INTERGENERIC HYBRIDIZATION,INDUCED POLYPLOIDY,AND THE ORIGIN OF THE HAWAIIAN ENDEMIC LIPOCHAETA FROM WEDELIA (COMPOSITAE)

The genetic relationships of the Hawaiian endemic genus Lipochaeta and the nearly cosmopolitan but extra-Hawaiian genus Wedelia were assessed by way of experimental hybridization. Hybrids between Wedelia biflora and diploid species of Lipochaeta consistently exhibited 15 pairs of chromosomes at meiosis, whereas the modal and maximum configuration seen in hybrids between W. biflora and tetraploid species of Lipochaeta was 15_II + 11_I. Meiotic pairing in microsporocytes of the intergeneric hybrid combinations involving Wedelia trilobata and both sections of Lipochaeta is lower than in intergeneric hybrids involving W. biflora. All of the intergeneric F, hybrids produced had relatively low pollen stainabilities ranging from less than 1–16% and, although they were vegetatively vigorous, they failed to produce viable achenes. The effects of chromosome doubling by colchicine in one species and several hybrids in Lipochaeta and in one intergeneric hybrid between Lipochaeta and Wedelia were studied. Chromosome doubling of the diploid species caused a decrease in pollen stainability and resulted in lack of achene production, whereas doubling the chromosomes of sterile intersectional and intergeneric hybrids restored female fertility and effected a dramatic increase in pollen stainability. Cytological analysis of the microsporocytes at diakinesis and metaphase I revealed pairs and quadrivalents in the induced polyploids. Pollen measurements indicated that pollen size in Lipochaeta is correlated with doubling of the chromosomes. Statistical analyses revealed that there is no significant difference in pollen size between the diploids and natural tetraploids, whereas both groups have pollen grains that are significantly smaller than the induced autotetraploid, the intergeneric allotetraploid, and the intersectional allohexaploid. The cytogenetic evidence indicates a relatively close genetic relationship between Wedelia and Lipochaeta and supports the view that the ancestry of the diploid section Aphanopappus of Lipochaeta (n = 15) is to be found in a species akin to Wedelia biflora (n = 15) and that this or a similar 15-paired wedelioid species and an unknown 11-paired wedelioid taxon are involved in the alloploid hybrid origin of the tetraploid section Lipochaeta (n = 26) of Lipochaeta.     

Effect of genome-plastome interaction on meiosis and pollen development in Oenothera species and hybrids

 Oenothera villaricae Dietrich and Oe. picensis Dietrich, complete translocation heterozygotes, are fully interfertile, giving rise to six discrete classes of true-breeding hybrids from a reciprocal cross. Associated with each parent and hybrid is a characteristic abortive non-staining pollen fraction easily distinguished from fully developed pollen under the light microscope. Pollen abortion has been associated with translocation rings in other angiosperm species, and may characterize such systems. The abortive pollen fraction is significantly different between reciprocal Oenothera hybrids, however (P<0.001), indicative of partial cytoplasmic control. Pollen abortion is most severe in the F₁ hybrid generation, and ameliorates with successive generations of hybrid self-fertilization. Three-way analysis of variance shows significant effects on pollen stainability (a measure of the non-abortive fraction) for nucleus, cytoplasm and selfed hybrid generation, individually or in combinations. This result suggests a combined nucleocytoplasmic basis for the pollen abortion. Correlated with the observation of increased pollen abortion in Oenothera hybrids are meiotic findings of broken chromosome rings (chains, univalents), asymmetric anaphase chromosome distributions and trinucleate tetrads. To test the hypothesis that such anomalous meiotic events play a role in the mechanism of pollen abortion, meiotic disjunction frequency was determined for each parent, F₁ and F₉ selfed hybrid accessions. Three-way analysis of variance shows levels of significance comparable to those noted for pollen stainability (P<0.001) for effects of nucleus, cytoplasm and selfed hybrid generation on disjunction frequency. A high degree of correlation (r ²=0.984) is noted between disjunction frequency and pollen stainability. We conclude that the abortive pollen grains are indeed the products of nondisjunctional meiotic events, which themselves are consequences of hybrid nucleocytoplasmic incompatibility. Received: 28 May 1997 / Revision accepted: 23 July 1997     

