Plant breeders have long appreciated the phenomenon called hybrid vigor or heterosis, in which hybrids formed between two inbred strains have increased vigor and crop yield relative to the two parental strains. Starting in the 1930s, seed companies exploited the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) phenomenon in corn that was described in Problem 17 so that they could cheaply produce hybrid corn seed to sell to farmers. This type of CMS is caused by mutant mitochondrial genomes that prevent pollen formation. a. How would CMS aid seed companies in producing hybrid corn seed? Dominant Rf alleles of a nuclear gene called Restorer suppress the CMS phenotype, so that Rf- containing plants with mutant mitochondrial genomes are male fertile.

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
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ISBN:9780134580999
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Plant breeders have long appreciated the phenomenon called hybrid vigor or heterosis, in which hybrids formed between two inbred strains have increased vigor and crop yield relative to the two parental strains. Starting in the 1930s, seed companies exploited the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) phenomenon in corn that was described in Problem 17 so that they could cheaply produce hybrid corn seed to sell to farmers. This type of CMS is caused by mutant mitochondrial genomes that prevent pollen formation.

a. How would CMS aid seed companies in producing hybrid corn seed? Dominant Rf alleles of a nuclear gene called Restorer suppress the CMS phenotype, so that Rf- containing plants with mutant mitochondrial genomes are male fertile.

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