Asymmetric Reciprocal Crossing Behavior of an Andean Blueberry (V. meridionale) × Lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea) Hybrid

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 22; p. 3152
• Main Authors: Ehlenfeldt, Mark K, Ogden, Elizabeth, Rowland, Lisa J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Asymmetry; Blueberries; Cultivars; Females; Fertility; Flow cytometry; Fruits; Gametes; Genetic crosses; Genomes; Genotypes; Germplasm; Hybrids; Males; Offspring; polyploid; Pyxothamnus; Seeds; septaploid; Success; tetraploid; V. corymbosum; V. virgatum; Vaccinium corymbosum; Vaccinium meridionale; Vaccinium virgatum; Vaccinium vitis-idaea; United States > US; EBN; genome strength; V. virgatum; imprinting; septaploid; tetraploid; Pyxothamnus; V. corymbosum; endosperm balance number; polyploid
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants11223152

The fertility and crossing behavior of a tetraploid hybrid of 4x Andean blueberry (V. meridionale) and lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea) was evaluated through a series of crosses. Crosses of the hybrid with highbush blueberry produced divergent results. When used as a female with V. corymbosum males, virtually all offspring were hexaploid, most likely arising from 2n = 4x = 48 female gametes, and 1n = 2x = 24 male gametes. However, when used as a male, tetraploid hybrids were produced, resulting from 1n = 2x = 24 gametes from each parent. To further examine this crossing behavior, the 4x V. meridionale—V. vitis-idaea interspecific hybrid was pollinated with 6x V. virgatum (rabbiteye blueberry). Analogous to the previous crosses, 7x hybrids were produced from the joining of 2n = 4x = 48 female gametes with 1n = 3x = 36 male gametes. Such reciprocal crossing asymmetry is unprecedented. The ability to produce both 6x and 4x offspring from the same V. corymbosum parents allows the potential of bridging a V. meridionale hybrid genotype to both the tetraploid (V. corymbosum) and hexaploid (V. virgatum) commercial crop levels.