Artificial Interspecific Hybrids Research Articles

Artificial interspecific hybridization of the two distant anemonefish species and phenotypic characterization of the F1 hybrid

Artificial interspecific hybridization of the two distant anemonefish species and phenotypic characterization of the F1 hybrid

Evaluation of the evolutionary process within Populus caspica species from Hyrcanian forests by karyotype analysis

Caspian poplar (Populus caspica Bornm.) is distributed exclusively in the Hyrcanian forests. Hyrcanian forests are the final remnants of Tertiary temperate deciduous forests in Western Eurasia and worldwide. This species plays a significant ecological role in the protection of the natural environment in Hyrcanian forests. In this research, chromosome number and karyotype details of 11 populations of the species were investigated for the first time, using fresh root cuttings collected from mature trees in different parts of the forest, located in the northern parts of Iran. Pre-treatment, fixation, hydrolyzing, and staining were conducted by α-bromonaphthalene, carnoy’s solution, 1N HCl, and hematoxylin agent, respectively. Chromosomal data were analyzed according to a nested model based on a completely randomized design. Chromosome numbers of all of the populations were the same as 2n = 38, which mostly were medium region and sub-metacentric types. Significant differences were observed between the provinces and populations, based on chromosome length grand means, arm ratios and centromere indices. The results demonstrated that structural rearrangement has occurred within the studied populations and indicated an active evolutionary process within and between populations of the species due to natural hybridization. Also, these results showed that artificial inter-specific hybridization between the P. caspica and its relative species can be employed to broaden the ecological zone of the species.

Phenotypic traits of reciprocal tetraploid hybrids derived from tetraploid Crassostrea gigas and tetraploid Crassostrea angulata

Allotetraploid has the potential to become an important germplasm resource for genetic breeding of organisms. Previously, autotetraploid oysters have played a great role in the worldwide triploid oyster industry by mating with diploids to produce triploid seeds. However, whether allotetraploid oysters can be produced and their performance is unknown. Here, we carried out an artificial interspecific cross between tetraploid Crassostrea gigas and teraploid C. angulata, forming 4 experimental groups, two autotetraploid groups (GGGG: tetraploid C. gigas♀ × C. gigas♂, AAAA: C. angulata♀ × C. anguata♂) and two allotetraploid groups (GGAA: C. gigas♀ × C. anguata♂, AAGG: C. angulata♀ × C. gigas♂). These two pure tetraploid species hybridized without barrier to gamete reproductive isolation, resulting in high fertilization rate (>93%) and acceptable hatching rate (>78%). Reciprocal tetraploid hybrid survival rates were higher than that of pure tetraploids. Some degree of growth heterosis was observed, especially for yearlings. Mid-parent heterosis of wet weight and shell height at day 360 was 31.58% and 16.11%, respectively, which were primarily influenced by egg origin and mating strategy. Overall, the order of performance of the four groups in the warm water area was as following: AAGG>GGAA>AAAA>GGGG. Our results demonstrate that artificial interspecific hybridization between two tetraploid oysters can produce heterosis and that teraploid hybrids have the potential to become new genetic resources for the improvement of polyploid oysters.

Fertility and gamete ploidy of allopentaploid offspring of tetraploid dojo loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus females and large-scale loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus males

Artificial interspecific hybrids (3n) of tetraploid dojo loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (TTTT) and diploid large-scale loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (PP) were viable. Allopentaploid loaches (TTTTP) were produced by cold-shocking the fertilized eggs of TTTT females fertilized with sperm of PP males. The TTTTP were viable and well developed. As there are currently no reports on the fertility and gamete ploidy of TTTTP, artificial propagation and ploidy analyses were conducted to determine them. The ovaries of TTTTP were well developed with primary oocytes and secondary oocytes; the testes were sterile with low-density sperm-like cells. By backcrossing with mature TTTT, TTTTP were found to be female fertile and male sterile. The fertility of female TTTTP was low; they produced few viable diploid eggs and a few inviable triploid and aneuploid eggs. Ploidy analysis of cold-shock-induced progenies of TTTTP × TTTT indicated that TTTTP could generate viable diploid eggs, along with diploid second polar bodies. The results of this study are helpful for further understanding of loach polyploidization and should encourage more investigations on hybridization and gamete formation in loaches.

