Similar patterns of additive and non-additive gene expression in maize hybrids with varying levels of heterosis

Expression profiling analyses for 5 maize inbreds and 4 hybrids, chosen to represent diversity in genotypes and heterosis responses, revealed a correlation between genetic diversity and transcriptional variation. The majority of differentially expressed genes in each of the different hybrids exhibited additive expression patterns, and ~25% exhibited statistically significant non-additive expression profiles. Among the non-additive profiles, ~80% exhibited hybrid expression levels between the parental levels, ~20% exhibited hybrid expression levels at the parental levels and ~1% exhibited hybrid levels outside the parental range. These findings indicate that the frequencies of additive and non-additive expression patterns are very similar across a range of hybrid lines.

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Stupar RM, Gardiner JM, Oldre AG, Haun WJ, Chandler VL, Springer NM