玉米杂种与亲本穗分化期功能叶基因差异表达与杂种优势

为探讨玉米杂种优势的分子机理,以10个玉米自交系及其组配的38个杂交种为材料,利用cDNA-AFLP技术,分析杂种与亲本在玉米雌穗小穗分化期功能叶片的基因差异表达类型与主要农艺性状的杂种表现及杂种优势的关系。研究表明：（1）杂种的基因相对于其双亲,存在质和量的表达差异,其中质的差异表达类型包括：单亲沉默表达,双亲沉默表达,亲本显性表达和杂种特异表达等类型。（2）在雌穗小穗分化期,同一差异表达类型中不同杂交组合间差异很大;从总体平均看,杂种特异表达类型占25.22%,亲本显性表达类型占21.46%,双亲沉默表达类型占8.27%,单亲沉默表达类型占33.49%。（3）单亲沉默表达与株高的杂种表现呈显著正相关;双亲沉默表达与穗粗的杂种优势呈显著负相关,显性表达与行粒数和单株粒重的杂种优势呈显著负相关,其余表达类型与所有农艺性状杂种表现及杂种优势均不相关,并对结果进行了讨论。     

小麦杂交种与亲本发育早期种子的基因表达差异及其与杂种优势关系的初步研究

为深入探讨小麦杂种优势形成的分子机理,选取3个冬小麦品种(系)为一组亲本,3个为另一组亲本,配制了正反交18个杂交组合,以授粉后6d的杂交和自交种子为材料,应用mRNA差异显示技术(DDRT—PCR)研究了小麦杂交当代种子与其亲本自交种子基因的表达差异,并与杂种优势进行相关分析。为降低DDRT—PCR技术假阳性的不利影响,对每个引物组合均作了两次PCR扩增,在处理数据时,仅统计能重复出现的条带。结果发现：杂交种和亲本之间的基因表达模式有8类共15种：(1)单亲沉默型(2种),(2)单亲一致型(2种),(3)正交或反交沉默型(2种),(4)正交或反交特异型(2种),(5)正交或反交单亲一致型(4种),(6)杂交种特异型(1种),(7)双亲共沉默型(1种),(8)表达一致型(1种)。分析发现,小麦杂交种和亲本间存在显著的表达差异。在差异表达类型中,杂交种特异型和双亲共沉默型比例最低。对上述15种表达模式与杂种优势进行相关分析,结果表明,表达一致型与各产量性状杂种优势之间的相关均不显著,说明杂种优势是由某些有表达差异的基因造成。9个产量性状均能检测到一种以上与其显著或极显著相关的基因表达模式,有些性状受正负相关效应的共同影响;沉默型(包括单亲沉默型、正交或反交沉默型和双亲共沉默型)和正交或反交单亲一致型在杂种优势形成中发挥重要作用。这些研究表明,在种子发育早期,基因的差异表达与杂种优势形成之间可能存在较为复杂的关系。     

香菇单孢杂交子代群体灰色关联度和ISSR分析

以香菇Lentinula edodes栽培菌株秋6和K95-1为亲本,通过单孢菌株配对杂交获得21个杂交子,观察杂交子及亲本菌丝体生长情况,进行栽培出菇试验。采用灰色关联度分析法,对9个正常出菇的杂交子从8个性状方面进行综合评价,结果表明,杂交子QK-8和QK-15关联度仅次于亲本秋6,农艺性状和子实体性状表现最好。采用ISSR技术对21个杂交子及亲本进行DNA多态性聚类分析,单孢杂交后代遗传分化十分明显,归于同一类群的杂交子在菌丝生长、子实体形态和农艺性状等方面常表现相似,ISSR分析能为优良杂交子初步筛选提供重要参考。     

