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Optimum recombination rates for genetic gains in simulated recurrent selection in empirical maize populations.

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Title: Optimum recombination rates for genetic gains in simulated recurrent selection in empirical maize populations.
Authors: Anilkumar C; Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.; Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India., Bernardo R; Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Source: The plant genome [Plant Genome] 2026 Jun; Vol. 19 (2), pp. e70229.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Crop Science Society of America Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101273919 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1940-3372 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19403372 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Plant Genome Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Madison, WI : Crop Science Society of America
MeSH Terms: Zea mays*/genetics , Recombination, Genetic* , Selection, Genetic*, Haplotypes ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Crossing Over, Genetic ; Phenotype ; Genetic Linkage
Abstract: Meiotic recombination creates new allelic combinations, but it also disrupts favorable parental haplotypes. Our objective was to assess if optimum recombination rates exist in elite maize (Zea mays L.) populations undergoing simulated short-term and long-term recurrent selection. Genomewide marker effects were calculated for eight populations genotyped with 3072 single nucleotide polymorphism markers and phenotyped in up to 18 environments for yield, moisture, test weight, and plant and ear height. The recombination rate was altered by multiplying the sizes of linkage maps by 0.25-10. The regression of genetic gain on the number of crossovers was often curvilinear, and an optimum number of crossovers (COOpt) was found in nearly 90% of the trait-population combinations. The COOpt was higher in long-term than in short-term selection, and all linear regression coefficients that were significant (p ≤ 0.05) and negative in short-term selection became positive or nonsignificant in long-term selection. This result indicated that increased recombination initially disrupted favorable parental haplotypes but later facilitated the accumulation of favorable haplotypes. The variation in COOpt was greater among populations than among traits within the same population, and COOpt also increased as the size of the linkage map increased. Overall, our results showed that a higher recombination rate is not always beneficial and that each trait-population combination has an optimum recombination rate that maximizes genetic gain. The practical application of these results awaits the development of methods to both suppress and boost genomewide recombination rates.
(© 2026 The Author(s). The Plant Genome published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Crop Science Society of America.)
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Contributed Indexing: Local Abstract: [plain-language-summary] Genes for characters are present on chromosome pairs. During meiotic cell division, crossing over can exchange segments between these chromosomes, creating new gene combinations in offspring. We aimed to see if there is an ideal number of crossovers that maximize offspring performance. Using data from eight commercial‐grade maize populations and five traits, we simulated longer chromosomes to allow more crossovers. Our findings showed that increasing crossovers up to an optimal level maximized progeny performance. However, too many crossovers can break apart useful combinations of genes already present in the parents.
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260328 Date Completed: 20260714 Latest Revision: 20260714
Update Code: 20260714
PubMed Central ID: PMC13032164
DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.70229
PMID: 41902534
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1940-3372
DOI:10.1002/tpg2.70229