@article{ma_hancock_nifong_kernodle_lewis_2020, title={Identification and editing of a hybrid lethality gene expands the range of interspecific hybridization potential in Nicotiana}, volume={133}, ISSN={["1432-2242"]}, DOI={10.1007/s00122-020-03641-w}, abstractNote={Identification and inactivation of hybrid lethality genes can be used to expand the available gene pool for improvement of a cultivated crop species. Hybrid lethality is one genetic mechanism that contributes to reproductive isolation in plants and serves as a barrier to use of diverse germplasm for improvement of cultivated species. A classic example is the seedling lethality exhibited by progeny from the Nicotiana tabacum × N. africana interspecific cross. In order to increase the body of knowledge on mechanisms of hybrid lethality in plants, and to potentially develop tools to circumvent them, we utilized a transposon tagging strategy to identify a candidate gene involved in the control of this reaction. N. tabacum gene Nt6549g30 was identified to code for a class of coiled-coil nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat (CC-NBS-LRR) proteins, the largest class of plant defense proteins. Gene editing, along with other experiments, was used to verify that Nt6549g30 is the gene at the N. tabacum Hybrid Lethality 1 (NtHL1) locus controlling the hybrid lethality reaction in crosses with N. africana. Gene editing of Nt6549g30 was also used to reverse interspecific seedling lethality in crosses between N. tabacum and eight of nine additional tested species from section Suaveolentes. Results further implicate the role of disease resistance-like genes in the evolution of plant species and demonstrate the possibility of expanding the gene pool for a crop species through gene editing.}, number={10}, journal={THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS}, author={Ma, Justin and Hancock, Wesley G. and Nifong, Jessica M. and Kernodle, Sheri P. and Lewis, Ramsey S.}, year={2020}, month={Oct}, pages={2915–2925} }
 @article{hancock_tallury_isleib_chu_ozias-akins_stalker_2019, title={Introgression Analysis and Morphological Characterization of an Arachis hypogaea x A. diogoi Interspecific Hybrid Derived Population}, volume={59}, ISSN={["1435-0653"]}, DOI={10.2135/cropsci2018.07.0461}, abstractNote={Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an economically important crop grown around the world. Compared with the entire Arachis genus, cultivated peanut germplasm has low levels of genetic diversity for several economically important traits, resulting in the need for alternative sources of favorable alleles. Wild diploid species of Arachis are a source of such alleles to improve cultivated peanut for many economically important traits. An A. hypogaea × A. diogoi Hoehne introgression population was produced via the triploid–hexaploid method; the fourth generation after tetraploidy was used to initiate this study. The introgression lines were genotyped using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker array to estimate the percentage of A. diogoi chromatin introgression. Morphologically, the introgression lines varied for an array of measured traits, with the majority being intermediate to the two parents. The average amount of A. diogoi genome introgressed was 8.12% across the tetraploid genome and ranged from 3.00 to 18.14% on individual chromosomes. The average A. diogoi introgression across all lines was 7.70% and ranged from 0.17 to 51.12%. Principal component analysis of morphological data and SNP markers revealed similarities and groupings of introgression lines. This introgression population demonstrates the potential of using wild diploid Arachis species for peanut improvement and has great potential for use in cultivated peanut breeding programs.}, number={2}, journal={CROP SCIENCE}, author={Hancock, Wesley G. and Tallury, Shyam P. and Isleib, Thomas G. and Chu, Ye and Ozias-Akins, Peggy and Stalker, H. Thomas}, year={2019}, pages={640–649} }
 @article{hancock_lewis_2017, title={Heterosis, transmission genetics, and selection for increased growth rate in a N. tabacum x synthetic tobacco cross}, volume={37}, ISSN={["1572-9788"]}, DOI={10.1007/s11032-017-0654-4}, number={4}, journal={MOLECULAR BREEDING}, author={Hancock, Wesley G. and Lewis, Ramsey S.}, year={2017}, month={Apr} }
 @article{hancock_kuraparthy_kernodle_lewis_2015, title={Identification of maternal haploids of Nicotiana tabacum aided by transgenic expression of green fluorescent protein: evidence for chromosome elimination in the N-tabacum x N-africana interspecific cross}, volume={35}, ISSN={["1572-9788"]}, DOI={10.1007/s11032-015-0372-8}, number={9}, journal={MOLECULAR BREEDING}, author={Hancock, Wesley G. and Kuraparthy, Vasu and Kernodle, Sheri P. and Lewis, Ramsey S.}, year={2015}, month={Sep} }