The chromosome segment related to apomixis in Paspalum simplex is homoeologous to the telomeric region of the long arm of rice chromosome 12

Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that in plants leads to the production of seed progeny that are exact copies of the mother individual. A mapping population generated by backcrossing a sexual with an apomictic genotype of Paspalum simplex, both at the tetraploid level, was used to find markers co-segregating with apomixis. Genetic analysis showed that apomixis is under the control of a single dominant allele assuming a random chromatid assortment. Five rice markers, mapped in the telomeric region of the long arm of rice chromosome 12, showed tight linkage with apomixis. Genetic and molecular data strongly indicate that the potentiality to express apomixis in P. simplex is given by a relatively large chromosome segment that is inherited as a single genetic unit.