小麦杂种及其亲本苗期叶片家族基因差异表达及其与杂种优势关系的初步研究

为探讨小麦杂种优势形成的分子机理,以一套双列杂交组合的苗期叶片为材料,利用mRNA差异显示技术分析了杂种及其亲本间MADS－box、G－ box、Ser/Thr蛋白激酶、EIF－4A、ARF1基因家族共5类家族基因在杂交种和亲本之间的表达差异。并与杂种性状表现和杂种优势进行了相关分析。结果发现,除ARF1家族基因外,其余家族基因在杂种和亲本间存在显著的表达差异,差异表达类型可概括为4种：（1）双亲共沉默;（20单亲表达沉默;（3）杂种特异表达;（4）单亲表达一致。分析发现,MADS－box、G－box和EIF－4A家族基因在杂种和亲本间的差异表达模式相似,均以单亲特异表达和种特异表达类型所占比例最高。相关分析结果表明,以上所有家族基因的总体差异表达程度与所有性状的杂种表现均不相关,MADS－box家族基因中杂种特异表达类型与小穗数、单株产量和单穗产量杂种优势呈显著正相关,双亲共沉默类型与小穗数、千粒重和单穗产量杂种优势呈显著负相关,另外,EIF－4A家族基因中单亲表达一致型与单穗产量杂种优势呈显著正相,但双亲共沉默类型与小穗数和单穗产量杂种优势呈显著负相关,对于G－box基因家族而言,仅小穗数杂种优势和双亲共沉默类型成显著负相关,而蛋白激酶家族基因的各种差异类型与性状杂种优势的相关分析均不显著。这些研究表明,调控基因的差异表达与杂种优势形成有密切关系。     

高丹草杂种和亲本叶片基因差异表达研究

以4份高粱不育系和5种类型苏丹草为亲本,按照NCⅡ设计配制成20个杂交组合,分析各组合及亲本的表型值和中亲及超亲优势并筛选出8个优势强的组合为试材,利用cDNA-AFLP技术,分析杂种与亲本苗期叶片基因差异表达类型与主要产量性状的杂种表现及杂种优势的关系。研究表明:(1)12对引物共扩增出315条TDFs,杂种与亲本间基因表达类型有:单亲表达一致一型(P1F1型)和二型(P2F1型)、杂种特异表达类型(F1型)、单亲表达沉默一型(P1型)和二型(P2型)、双亲共沉默类型(P1P2型)和杂种亲本表达一致型(P1F1P2型)7种。(2)在差异展示类型与产量构成因素的相关分析中,有效分蘖数与P1F1型(0.726**)呈极显著正相关,单株鲜重与P1P2型(0.659*)、叶长与P2型(0.647*)呈显著正相关,成株期叶片数与F1型(-0.81**)呈极显著负相关。在与中亲优势相关分析中发现,单株鲜重与P1(0.695*)、P2(0.637*)呈显著正相关,单株鲜重与P1F1P2型(0.743**)呈极显著正相关,叶宽与P1P2型(-0.619*)呈显著负相关。在与超亲优势进行相关分析后发现,穗长与P2F1型(0.732**)呈极显著正相关,叶宽与P2F1型(-0.731**)以及P1P2型(-0.731**)呈极显著负相关。(3)差异展示类型P1F1、P2F1、P1和P2是显性效应类型,共占总检测的91.4%。差异展示类型F1和P1P2表现超显性,共占总检测的4.8%,说明各个性状的杂种表现主要受到的是(超)显性效应影响。(4)对8个与高丹草杂种优势相关的TDFs进行回收及BLAST分析均得到同源核苷酸,并且找到7个同源蛋白,这些蛋白质在控制植物生长发育方面具有重要作用。(5)将克隆测序获得差异片段的核苷酸序列,采用半定量RT-PCR进行了验证。本研究为进一步揭示高丹草杂种优势的分子机制和提高高丹草强优势组合的筛选效率以及种质资源的创建提供依据。     

利用地域野生资源创制地方适栽的优质香菇新品种

香菇是我国深受欢迎的食药用菌,产量居食用菌产业之首。为拓宽栽培香菇菌株的遗传背景,解决现有主栽香菇菌株种性退化的问题,本研究以香菇‘808’菌株与3个香菇野生资源、3个栽培菌株（辽抚4号、BY1和荷香）开展单-双杂交育种,开发适合当地栽培环境的主栽品种。研究结果显示：在270对单-双杂交组合中,通过锁状联合观察和与亲本的拮抗试验,鉴定出89个杂交子,进一步通过栽培试验筛选出10个性状相对优良的候选菌株;最终通过农艺性状对比试验,筛选出ZJXG 5和ZJXG 8两个优良杂交菌株,这两个菌株均以当地长白山野生资源S1和本地主栽菌株BY1为双核杂交亲本选育而来,表现出超亲显著、菇形圆整、颜色呈浅褐色的特性,前4潮生物学效率在86%-88%之间。本研究结果揭示,在香菇杂交育种中,当亲本菌株来源地域与杂交后代菌株筛选地域相近时,单双杂交亲和率、杂交菌株的出菇率和丰产性指标较高,这提示我们,利用当地野生香菇资源更有利于创制适合当地自然环境的地方品种。     