Intergeneric hybridization between Diplotaxis siifolia,a wild species and crop brassicas

Summary Attempts were made to obtain intergeneric hybrids between Diplotaxis siifolia, a wild species, and cultivars of Brassica (B. campestris, B. juncea, and B. napus). The crosses showed unilateral incompatibility. When the wild species was used as female parent, pollen germination and pollen tube growth were normal, but hybrid seeds aborted due to post-fertilization barriers. Reciprocal crosses (cultivars as female parent) showed strong pre-fertilization barriers; although pollen grains showed germination, pollen tubes failed to enter the stigma. Hybrids were realized in two of the crosses, D. siifolia x B. juncea and D. siifolia x B. napus, through ovary culture. The hybrids were multiplied in vitro by multiplication of axillary shoots, or somatic embryogenesis. Detailed studies were carried out on the hybrid D. siifolia x B. juncea. F₁ hybrids had shrivelled anthers and were pollen sterile. Amphiploids of this hybrid showed 60% pollen fertility and produced seeds upon self-pollination as well as backcross pollination with the pollen of B. juncea.     

ARTIFICIAL HYBRIDIZATIONS IN THE SUBTRIBE PERITYLANAE (COMPOSITAE–HELENIEAE)

Artificial hybridizations were conducted with 37 species of four genera of the subtribe Peritylanae (Compositae). Crossability, pollen stainability, and meiotic behavior were examined for most of the resulting 61 F₁ hybrid combinations. Intergeneric hybrids involving Amauria, Eutetras, Pericome, and Perityle, and infrageneric hybrids involving Perityle were readily obtained. Lower crossability and hybrid fertility were displayed by intergeneric crosses. The infrageneric crosses of Perityle were organized into two categories, intersectional and infrasectional, based upon the taxonomic sections that are recognized for the genus; sect. Pappothrix, sect. Laphamia, and sect. Perityle. In general, the crossability and hybrid fertility of intersectional crosses was markedly higher than that of intergeneric crosses. The results suggest a closer relationship between the three taxonomic sections of Perityle than between Perityle and other genera of the subtribe.     

RELATIONSHIP OF WOODY PARTHENIUM ARGENTATUM AND HERBACEOUS P. HISPIDUM VAR. AURICULATUM (ASTERACEAE)

Interspecific hybrids between woody Parthenium argentatum Gray (guayule), native to Mexico and Southwest Texas, and herbaceous perennial P. hispidum var. auriculatum (Britton) Rollins, native to the United States, were obtained successfully. The F₁ hybrids were intermediate for most morphological characters with the exception of the short woody stem, yellow pollen color, and the trichome morphology. Chromosome counts revealed the presence of 2n = 36 A-chromosomes in P. argentatum. The same number of A-chromosomes and four B-chromosomes were found in P. hispidum var. auriculatum. Observations of pollen mother cells showed regular meiosis in both parental species. At diakinesis, chiasmata averaged 1.12 and 1.24 per bivalent for P. argentatum and P. hispidum var. auriculatum, respectively. Meiotic behavior of the F₁ hybrids was irregular. F₁ hybrids averaged 4.43 univalents at metaphase I, 1.95 laggards at anaphase I, and 1.62 micronuclei at the tetrad stage. The low pollen stainability (5.1%) in the F₁ hybrids and the limited number of viable BC₁ seeds (4.07%) may be reflections of the irregular meiosis. Although these primary hybrids are partially fertile, they can be used to introduce desirable characteristics of P. hispidum var. auriculatum, such as herbaceous perennial habit, regrowth ability, and cold tolerance into guayule.     

