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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2012, Vol. 12 Issue (1): 43-52    DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8512
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Conversion of the Statistical Combining Ability into a Genetic Concept
 LV Ai-zhi, ZHANG Hao, ZHANG Zu-xin, TAO Yong-sheng, YUE Bing , ZHENG Yong-lian
1.College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University/Hebei Sub-Center of National Maize Improvement Center, Baoding 071001, P.R.China
2.National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R.China
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摘要  Since the combining ability was proposed in 1942, efforts to uncover the genetic basis underlying this phenomenon have been ongoing for nearly 70 yr, with little success. Some breeding strategies based on evaluation of combining ability have been produced, and are still extensively used in hybrid breeding. In this review, the genetic basis underlying these breeding strategies is discussed, and a potential genetic control of general combining ability (GCA) is postulated. We suggested that GCA and the yields of inbred lines might be genetically controlled by different sets of loci on the maize genome that are transmitted into offspring. Different inbred lines might possess different favorable alleles for GCA. In hybrids, loci involved in multiple pathways, which are directly or indirectly associated with yield performance, might be regulated by GCA loci. In addition, a case of GCA mapping using a set of testcross progeny from introgression lines is provided.

Abstract  Since the combining ability was proposed in 1942, efforts to uncover the genetic basis underlying this phenomenon have been ongoing for nearly 70 yr, with little success. Some breeding strategies based on evaluation of combining ability have been produced, and are still extensively used in hybrid breeding. In this review, the genetic basis underlying these breeding strategies is discussed, and a potential genetic control of general combining ability (GCA) is postulated. We suggested that GCA and the yields of inbred lines might be genetically controlled by different sets of loci on the maize genome that are transmitted into offspring. Different inbred lines might possess different favorable alleles for GCA. In hybrids, loci involved in multiple pathways, which are directly or indirectly associated with yield performance, might be regulated by GCA loci. In addition, a case of GCA mapping using a set of testcross progeny from introgression lines is provided.
Keywords:  general combining ability (GCA)      testcross      GCA mapping      quantitative trait locus (QTL)      maize (Zea mays L.)      introgression line  
Accepted:
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This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB100100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971791).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence ZHANG Zu-xin, Tel: +86-27-87282689, E-mail: zuxinzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn     E-mail:  zuxinzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

LV Ai-zhi, ZHANG Hao, ZHANG Zu-xin, TAO Yong-sheng, YUE Bing , ZHENG Yong-lian. 2012. Conversion of the Statistical Combining Ability into a Genetic Concept. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(1): 43-52.

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