Artificial interspecific hybridization of two giant clams, Tridacna squamosa and Tridacna crocea, in the south China sea

Interspecific hybridization has been used as an important tool for genetic manipulation in mollusks, with the aim to produce a new species with desirable traits from both the parental species. A two by two factorial cross between sympatric giant clam species, the fluted giant clam, Tridacna squamosa (S) and the boring clam, Tridacan crocea (C), yielded hybrids that were fast growing (characteristic of the S) and had brightly colored mantles (characteristic of C). Reciprocal hybrids (SC and CS) were obtained by the acceptable level of fertilization and hatching rate compared to these of two parental species, and the survival rate of the hybrids was significantly higher than that of the parental species. Yearling hybrids exhibited fully developed gonads and normal gametogenesis when sexually mature. Relative to CC, CS and SC also showed significant growth advantages in shell length and wet weight. The shell morphology of the hybrids was mainly dictated by maternal effect, while mantle coloration was dictated by paternal effect for SC progeny and parental effect for CS progeny. Our results revealed that reciprocal hybrids exhibited great growth heterosis and survival advantage (compared to C), as well as better mantle colors. Thus, these hybrids have great potential for application in the aquarium market and aquaculture industries across the globe.

Interspecific hybridisation among diverse Saccharomyces species: A combined biotechnological solution for low-temperature and nitrogen-limited wine fermentations

Lack of the prezygotic barrier in the Saccharomyces genus facilitates the construction of artificial interspecific hybrids among different Saccharomyces species. Hybrids that maintain the interesting features of parental strains have been applied in industry for many beneficial purposes. Two of the most important problems faced by wine makers is nitrogen deficiency in grape must and low-temperature fermentation. In our study, hybrids were constructed by using selected low nitrogen-demanding cryotolerant S. eubayanus, S. uvarum strains and S. cerevisiae. The fermentation capacity of the hybrid strains was tested under four conditions by combining two temperatures, 12 °C and 28 °C, and two nitrogen concentrations, 60 mg/L and 300 mg/L. The hybrid strains obtained combined characters of both parental strains and conferred better fermentation rates under low-temperature or low-nitrogen conditions. The hybrid strains also produced larger amounts of acetate esters and higher alcohols, which increase aroma intensity and complexity in wine. Nitrogen sources were more rapidly consumed by the hybrid strains, which allows greater competition ability under nitrogen-deficiency conditions. Therefore, the interspecific hybridisation between low nitrogen-demanding cryotolerant strains and S. cerevisiae is a potential solution for low-temperature or low-nitrogen fermentations.

Fertilization, survival and growth of hybrids between Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea sikamea

Crossbreeding is a powerful tool for animal breeding and genetic improvement in aquaculture. In this work, artificial interspecific hybridization was carried out and three crosses were successfully produced, namely Crassostrea gigas (GG), C. sikamea (SS) and C. sikamea ♀ × C. gigas ♂ (SG), although C. gigas ♀ × C. sikamea ♂ formed nonviable hybrid offspring. The fertilization and hatching success of the SG cross was at an acceptable level compared with that of the intraspecific crosses. At the larval stage, the growth rate of the SG cross corresponded to that of the SS cross, but was significantly lower than the GG cross, and the survival rate of the SG cross did not differ from that of either parental cross. During the spat stage, the single-parent heterosis value of the growth rate for the SG cross ranged from 8.85 to 24.43%. Considering survival rates, notable mid-parent heterosis (27.16–76.00%) and clear single-parent heterosis (30.53–73.28%) were observed, though no significant differences were observed among the three crosses. Our results clearly demonstrate that the production performance of the hybrid SG cross is comparable to that of the maternal parental SS cross. The high survival advantage and single-parent heterosis for the growth trait observed in the SG cross provides a promising method for the genetic improvement of oysters.

