Analysis on the genetic control of heterosis for guanosine and organic acid contents in tuber of Pinellia ternata by using of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) makers

To explore advantage traits of Pinellia ternata populations for hybridization breeding, effect of parents on contents of guanine nucleoside (hereinafter referred as "guanosine") and total free organic acids (hereinafter referred as "organic acid") of the F 1 groups were analyzed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Results showed that genetic distances (GDs) between 7 of the 9 tested F 1 groups and their female parents were smaller than those between the F1 groups and their male ones. Heterosis for guanosine and organic acid contents of the F 1 groups were more affected by their female parents than by the male parents, and were significantly correlated with the GDs between the F 1 groups and their female parents; the correlation coefficients were r=0.5258 and -0.6760, respectively. Furthermore, there is a significant correlation between the heterosis for organic acid contents of the F 1 groups and the GDs between their parents; the correlation coefficient was r=0.3212, indicating that GDs between parents can be used to predict the heterosis for organic acid contents of the F 1 groups. But the heterosis for guanosine contents of the F 1 groups does not correlate with the GDs between their parents, indicating that the GD between parents cannot be used to predict the heterosis for guanosine contents of the F 1 group. In addition, relationship between bioaccumulation of the organic acid and guanosine in the tuber of P. ternata were discussed.