A research team led by Dr. Zhang Yangyong from the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Sciences, revealed in their latest research published in Horticulture Research on February 24 that chromosomal inversions can reduce gene flow in related regions by suppressing recombination, fixing superior gene combinations in cabbage.

 

Using a newly discovered cabbage yellow-green leaf color mutant YL-1, the researchers first revealed that two large inversions, INV1 and INV2, can severely inhibit recombination in the chromosomal region. These two inversions exist in all wild cabbage, indicating varieties containing them may have evolved earlier than other types of cabbage.

 

The study also found that these two inversions are highly correlated with multiple key genes, which can fix the gene combinations to produce superior traits. This is the first revelation of the important role of chromosomal inversions in fixing superior genotype combinations in cabbage. This is another major finding following the team’s recent revelation of a new mechanism of chloroplast C-U RNA editing in cabbage. These two discoveries have provided target genes and theoretical basis for future cabbage breeding.