Cloning in sturgeon hybrids (Acipenseridae): experimental reproduction of the first stages of reticular speciation in fish and the method of obtaining all-female offspring

Cloning in sturgeon hybrids (Acipenseridae): experimental reproduction of the first stages of reticular speciation in fish and the method of obtaining all-female offspring

Interspecific hybrids of some East Asian representatives of the genus Chrysanthemum L. and analysis of their sustainability

The garden chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) is a highly demanded autumn flowering culture for parks and gardens and as cut flowers and has long, abundant and colorful flowering. The lack of winter-hardy and season-adequate flowering cultivars and poor resistance to diseases limit its distribution in most regions of Russia. The development of new plant-breeding material by artificial interspecific hybridization able to combine valuable traits of different Chrysanthemum species in a single organism is therefore of importance. Reciprocal crossing has been conducted between the species of the Manchurian (C. chanetii H. Lév., C. coreanum (H. Lév. et Vaniot) Nakai, C. maximoviczii Kom., C. naktongense Nakai, C. zawadskii subsp. acutilobum (DC.) Kitag., C. tenuisectum Kitag., C. zawadskii subsp. latilobum (Maxim.) Kitag., C. leiophyllum Nakai), Mongolian-Siberian (C. mongolicum Y. Ling, C. zawadskii Herbich) flora and interspecific hybrid forms with the involvement of subtropical Chrysanthemum species. Crossing and backcrossing of species with identical numbers of chromosomes (hexaploid × hexaploid, 2n = 54 and tetraploid × tetraploid, 2n = 36) were easy. Tetraploids × hexaploids showed good compatibility. Diploids (2n = 18) are not always compatible between themselves and are partly compatible with hexaploids. Interspecific hybrids in the first generation (F1) were characterized by phenotypic uniformity with intermediate inheritance or predominance of traits of the highploidy parent and differed in hybrid power, intensity of emergent rhizomes and complex of adaptive qualities. Multicomponent interspecific hybrids have been obtained from combinations of crossing, consisting of three different components. The selected highly decorative interspecific and multicomponent forms have promise for planting of greenery and serve as complex sources of adaptiveness for the development of garden chrysanthemum native to Russia.

On the 160th anniversary of Ivan V. Michurin’s birth

October 2015 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Ivan V. Michurin. As a scientist and plant breeder, he made a significant improvement of many varieties of fruit, berry, and flowers. He developed methods of plant breeding, promoted gardening to the north and east of Russia, including Siberia. He introduced some new berry species as Actinidia and black chokeberry and was the first in the country who used dwarf and semi dwarf stocks of apples. Michurin initiated the mass movement of fancier gardeners and horticulture experimenters in USSR who changed and significantly extended the species and geographic ranges of fruit and berry cultivation in Russia. He not only made a vast collection of species and varieties of fruit plants from around the world but also organized their involvement and widespread use in the breeding by hybridization, including interspecific crosses. He created some new artificial interspecific hybrids such as Cerapadus (cherry and bird cherry hybrid), and others. Michurin created 132 cultivars. Eleven of them are not only cultivated but also included in the “National Register of Protected Plant breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation”. Michurin, having lived a long productive life, did not come to the time when he was not only declared “the great nature transformer”, but also “appointed” creator of “Michurin’s theory”, so-called “Creative Darwinism”. However, thirty years later, scientists, though rarely, but still tried to separate his name from Lysenkoism and rehabilitate the scientist.

I. V. Michurin’S Work on Expansion of the Plant Horticulture Assortment and Improvement of Food Quality

Abstract October 2015 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Ivan V. Michurin. As a scientist and plant breeder, he made a significant improvement of many fruit and berry plants, and flowers. He developed methods of plant breeding, especially regarding long-distance hybridisation of fruit plants, and promoted gardening to the north and east of Russia. He introduced some new berry species, such as Actinidia and black chokeberry, and was the first in Russia to use dwarf and semi dwarf stocks of apples. Michurin initiated the mass movement of gardeners and horticulture experimenters in USSR who changed and significantly extended the assortment and areas of fruit and berries cultivation in the country. He not only brought together a representative collection of species and varieties of fruit, berry and flower plants from around the world, but also used them in breeding by hybridization, including interspecific. He created some new artificial interspecific hybrids such as Cerapadus (cherry and bird cherry tree hybrid), and others. Michurin created 132 cultivars. Eleven of them are not only cultivated, but are also included in “The State Register of Protected Plant Breeding of the Russian Federation”.

