Immunoelectrophoretic studies of heterosis effect in Zea mays

The present report is based on tests using antigenic analysis of inbred lines and their hybrids for the prognosis of heterosis (hybrid vigour) in Zea mays.Inbred lines, whose hybrid vigour has been proved under field conditions, and their hybrids were characterized by the method of Grabar and Williams.The results of the electrophoretic and immunoelectrophoretic investigations show that the extracts from maize seeds of the inbred lines C-103, N-6 and WF-9 contain four protein fractions, while those of the hybrids N-6 x C-103 and WF-9 x N-6 also contain a fifth fraction.The immunoelectrophoretic pattern of the extracts from the hybrid seeds N-6 x C-103 shows that, with their homologous serum, they give a precipitation line (arc X) which is not obtained by the interaction of the parent line extracts with homologous and heterologous serums.In this case we probably have a protein synthesis in the hybrid which is caused by the deblocking of some links in the biosynthetic apparatus of the inbred lines.It was established that the extracts from the hybrid N-6 x C-103 gave a larger number of precipitation arcs with the heterologous serum anti C-103.The characterization of the antigenic structure of the inbred lines enables one to determine not only the fractions common to them but also the number of those fractions by which they differ from one another. Proceeding in this manner, one could accomplish an immunoelectrophoretic prognosis of heterosis and penetrate deeper into its essence.