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Molecular cytogenetics and DNA sequence analysis of an apomixis-linked BAC in Paspalum simplex reveal a non pericentromere location and partial microcolinearity with rice

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Abstract

Apomixis in plants is a form of clonal reproduction through seeds. A BAC clone linked to apomictic reproduction in Paspalum simplex was used to locate the apomixis locus on meiotic chromosome preparations. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation revealed the existence of a single locus embedded in a heterochromatin-poor region not adjacent to the centromere. We report here for the first time information regarding the sequencing of a large DNA clone from the apomixis locus. The presence of two genes whose rice homologs were mapped on the telomeric part of the long arm of rice chromosome 12 confirmed the strong synteny between the apomixis locus of P. simplex with the related area of the rice genome at the map level. Comparative analysis of this region with rice as representative of a sexual species revealed large-scale rearrangements due to transposable elements and small-scale rearrangements due to deletions and single point mutations. Both types of rearrangements induced the loss of coding capacity of large portions of the “apomictic” genes compared to their rice homologs. Our results are discussed in relation to the use of rice genome data for positional cloning of apomixis genes and to the possible role of rearranged supernumerary genes in the apomictic process of P. simplex.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the European Union as part of the project “Natural apomixis as a novel tool in plant breeding (ApoTool),” contract number QLG2-2000-00603 of the Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources section and by grant A2 of the Netherlands Plant Genomics Network “BioSystems Genomics”, CBSG (S.C.dV.). Contribution No. 69 from the Institute of Plant Genetics-CNR, of Perugia.

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Author notes

  1. Song B. Chang

    Present address: Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1878, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Genetics CNR, Perugia via della madonna alta 130, 06128, Perugia, Italy

    Ornella Calderini, Alessandra Busti, Francesco Paolocci, Sergio Arcioni & Fulvio Pupilli

  2. Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, 6707 BD, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Song B. Chang & Hans de Jong

  3. Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6703 HA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Sacco C. de Vries

  4. Greenomics, Plant Research International, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Marleen H. C. Abma-Henkens & Renè M. Klein Lankhorst

  5. Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, SY23 3EB, Aberystwyth, UK

    Iain S. Donnison

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  1. Ornella Calderini
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Correspondence to Fulvio Pupilli.

Additional information

Communicated by S. J. Knapp

Ornella Calderini and Song B. Chang have contributed equally to this article

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Calderini, O., Chang, S.B., de Jong, H. et al. Molecular cytogenetics and DNA sequence analysis of an apomixis-linked BAC in Paspalum simplex reveal a non pericentromere location and partial microcolinearity with rice. Theor Appl Genet 112, 1179–1191 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-006-0220-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-006-0220-7

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