Interspecific in vitro hybridization in genus Centaurium and identification of hybrids via flow cytometry, RAPD, and secondary metabolite profiles

Most of the species from the genus Centaurium Hill readily hybridize between themselves in natural habitats. Artificial interspecific hybrid plants were obtained under in vitro conditions using reciprocal crosses between 4 species: Centaurium erythraea, C. littorale, C. maritimum, and C. pulchellum. Among 76 crossing experiments performed, 3 types of crosses produced seeds and gave 20 interspecific hybrid plants. Nuclear DNA quantification, fingerprinting of molecular markers, and determination of variation in main secondary metabolite content were employed to confirm their hybrid nature. All 3 approaches were capable of detecting hybrid plants. RAPD molecular markers proved to be the most reliable, always placing the hybrids between their parents in dendrograms, while secoiridoid glycoside content also showed intermediate profiles in the hybrid plants in relation to the parents. Hence, each of the techniques employed can be recommended for elucidating the mechanisms of interspecific hybridization in natural populations of Centaurium species in further studies. This could help to comprehend their breeding system and recognize interspecific hybridization as one of the crucial steps in polyploid formation and speciation in this genus.

Two new spontaneous hybrids of American hard pines from Pinus sect. Trifoliae (Pinaceae) found in the unique Russian Sochi Arboretum

AbstractIn the 1990s, an extraordinarily abundant live collection of the genus Pinus, including 49 species, 4 subspecies, and 7 interspecific hybrids, found in the Sochi Arboretum in Russia on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, was taxonomically revised. Among these taxa, two previously unknown interspecific hybrids of American hard pine species from P. sect. Trifoliae had arisen spontaneously in culture. These are described here as the new hybrid species Pinus × transamericana (P. muricata × P. rigida) and Pinus × critchfieldii (P. patula × P. taeda). All known natural or artificial interspecific hybrids within P. sect. Trifoliae are listed, and hybridization between American hard pine species is discussed. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

New St-chromosome-specific molecular markers for identifying wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium derivative lines

Many grass species in Triticeae serve as important gene pools for forage and cereal crops breeding. Extensive natural and artificial interspecific hybridization have given rise to different ploidy of Triticeae species (Wang et al. 1994). The St genome was defined in diploid Pseudoroegneria species, and is a donor genome of at least seven genera including Douglasdeweya, Roegneria, Elytrigia, Thinopyrum, Elymus, Kengyilia and Pascopyrum according to different taxonomic systems (Wang et al. 1994; Yen et al. 2005). In the past decades, numerous studies on species containing St-chromosome were focussed on genomic relationship and molecular phylogeny based on molecular markers including chloroplast DNA, high-copy nuclear genes, singlecopy nuclear genes, as well as genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) (Kellogg and Appels 1995; Mason-Gamer et al. 2002; Mason-Gamer 2005). Among these species, Thinopyrum intermedium with genome constitution of E1E2St (Wang et al. 1994) or JJsSt (Chen et al. 1998) was widely used in wheat breeding programme (Chen 2005; Li and Wang 2009). Molecular markers, particularly genome-specific markers, are useful in identifying the genome constitution of the unknown species, and also provide efficient tools to check the target alien genes transferred to wheat (Schwarzacher et al. 1992; Wang et al. 2010). Only a few St-chromosomespecific RFLP (Zhang et al. 2001), SCAR (Liu et al. 2007) and ISSR (Zeng et al. 2008) markers were developed to identify genome composition and the individual St-chromosomes. However, the most available markers are lacking in information on the corresponding homologous linkage group relative to wheat. Based on the orthologous gene conservation between rice and wheat, Ishikawa et al. (2007) reported an array of PCR-

Artificial interspecific and natural hybrids between sympatric Brenthis daphne and B. ino (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Artificial interspecific and natural hybrids between sympatric Brenthis daphne and B. ino (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Genomic constitution of the allo-octoploid Elymus tenuis (Poaceae: Triticeae) of New Zealand