Hybrids and backcross progenies between wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and apomictic Australian wheatgrass [Elymus rectisetus (Nees in Lehm.) A. Löve & Connor]: karyotypic and genomic analyses

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD) florets were emasculated and pollinated using two apomictic wheatgrass [Elymus rectisetus (Nees in Lehm.) A. Love & Connor, 2n = 6x = 42, SSYYWW] accessions, one of which produces 2n pollen. A 2n = 42 (B_II) hybrid and four 2n = 63 (B _III) hybrids were obtained. The spike morphology of the B _II hybrid was intermediate to that of its parents. The pollen mother cells (PMCs) of this hybrid contained on average 38.361 and 1.62 II, which was consistent with its disparate genome composition (ABDSYW). Its pollen failed to stain and no BC₁ progeny was obtained. The B _III hybrids (reduced egg fertilized with unreduced sperm) were grasslike and had a full complement of E. rectisetus chromosomes, the synapsis of which was slightly impaired by wheat haplome and/or cytoplasm. Their PMCs contained on average 16.30 II, 25.72 I, and 1.54 multivalents (III plus IV). Pollen stainability in these hybrids was low (<1%), and when they were used as females, one 54- and 60-chromosome BC₁ were obtained. A mean of 13.25 II was observed in PMCs of the 54-chromosome BC₁ and pollen stainability was 10%. Pollen stainability in the 60-chromosome BC₁ was only 5%. The use of 2n-pollen-producing E. rectisetus accession accelerated hybrid and BC₁ formation and may accelerate the ultimate transfer of apomixis to wheat.     

Intergeneric hybridization between Brassica napus and Sinapis pubescens,and the cytology and crossability of their progenies

The cytological possibility of gene transfer from Sinapis pubescens to Brassica napus was investigated. Intergeneric hybrids between Brassica napus (2n = 38) and Sinapis pubescens (2n = 18) were produced through ovary culture. The F₁ hybrids were dihaploid and the chromosome configurations were (0–1) _III + (2–11) _II + (5–24) _I . One F₂ plant with 38 chromosomes was obtained from open pollination of the F₁ hybrid. Thirty-one seeds were obtained from the backcross of the F₂ plant with B. napus. Five out of seven plants had 38 chromosomes, and the pollen stainability ranged from 0% to 81.4%. In the B₂ plants obtained from the backcross of B₁ plants with B. napus, 66.7% of the plants examined had 38 chromosomes. S. pubescens may become a gene source for the improvement of B. napus.     

Quantitative genetics of growth and development in Populus. I. A three-generation comparison of tree architecture during the first 2 years of growth

One approach to gain an insight into the genetics of tree architecture is to make use of morphologically divergent parents and study their segregating progeny in the F₂ and backcross (B₁) generations. This approach was chosen in the present study in which material of a three-generation pedigree growing side by side in a replicated plantation, was analyzed. The pedigree included Populus trichocarpa (T) and P. deltoides (D) parents, their F₁ and F₂ hybrids and their B₁ hybrids to the D parent. The trees were grown in the environment of the T parent and measured for the first 2 years of growth. Nine quantitative traits were studied at the stem, branch and leaf levels of tree architecture, in which the original parents differed. Strong F₁ hybrid vigor relative to the better parent (T) was expressed in growth and its components. Most quantitative traits in the F₂ and B₁ hybrids were intermediate between the T and D parents but displayed a wide range of variation due to segregation. The results from the analysis of variance indicated that all morphometric traits were significantly different among F₂ and B₁ clones, but the B₁ hybrids were more sensitive to replicates than the F₂. Broad-sense heritabilities (H ²) based on clonal means ranged from moderately high to high (0.50–0.90) for the traits studied, with H ² values varying over age. The H ² estimates reflected greater environmental noise in the B₁ than in the F₂, presumably due to the greater proportion of maladaptive D alleles in those hybrids. In both families, sylleptic branch number and length, and leaf size on the terminal, showed strong genetic correlations with stem growth. The large divergence between the two original parents in the traits studied, combined with the high chromosome number in Populus (2n=38), makes this pedigree well suited for the estimation of the number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying quantitative variation by Wright's biometric method (1968). Variation in several traits was found to be under the control of surprisingly few major QTLs: 3–4 in 2nd-year height and diameter growth, a single QTL in stem diameter/height ratio.     

