Question

When two plants belonging to the same genus but different species are crossed, the F1 hybrid is more viable and has more ornate flowers. Unfortunately, this hybrid is sterile and can only be propagated by vegetative cuttings. Explain the sterility of the hybrid and what would have to occur for the sterility of this hybrid to be reversed

Answer 1

Answer:

Hybrid incompatibility has a genetic basis both in plants and animals

Explanation:

In plants, hybrid incompatibility may be associated with different factors including, for example, mismatch recognition in chromosomal pairing, changes in the ploidy level, homozygous lethal alleles, epigenetic-associated factors, postzygotic hybrid incompatibility, etc.

Hybrid incompatibility is recognized to promote reproductive isolating barriers between species, thereby understanding into the genetic basis of this phenomenon may result useful to understand the evolutionary forces that are associated with speciation.

You can reverse the hybrid incompatibility by changing the ploidy level, since it ensures a correct chromosome pairing during the cell division. You can use colchicine, it is an antimitotic agent that is widely used to duplicate the ploidy level.