Formation of Potential Heterotic Groups of Oat Using Variation at Microsatellite Loci.

Michaela Havrlentová,Katarína Ondreičková,Ján Kraic,Veronika Gregusová,Peter Hozlár,Daniel Mihálik

doi:10.3390/plants10112462

Abstract

An evaluation of polymorphism at the microsatellite loci was applied in distinguishing 85 oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes selected from the collection of genetic resources. The set of genotypes included oats with white, yellow, and brown seeds as well as a subgroup of naked oat (Avena sativa var. nuda Koern). Variation at these loci was used to form potential heterotic groups potentially used in the oat breeding program. Seven from 20 analyzed microsatellite loci revealed polymorphism. Altogether, 35 microsatellite alleles were detected (2–10 per locus). Polymorphic patterns completely differentiated all genotypes within the subgroups of white, brown, and naked oats, respectively. Only within the greatest subgroup of yellow genotypes, four pairs of genotypes remained unseparated. Genetic differentiation between the oat subgroups allowed the formation of seven potential heterotic groups using the STRUCTURE analysis. The overall value of the fixation index (Fst) suggested a high genetic differentiation between the subgroups and validated a heterotic grouping. This approach can be implemented as a simple predictor of heterosis in parental crosses prior to extensive field testing or development and implementation of more accurate genomic selection.

Highlights

Cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) is an economically important crop, ranking sixth in world cereal production after wheat, rice, maize, barley, and sorghum
The overall value of the fixation index (Fst) suggested a high genetic differentiation between the subgroups and validated a heterotic grouping. This approach can be implemented as a simple predictor of heterosis in parental crosses prior to extensive field testing or development and implementation of more accurate genomic selection
They suggested that the genetic distance between parents determined by molecular markers can be helpful in heterosis prediction for some traits, and categorization for heterotic groups and parental selection would be beneficial in cotton hybrid breeding

Summary

Introduction

Cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) is an economically important crop, ranking sixth in world cereal production after wheat, rice, maize, barley, and sorghum. Oat grains are part of humans’ diet, either directly as raw food (flakes, milk) or as raw material and ingredients in food production. They possess unique and important nutritive characteristics, high contents of lipids, proteins, and micronutrients [1]. Oat grains are rich in antioxidants (e.g., α-tocotrienol, αtocopherol, and avenanthramides) total dietary fiber, and the water-soluble dietary fiber, the β-D-glucans [2,3,4]. Oat grains have multifunctional use in human nutrition, animal feeding, and in the production of health care and cosmetic products [5]

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