Paternal inheritance of mitochondria and chloroplasts in Festuca pratensis-Lolium perenne intergeneric hybrids

Organelle inheritance in intergeneric hybrids of Festuca pratensis and Lolium perenne was investigated by restriction enzyme and Southern blot analyses of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). All F₁ hybrids exhibited maternal inheritance of both cpDNA and mtDNA. However, examination of backcross hybrids, obtained by backcrossing the intergeneric F₁ hybrids to L. Perenne, indicated that both uniparental maternal organelle inheritance and uniparental paternal organelle inheritance can occur in different backcross hybrids.     

Potato germ plasm enhancement with disomic tetraploid Solanum acaule. II. Assessment of breeding value of tetraploid F1 hybrids between tetrasomic tetraploid S. tuberosum and S. acaule

The breeding value of tetraploid F₁ hybrids between tetrasomic tetraploid S. tuberosum and the disomic tetraploid wild species S. acaule was examined. The F₁ hybrids showed a tuber yield and appearance comparable to those of their cultivated parent, indicating a potential as acceptable breeding stocks despite the 50% contribution to their pedigree from wild S. acaule. The cytological behavior of the tetraploid F₁ hybrids was examined to determine the probability of recombination for the introgression of S. acaule genes. The majority of the meiotic configurations at metaphase I was bivalents and univalents with mean frequencies of 17.6 and 9.9, respectively. Further, a low frequency of trivalents and quadrivalents was observed. An acceptable low level of meiotic irregularities were observed at the later stages of microsporogenesis, and a reasonable level of pollen stainability was obtained. Therefore, these hybrids could likely be employed for further introgression. From the cytological observations, the following speculations were drawn: (1) some genomic differentiation exists between the S. acaule genomes, (2) at least one of the S. acaule genomes may be homoeologous to the S. tuberosum genomes, (3) intergenomic recombination would likely occur due to the nature of the genomic constitution of the hybrids, and (4) the nature of sesquiploidy of the hybrids may facilitate efficient introgression and establishment of unique aneuploid and euploid recombinant genetic stocks.     

Factors affecting the induction of pollen plants of intergeneric hybrids of Triticum aestivum X Triticum-Agropyron

Summary Experimental results showed that the use of potato extract as a basic component of culture medium had a promoting effect on producing calli in anther culture of the intergeneric hybrids of Triticum aestivum × Triticum-Agropyron (intermediate type). The induction frequencies of pollen callus on the Potato-II medium containing potato extract as the main component was much higher than that found on N₆ and W₅ media. The induction frequencies of pollen callus and green plantlets in four intergeneric hybrid material inoculated at the late-uninucleate pollen stage were all higher than those inoculated at the mid-uninucleate stage. Appropriate increases in culture temperature significantly increased pollen callus induction frequencies of the intergeneric hybrids. The genotype and physiological state of anther donor plants also influenced pollen callus and green plantlet induction frequencies.     

Natural intersectional hybridization in perityle (Compositae)

A small number of supposed F₁ hybrids was discovered in an isolated sympatric population ofP. parryi (n = 17) andP. rupestris var.albiflora (n = 17) in the Chisos Mts. of Texas. Although the parental species are morphologically quite distinct, being assigned to separate taxonomic sections ofPerityle, their hybrids displayed relatively high fertility. Origin of the presumed natural hybrids was documented by the production of artificial hybrids betweenP. parryi andP. rupestris var.albiflora. Fertility data based on pollen stainability were accumulated for the available natural hybrids, and for artificial hybrids through F₃ and backcross generations. A brief discussion of biosystematic implications is included.     

