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SUMMARY:Extraordinary phenotypes of hybrids are influenced by epigenetics 
 and small silencing RNAs - Padubidri Shivaprasad\, David Baulcombe's group
DTSTART:20110128T130000Z
DTEND:20110128T133000Z
UID:TALK28378@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:15560
DESCRIPTION:Hybrid organisms may exhibit phenotypes that transgress the ra
 nge of the parents in the F1 or subsequent generations. The hybrids may fa
 il to develop\, be sterile\, or\, conversely they may be more vigorous tha
 n either of the parents. There has been some recent progress understanding
  hybrid vigour and hybrid necrosis in the F1 plants in terms of epistasis 
 or overdominance but the transgressive phenotypes in later generations are
  not well understood. We have investigated the possibility that transgress
 ive phenotypes are associated with small(s)RNAs including micro (mi) and s
 mall interfering (si) RNAs. Towards this\, we have analysed sRNAs from tom
 ato (Solanum lycopersicum) M82\, a wild tomato relative with useful traits
  (S. pennellii)\, M82 X S. pennellii F1 and F2 hybrids\, and a set of inte
 rspecific Introgressed Lines (IL) with small regions of S. pennellii DNA i
 n the M82 genome. In these hybrids\, most miRNAs and siRNA loci were expre
 ssed within the parental range. However\, at certain exceptional loci\, th
 e sRNAs were more abundant than in either parent or the F1 hybrid correlat
 ing with suppression and epigenetic modification of target gene expression
 . The targets of such transgressive miRNA and siRNA loci include protein c
 oding genes affecting growth and responses to abiotic stimuli. Our results
  illustrate how activation of sRNA production can contribute to the extrao
 rdinary transgressive phenotypes in hybrid plants.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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