Fatty Acid Composition of the Oil in Reciprocal Crosses among Soybean Mutants

Abstract

The genotype of the embryo, maternal parent, or cytoplasm may influence the expression of seed composition traits in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The objective of this study was to evaluate the above effects on the genetic control of fatty acid composition of the oil of six recently identified soybean mutants. Fatty acid composition of soybean oil was determined from seed of reciprocal F1 and F2 populations produced from crosses among the six soybean mutants and the parent, ‘Century’. Differences were consistently present for oleic and linoleic acid percent in seed from reciprocal crosses. These differences were due to maternal influence rather than to cytoplasmic inheritance. The genotype of the embryo also affected levels of oleic and linoleic acid in these mutants. No differences were observed for palmitic or stearic acid percentages in any reciprocal crosses or for linolenic acid percentage in two of three reciprocal crosses. Determining fatty acid composition of individual F2 seeds from F1 plants is appropriate for inheritance and selection studies of palmitic, stearic, and linolenic acid percentages, but not of oleic and linoleic acid percentages in crosses with these mutant lines.