Natural hybridization in JapaneseCalamagrostis

Morphological and pollen studies were made for the collections belonging toCalamagrostis langsdorffii, C. Sachalinensis, C. longiseta, C. nana and various intermediates between these species from central Honshu, the chromosome numbers of which were reported in a previous paper (Tateoka, 1976). Additional collections made from the Akaishi Range in 1976 were also subjected to the present work. The intermediates showed 0%, or nearly 0%, pollen stainability and a mosaic of morphological features of putative parental taxa which can be estimated to occur for F₁ hybrids. This estimation was sustained by a comparison with the pattern of character expressions for the artificially raised F₁ hybrids of various European species ofCalamagrostis as reported by Nygren (1962). These results as well as field observations strongly suggested that the intermediates may be wholly or almost wholly F₁ hybrids. The hybrids were sometimes found in abundance within a limited area, but seemed to have little capacity to migrate from the places where they originated. The following combinations, which were not previously recorded, were disclosed:C. longiseta×C. sachalinensis, C. langsdorffii×C. nana, C. langsdorffii×C. longiseta, C. longiseta×C. nana. Possibilities of introgression in these hybridizing species were discussed. The hybrids were tetraploids except one hexaploid which was discovered in a mixed population ofC. nana, C. longiseta and their putative F₁ hybrids at the tetraploid level. The hexaploid in question, which seemed to have resulted from the participation of an unreduced gamete, was very similar morphologically toC. nana subsp.hayachinensis distributed in the mountain far distant from central Honshu. Geographical distributions of the hybrid plants were surveyed through examination of the herbarium specimens.     

Pollen exine ornamentation in the F2 generation of an interspecific hybrid of Chorisia (Bombacoideae,Malvaceae) in relation to inheritance pattern

Pollen morphology in ten plants of F₂ progeny of an interspecific tree hybrid, Chorisia insignis H. B.& K.×C. speciosa St. Hil (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae) has been studied with a view to have an insight in to the effect of hybridization on the pollen morphological features in F₂ generation. The study is a sequel to an earlier study on the pollen morphology of Chorisia species and their F₁ hybrid, in which case the hybrid pollen uniformly exhibited the apertural features of the male parent and exine features of the female parent. In the F₂ progeny the pollen grains display the apertural feature of the male parent in all the plants. However, with regard to exine ornamentation, variability has been observed. Of the ten plants, two plants exhibit the exine features of the male parent showing empty lumina (without bacula), five plants have their pollen exactly like that of the F₁ plant (showing prominent columellar heads in the lumina of the apocolpium region) and the remaining three plants showing columellae in lumina of both apocolpium and mesocolpium region being different from the above types. It has been inferred that the variability in the exine pattern in F₂ pollen indicates that the pollen exine pattern in hybrids, perhaps, is not unequivocally controlled by sporophytic or gametophytic genomes.     

Development of a fertile genetic bridge between Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb. and T. repens L.

  Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb and T. repens L. are taxonomically related but very difficult to cross. The rare hybrids so far reported between these two species were obtained only by embryo culture. This difficulty has been overcome in the present research by the creation of a “fertile bridge” between T. ambiguum and T. repens. Characters of interest can now be transferred from T. ambiguum to T. repens by using this “fertile bridge” without the use of sophisticated techniques. An array of backcross progenies was generated from crosses between a T. ambiguum×T. repens F₁ hybrid (8x H-435) and its parental species. The 8x hybrid was cross-fertile only with T. repens and resulted in 145 seeds from 1578 reciprocal crosses. Eleven of nineteen initially grown BC₁F₁ plants were all hexaploid with an average pollen stainability of 41.6%. A high frequency of multivalents at metaphase-I indicated that both autosyndetic and allosyndetic pairing occurred. Backcrosses of 6x BC₁F₁ plants to T. repens resulted in 5x BC₂F₁ plants with an average pollen stainability of 59.3%. On the other hand, 6x BC₁F₁×6x T. ambiguum crosses did not produce any seed and only two pentaploid plants were obtained from 6x BC₁F₁×4x T. ambiguum crosses. The difficulty encountered in generating 6x backcross progeny with 6x T. ambiguum was overcome by intercrossing the 6x BC₁F₁ plants and producing 6x BC₁F₂ plants with an average pollen stainability of 65.8%. One of these 6x BC₁F₂ plants was cross-compatible as a female with 6x T. ambiguum and resulted in CBC₂ plants that were all cross-compatible with 6x T. ambiguum. The 6x BC₁F₂ plants are likely to be superior to 6x BC₁F₁ progeny, as they have exhibited better expression of the combined rhizomatous and stoloniferous growth habit, improved fertility, more frequent nodal rooting and heavier nodulation. Consequently, the 6x BC₁F₂ plants can either be used directly in the selection programme or as a “fertile bridge” between the two parental species. The present work has resulted in the development of a series of fertile hybrids by the manipulation of chromosome numbers, combining the agronomic characteristics of the parent species in varying genome balances and at a range of ploidy levels. It is concluded that the initial sterility of the primary interspecific hybrids need not be a barrier to successful inter-breeding. Received: 2 August 1996 / Accepted: 4 April 1997     