盛花期抗虫杂交棉及其亲本叶片基因表达差异与杂种优势

采用DDRT-PCR技术,以棉花盛花期项尖叶片cDNA为材料,对上海生物工程公司合成的专用于基因差异显示分析的3个锚定引物和全套26个随机引物进行筛选,最后选择了15个扩增差异带丰富的随机引物。采用3个锚定引物和这15个随机引物组成的45对引物组合对24个抗虫棉杂交组合及其10亲本盛花期叶片cDNA进行扩增和差显,2次扩增重复率达70．1％,表明在扩增过程中存在较高的假阳性,通过重复PCR扩增,统计稳定扩增的条带,可减少假阳性干扰。根据基因表达方式,将其划分5种模式：MI为双亲表达沉默,双亲出现条带而杂种没有条带;M2为单亲表达沉默,带仅出现在亲本之一,包括仅母本有带而父本和杂种无带和仅父本有带而母本和杂种无带2种表达方式：M3为杂种特异表达,带仅出现在杂种,双亲无带;M4为单亲表达一致,带在双亲之一和杂种中出现,而在另一亲本中不出现,包括母本、杂种中有带而父本无带和父本、杂种中有带而母本无带2种方式;M5为基因表达一致,带在双亲和杂种中均出现。差显表达模式比例与产量性状和杂种优势分析表明：M4与所有产量性状均呈正相关,并且与单位面积铃数相关达显著水平,其他各种模式与杂种产量性状表型值均未达到显著水平;M2与单位面积铃数杂种优势呈显著负相关,M3与皮棉产量杂种优势呈显著正相关。上述结果表明,盛花期叶片中的基因显性表达和杂种特异表达有利于产量形成和杂种优势发挥。     

香菇HMG-box转录因子lelcrp1基因的功能

【目的】研究香菇(Lentinula edodes) HMG-box转录因子LELCRP1 (Lentinula edodes lignocellulase genes regulation protein 1)在木质纤维素降解相关酶基因表达中的功能与作用。【方法】通过double-joint及同源重组方法构建lelcrp1基因RNAi载体,采用根癌农杆菌介导转化的方法转入香菇异核菌株W1菌丝中,筛选得到RNAi转化子,通过Southern杂交检测插入片段在菌株W1基因组中的拷贝数量。采用荧光定量PCR检测RNAi转化子木质纤维素降解酶基因表达水平变化,并在含有3.5μg/mL潮霉素的MYG平板上测定RNAi转化子的菌丝生长速度。【结果】获得了4个lelcrp1基因表达水平与出发菌株W1相比显著下调6–7倍的RNAi转化子。Southern杂交结果显示,lelcrp1基因RNAi片段已成功整合至香菇菌株W1基因组内,并以单拷贝形式存在。对其中2个RNAi转化子的26个木质纤维素降解酶基因表达水平进行分析,发现其中9个纤维素酶基因、1个半纤维素酶基因、2个辅助酶AA9基因和1个锰过氧化物酶基因的表达水平均表现出明显的下调。平板生长试验表明,RNAi转化子菌丝生长速度均显著慢于出发菌株W1。【结论】通过RNAi技术成功抑制了香菇异核菌株中lelcrp1基因表达水平,并导致部分纤维素及木质素酶基因表达水平相应下调,首次发现HMG-box结构域的转录因子能调控木质纤维素降解相关酶基因表达。     

玉米雌穗发育期基因差异表达与杂种优势的研究

杂种优势在提高粮食作物特别是玉米的产量方面具有重要的作用。然而,杂种优势的原理却仍然是一个世界性的难题。用12个玉米自交系及其按不完全双列杂交组配的33个杂交种为材料,分4个不同发育时期取杂交种及其亲本的雌穗组织,利用差异显示技术,分析杂种与亲本的基因差异表达类型及其与7个主要农艺性状的杂种表现和杂种优势的相关关系。发现1):在5种表达类型中单态表达(基因在杂交种和双亲中同时表达的类型)的数量最大,这说明杂种优势的形成不仅与基因的表达与否相关,还与大量基因的上调或下调表达相关;2):在玉米雌幼穗的发育初期杂交种与双亲的基因表达差异最大,这可能与雌穗发育初期器官的形成和发育相关,因此这一时期差异表达(在质的方面)的基因对产量性状和杂种优势的形成具有密切关系;3):综合各种基因表达类型与产量性状和杂种优势的关系,发现某些基因在杂种中的沉默表达可以促进籽粒的发育和抑制幼穗中小花的发育。     

