), suggesting that the increased elongation of the first internode is the major contributor to the heterosis in plant height. Real-time PCR analysis exhibited that significant difference in heterosis of gene ex- pression was observed among all cross combinations. Moreover, heterosis of the first internode in length was correlated significantly and positively with expression heterosis of KS, GA3ox2-1, GA20ox2, GA20ox1D, GA-MYB and GID1-1, but significantly and negatively with expression heterosis of GAI and GA2ox-1, which is consistent with our recently proposed model of GAs and heterosis in wheat plant height, suggesting the alteration of GA biosynthesis and response pathways might be responsible for the observed heterosis in plant height.
WANG XiuLi1,2, YAO YingYin1,2, PENG HuiRu1,2, ZHANG Yi1,2, LU LaHu1,2, NI ZhongFu1,2 & SUN QiXin1,2 1 State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Genetic Improvement (MOA), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural Univer- sity, Beijing 100193, China
Through bioinformatic data mining, 10 SnRK2 and 31 CIPK genes were identified from sorghum genome. They are unevenly distributed in the sorghum chromosomes. Most SnRK2 genes have 8 introns, while the CIPK genes have a few （no intron or less than 3 introns） or more than I0 introns. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that SnRK2 genes belong to one cluster and CIPK genes form the other independent cluster. The sorghum SnRK2s are subgrouped into three parts, and CIPK into five parts. More than half SnRK2 and CIPK genes present in homologous pairs, suggesting gene duplication may be due to the amplification of SnRK family genes. The kinase domains of SnRK2 family are highly conserved with 88.40% identity, but those of the CIPK family are less conserved with 63.72% identity. And the identity of sorghum CBLinteracting NAF domains of CIPKs is 61.66%. What＇s more, regarding to the sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK kinases, they are characterized with distinct motifs and their subcellular localization is not necessarily the same, which suggests they may be divergent in functions. Due to less conserved sequences, complex subcellular localization, and more family members, sorghum CIPK genes may play more flexible and multiple biological functions. According to the phylogenetic analysis of SnRK genes and SnRK functional studies in other plants, it is speculated that sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK genes may play important roles in stress response, growth and development.
LI Li-binZHANG Yi-rongLIU Kai-changNI Zhong-fuFANG Zhi-junSUN Qi-xinGAO Jian-wei