Elymus tenuis (Buch.) Á.Löve et Connor is a perennial octoploid (2n = 56) wheatgrass endemic to New Zealand. To investigate its genomic constitution, four artificial interspecific hybrids between E. tenuis and E. enysii (2n = 4x = 28, HW), and E. solandri (2n = 6x = 42, StYW) and E. multiflorus (2n = 6x = 42, StYW) were studied cytologically. Meioses in pollen mother cells (PMCs) of the hybrids showed relatively high chromosome pairing, with an average of 13.50 in E. enysii × E. tenuis, 20.22 in E. solandri × E. tenuis, 19.62 in E. multiflorus × E. tenuis, and 20.00 in E. tenuis × E. multiflorus bivalents per cell, respectively. The results indicate that E. tenuis is an allo-octoploid species, with the new and unique genomic constitution StYHW. An autochthonous origin is proposed for it.

Detection of hybridization between two loach species (Paramisgurnus dabryanus and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in wild populations

Artificial inter-specific hybrids between large scale loach P. dabryanus and tetraploid pond loach M. anguillicaudatus (Cobitidae, Cypriniformes) are viable. To detect the occurrence of possible natural hybridizations, genetic analyses by using microsatellite markers were performed for natural populations of large scale and pond loach, the reciprocal laboratory hybrids, and “supposed hybrids” with ambiguous morphology. The fertility of the artificial hybrids was also tested. At one diagnostic microsatellite (Mac50), one out of the 20 “supposed hybrids” was identified to be F1 hybrid between the two loach species because it had the same genotype as that of the laboratory hybrids. The triploid hybrids between the two species were confirmed to be female-sterile. The results show that rare hybridization has occurred between diploid large scale loach and tetraploid pond loach in nature although it may have little effect in genetic introgression. This study is helpful for fish conservation and encourages further investigation on natural hybridization and introgression of loaches.

Description of Amazonian Theobroma L. collections, species identification, and characterization of interspecific hybrids

There are two major in vivo collections of species of the genus Theobroma L. in Belém and Marituba, state of Pará, Brazil, and in both there are natural species, as well as natural and artificial interspecific hybrids. In order to organize a database of Brazilian Theobroma species, a description of the existing collections and detailed information about the interspecific hybrids, including an artificial key for their identification, are presented in this article.

Artificial interspecific hybridization between Macrobrachium species

Viable F 1 hybrids were obtained from crosses of female Macrobrachium nipponense and male Macrobrachium hainanense involving spermatophore transfer and artificial insemination. This represents the first successful known case of hybridization of two Macrobrachium species by means of artificial insemination. The hatching rate was over 90%. About 20–60% of newly hatched larvae metamorphosed to postlarvae. The morphological characteristics of the hybrids resembled a combination of features of both parents. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and esterase (EST) isozyme electrophoresis indicated parents and F 1 hybrids showed co-dominant expression of the paternal and maternal alleles controlling the isozymes and confirmed the hybridization.

Tropane alkaloid의 생합성과 분자육종

The tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine (its racemic form being atropine) and scopolamine are used medicinally as anticholinergic agents that act on the parasympathetic nerve system. Because they differ in their actions on the central nervous system, currently there is a 10-fold higher commercial demand for scopolamine, in the N-butylbromide form, than there is for hyoscyamine and atropine combined. Several solanaceous species have been used as the commercial sources of these alkaloids, but the scopolamine contents in these plants often are much lower than those of hyoscyamine. For this reason there has been long-standing interest in increasing the scopolamine contents of cultivated medicinal plants. Naturally occurring and artificial interspecific hybrids of Duboisia have high scopolamine contents and are cultivated as a commercial source of scopolamine in Australia and other countries. Anther culture combined with conventional interspecific hybridization also has been used to breed high scopolamine-containing plants in the genera Datura and Hyoscyamus, but without much success. The use of recombinant DNA technology for the manipulation of metabolic processes in cells promises to provide important contributions to basic science, agriculture, and medicine. In this review, I introduce on the enzymes and genes involved in tropane alkaloid biosynthesis and current progress in metabolic engineering approaches for tropane alkaloid, especially scopolamine, production.