利用AMMI模型分析杂交水稻配合力

配合力分析在亲本育种潜力评价和品种选育中扮演着重要的作用。本试验对5×4不完全双列杂交组合产量性状进行了配合力效应分析,并利用AMMI模型对杂交组合中双亲间互作效应(即特殊配合力)进行了深入剖析。结果表明,利用代表双亲产量特殊配合力效应分值的主成分轴(IPCA)向量可以很好地评价亲本的特殊配合力效应。根据亲本特殊配合力效应分值向量的长度及方向,可将杂交组合中双亲的互作效应分为4种情况:(1)杂交组合中至少有一个亲本的特殊配合力效应分值向量的坐标点比较靠近坐标原点,则测配杂交组合中双亲间的互作效应贡献很小,其杂种优势主要来源于双亲的一般配合力。(2)杂交组合中双亲特殊配合力效应分值向量的方向大致呈垂直状态,则测配杂交组合中双亲间的互作效应很小,其杂种优势也主要来源于双亲的一般配合力。(3)杂交组合中双亲特殊配合力效应分值向量的长度较长但方向大致相反,则杂交组合存在很大的负向特殊配合力效应。(4)杂交组合中双亲特殊配合力效应分值向量的长度均比较大且方向大致相同,则相应杂交组合的正向特殊配合力效应很高。因此,若要获得较大的双亲正向互作效应,则合理选配亲本至关重要;只有当两亲本特殊配合力效应分值向量的长度均比较大且向量方向较一致时才可以达到较大的正向互作效应。     

Relationships of differential gene expression in leaves with heterosis and heterozygosity in a rice diallel cross

Using differential display analysis, we assessed the patterns of differential gene expression in hybrids relative to their parents in a diallel cross involving 8 elite rice lines. The analysis revealed several patterns of differential expression including: (1) bands present in one parent and F₁ but absent in the other parent, (2) bands observed in both parents but not in the F₁, (3) bands occurring in only one parent but not in the F₁ or the other parent, and, (4) bands detected only in the F₁ but in neither of the parents. Relationships between differential gene expression and heterosis and marker heterozygosity were evaluated using data for RFLPs, SSRs and a number of agronomic characters. The analysis showed that there was very little correlation between patterns of differential expression and the F₁ means for all six agronomic traits. Differentially expressed fragments that occurred only in one parent but not in the other parent or in F₁ in each of the respective crosses were positively correlated with heterosis and heterozygosity. And conversely, fragments that were detected in F₁s but in neither of the respective parents were negatively correlated with heterosis and heterozygosity. The remaining patterns of differential expression were not correlated with heterosis or heterozygosity. The relationships between the patterns of differential expression and heterosis observed in this study were not consistent with expectations based on dominance or overdominance hypotheses.     

The effect of hybrid transgression on environmental tolerance in experimental yeast crosses

Evidence is rapidly accumulating that hybridization generates adaptive variation. Transgressive segregation in hybrids could promote the colonization of new environments. Here, we use an assay to select hybrid genotypes that can proliferate in environmental conditions beyond the conditions tolerated by their parents, and we directly compete them against parental genotypes in habitats across environmental clines. We made 45 different hybrid swarms by crossing yeast strains (both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. paradoxus) with different genetic and phenotypic divergence. We compared the ability of hybrids and parents to colonize seven types of increasingly extreme environmental clines, representing both natural and novel challenges (mimicking pollution events). We found that a significant majority of hybrids had greater environmental ranges compared to the average of both their parents’ ranges (mid‐parent transgression), but only a minority of hybrids had ranges exceeding their best parent (best‐parent transgression). Transgression was affected by the specific strains involved in the cross and by the test environment. Genetic and phenotypic crossing distance predicted the extent of transgression in only two of the seven environments. We isolated a set of potentially transgressive hybrids selected at the extreme ends of the clines and found that many could directly outcompete their parents across whole clines and were between 1.5‐ and 3‐fold fitter on average. Saccharomyces yeast is a good model for quantitative and replicable experimental speciation studies, which may be useful in a world where hybridization is becoming increasingly common due to the relocation of plants and animals by humans.     

