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Allelic ratios and sterility in the agamic complex of the Maximae (Panicoideae): evolutionary role of the residual sexuality
Author(s) -
Noirot M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1993.6010095.x
Subject(s) - apomixis , biology , facultative , sterility , allele , genetics , population , meiosis , genotype , botany , ploidy , gene , demography , sociology
The agamic complex of the tribe Maximae is constituted by two pools characterized by their own breeding system (sexuality on the one hand, facultative apomixis on the other hand). Facultative apomicts shows two types of embryo‐sacs (aposporic or meiotic). Presence of aposporic embryo‐sacs is genetically controlled by the dominant allele A (all apomictic plants are Aaaa). Meiotic embryo‐sacs, constituting residual sexuality, can allow crosses between apomicts and theoretically the generation of other genotypes than Aaaa. Additionally, some cases of sterile apomicts appears in a breeding system known to bypass it. This led us to study these two paradoxes. In fact, the sterility would exist when the ratio A/a is greater than 0.25. This would prevent the total overrunning of an apomictic population by AAAA genotypes. The role of residual sexuality is then to allow generation of true sexuals (aaaa) from apomicts (Aaaa).