Organization and variation analysis of 5S rDNA in different ploidy-level hybrids of red crucian carp × topmouth culter

Through distant crossing, diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrids of red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var., RCC♀, Cyprininae, 2n = 100) × topmouth culter (Erythroculter ilishaeformis Bleeker, TC♂, Cultrinae, 2n = 48) were successfully produced. Diploid hybrids possessed 74 chromosomes with one set from RCC and one set from TC; triploid hybrids harbored 124 chromosomes with two sets from RCC and one set from TC; tetraploid hybrids had 148 chromosomes with two sets from RCC and two sets from TC. The 5S rDNA of the three different ploidy-level hybrids and their parents were sequenced and analyzed. There were three monomeric 5S rDNA classes (designated class I: 203 bp; class II: 340 bp; and class III: 477 bp) in RCC and two monomeric 5S rDNA classes (designated class IV: 188 bp, and class V: 286 bp) in TC. In the hybrid offspring, diploid hybrids inherited three 5S rDNA classes from their female parent (RCC) and only class IV from their male parent (TC). Triploid hybrids inherited class II and class III from their female parent (RCC) and class IV from their male parent (TC). Tetraploid hybrids gained class II and class III from their female parent (RCC), and generated a new 5S rDNA sequence (designated class I-N). The specific paternal 5S rDNA sequence of class V was not found in the hybrid offspring. Sequence analysis of 5S rDNA revealed the influence of hybridization and polyploidization on the organization and variation of 5S rDNA in fish. This is the first report on the coexistence in vertebrates of viable diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrids produced by crossing parents with different chromosome numbers, and these new hybrids are novel specimens for studying the genomic variation in the first generation of interspecific hybrids, which has significance for evolution and fish genetics.     

甘蓝型油菜Ogura 雄性不育×白菜的回交杂种后代与亲本之间蕾期基因表达差异比较研究*

以甘蓝型油菜（Brassica napus L, AACC,2n＝38）Ogura细胞质雄性不育材料为母本,以不同白菜（B campestris ssp. chinensis Makino, AA, 2n＝20） 自交系‘新选一号’和‘矮脚黄’为父本进行杂交,获得了杂种F1、BC1、BC2代。利用cDNA-AFLP技术对两种材料的不同回交世代BC1、BC2代与其亲本在蕾期的基因表达进行分析。结果表明,两种白菜回交世代与其亲本的基因表达有明显差异,在质和量上都存在差异。基因表达模式有5类共7种：（1）单亲沉默型（2种）,（2）单亲一致型（2种）,（3）双亲共沉默型,（4）杂种特异型,（5）表达一致型。随着回交世代的增加,回交杂种和亲本的基因表达在单亲沉默型、双亲共沉默型呈增加趋势。而在母本一致型、父本一致型、杂交种特异型、表达一致型呈下降的趋势。两种白菜在F1、BC1、BC2 3个世代与回交亲本花蕾间的基因差异表达有15种类型,其中以在轮回亲本、F1、BC1、BC2中共同出现表达的带的比例最高。Abstract: Crosses between female parent of Ogura male sterility Brassica napus L. and male parents of B. campestris ssp. chinensis Makino were made and F1, BC1 and BC2 generations produced. Gene expression of two Chinese cabbage backcross hybrid BC1, BC2 and their parents at bud stage was analyzed by means of cDNA-AFLP technique. The results indicated that the patterns of gene expression differ significantly between BC1 and BC2 generations and their parents. There were many patterns of gene expression, including gene overexpression and gene silencing. Five patterns (seven kinds) of gene expression were observed, which include: (1) bands occurring in only one parent (two kinds); (2) bands observed in hybrids and one parent (two kinds); (3) bands occurring in only parents (one kind); (4) bands visualized in only hybrids (one kind); (5) bands observed in parents and hybrids (one kind). In accompany with the addition of backcross, the increase trend in backcross hybrids and their parents were described in the aspects of differential gene expression, bands expressed only in one parent and bands expressed only in both parents. The declined trend in backcross hybrids and their parents were observed in the aspects of bands expressed in both hybrids and one parent (two kinds), bands visualized in only hybrids and bands observed in parents and hybrid. Fifteen patterns of gene expression were observed in F1、BC1、BC2 and backcross parents. The percent of bands expressed in F1、BC1、BC2 and backcross was highest.     

Do rice hybrids have heterosis for insect resistance? A study with Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and Marasmia patnalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Antibiosis-based resistance to two insect pests of rice, Nilaparvata lugens (St?l) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and Marasmia patnalis Bradley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was compared in 11 F1 hybrids and their parental lines. Our objective was to determine whether hybrids show heterosis (hybrid vigor) for insect resistance or susceptibility. Heterosis is defined as the amount by which a hybrid exceeds its midparent value or its better parent. Overall, we did not find evidence of heterosis or heterobeltiosis (a type of heterosis in which a hybrid exceeds its better parent) for antibiosis-based resistance or susceptibility to either of the insects. One hybrid, IR64616H, seemed more resistant to M. patnalis than its better parent but none of the other hybrids showed heterobeltiosis for resistance or susceptibility to either insect. Three hybrids had resistance to N. lugens that exceeded their midparent value, possibly due to dominant resistance in one of the parents. The increased frequency and severity of insect outbreaks on hybrid rice that have been reported in China may be attributable to factors other than diminished antibiosis in hybrids, such as greater attractiveness of hybrids to migrating or dispersing insects or differences in agronomic practices applied to hybrids and inbred rice cultivars.     

Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in the rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus plicatilis</Emphasis>

By crossing Brachionus plicatilis s.s. NH1L strain and German strain, we obtained two types of hybrids, NH1L female × German male designated as NXG and German female × NH1L male designated as GXN. To confirm the crossing of the two hybrid strains at the genetic level, random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) analysis using 10 kinds of primers (10 and 12 mers) was carried out. Some amplified DNA fragments from RAPD of the hybrid strain showed mixed patterns of both parental strains, thus confirming that both hybrids were crossbreeds of the NH1L and German strains. Using these hybrids, we investigated the mode of mitochondrial inheritance in B. plicatilis. Full-length mtDNA of the four strains was amplified by PCR, and digested with restriction enzymes to obtain restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns. Both hybrid strains had the same RFLP patterns as their female parents. This result shows that mitochondrial inheritance in rotifers is maternal. Guest editors: S. S. S. Sarma, R. D. Gulati, R. L. Wallace, S. Nandini, H. J. Dumont and R. Rico-Martínez Advances in Rotifer Research     

丁香属植物有性杂交试验的研究初报

1988~1989年在哈尔滨市第三苗圃进行了丁香属(Syringa L.)植物种间(内)杂交试验。结果表明:(1)不同杂交组合的亲和性差异很大,在试验的18个杂交组合中有5个杂交组合得到了发育正常的杂种F1代种子,但结实率不同,其中以白丁香与洋丁香为亲本的杂交组合,无论是正交或反交,杂种F1代的结实率均达86%以上,表现出较高的亲和力。而以重瓣洋丁香为母本,白丁香为父本的杂交组合,杂种F1代结实率仅有8%,亲和力显著下降。(2)丁香种间杂交可以获得成功。杂种F1代长势旺盛,花色变异丰富,瓣性遗传性较强,已发现若干符合育种目标的新类型。     

Integrated transcript and metabolite profiling reveals coordination between biomass size and nitrogen metabolism in Arabidopsis F1 hybrids

Heterosis refers to the improved agronomic performance of F₁ hybrids relative to their parents. Although this phenomenon is widely employed to increase biomass, yield, and stress tolerance of plants, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To dissect the metabolic fluctuations derived from genomic and/or environmental differences contributing to the improved biomass of F₁ hybrids relative to their parents, we optimized the growth condition for Arabidopsis thaliana F₁ hybrids and their parents. Modest but statistically significant increase in the biomass of F₁ hybrids was observed. Plant samples grown under the optimized condition were also utilized for integrated omics analysis to capture specific changes in the F₁ hybrids. Metabolite profiling of F₁ hybrids and parent plants was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among the detected 237 metabolites, 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) and malate levels were lower and the level of aspartate was higher in the F₁ hybrids than in each parent. In addition, microarray analysis revealed that there were 44 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated genes with more than 1.5-fold changes in expression levels in the F₁ hybrid compared to each parent. Gene ontology (GO) analyses indicated that genes up-regulated in the F₁ hybrids were largely related to organic nitrogen (N) process. Quantitative PCR verified that glutamine synthetase 2 (AtGLN2) was upregulated in the F₁ hybrids, while other genes encoding enzymes in the GS-GOGAT cycle showed no significant differences between the hybrid and parent lines. These results suggested the existence of metabolic regulation that coordinates biomass and N metabolism involving AtGLN2 in F₁ hybrids.