The falcifolia syndrome of Oenothera: III. The general pattern of its non-Mendelian inheritance

Summary The falcifolia (fal) syndrome is a malformation characterized by shoot sectors with sickle-shaped leaves, which appears in hybrids between Oenothera suaveolens and O. lamarckiana and shows a non-chromosomal inheritance of a previously undescribed type. The determinants, their location in the cell, and the mechanism of their expression are unknown. The defect is the result of a cross in which mixing of two different cytoplasms occurs, without the usual predominantly maternal inheritance. F₁ progeny of reciprocal crosses show a quantitative difference in the frequency and degree of expression of the fal character. When the F₁ progeny are backcrossed to the parents, the percentage of fal is high in crosses to O. suaveolens and low in those to O. lamarckiana. This manner of transmission is observed regardless of whether the hybrid is used as seed or pollen parent or shows a normal or fal phenotype. F₂ generations from F₁ plants having either a normal or a fal phenotype always include a certain percentage of fal plants, although the latter generally produce a higher percentage of fal progeny. If a second backcross is carried out, plants that produce normal progeny on self-pollination behave differently from those that produce some fal off-spring when selfed. The latter are similar to the F₁ with regard to the transmission of the fal trait. Plants of the F₁B₁ yielding normal progeny upon selfing produce normal progeny in the F₁B₂ if the parent to which they are backcrossed is the same as in the first backcross; if the parents of the first and second backcross differ, a high percentage of fal offspring is obtained. Again, whether the hybrid is used as seed or pollen parent is not relevant. Exceptions to this behaviour have been observed only rarely in that the character of the penultimate cross is retained. There is some evidence of somatic segregation of the fal determinants, since sister plants may react differently; this suggestion is supported by comparing the progenies of different branches of a self-pollinated fal plant of the F₁ generation.Abbreviations F₁, F₂, F₃, F₄ First through fourth filial generation, obtained by self-pollination - F₁B₁ First backcross generation, i.e. the F₁ was backcrossed to one of the original parents - F₁B₂ Second backcross generation, i.e. the F₁B₁ was backcrossed to one of the original parents - F₁B₃ Third backcross generation, i.e. the F₁B₂ was backcrossed to one of the original parents - (F₁B₁)D₁ Descendants obtained by self-pollination of a F₁B₁ plant; further generations obtained by self-pollination are designated as D₂, D₃, D₄ - (F₁B₁)D₁B₁ Descendant or generation obtained by a backcross of the D₁ of an F₁B₁. Backcrosses of the D₂ and D₃ are designated mutatis mutandis - (F₁B₁)D₁B₂ Generation obtained by a backcross of the (F₁B₁)D₁B₁     

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE FERTILITY AND AMONG TAXA IN DIPLOID WHEATS

Pollen stainability appears to be a reliable indication of the ultimate seed set in diploid interspecific hybrid and backcross populations in Triticum L. The correlation between percent pollen stained and number of seeds set is positive and highly significant (r = 0.92). Estimates of male and female fertility in the hybrids and backcrosses are interpreted to indicate that the domesticated diploid Triticum monococcum L. and wild diploid T. boeoticum Boiss. em. Schiem, are one and the same species, and that T. urartu Tum. is not a variety of monococcum or boeoticum, but rather a separate species. The F₁ hybrids and backcrosses between monococcum and boeoticum are normally male and female fertile. The F₁ hybrids between monococcum and urartu are completely sterile and complete to partial sterility exists in backcrosses.     

BIAS IN INHERITANCE OF CHLOROPLAST DNA AND MECHANISMS OF HYBRIDIZATION BETWEENWIND- AND INSECT-POLLINATED EUPATORIUM (ASTERACEAE)

Hybrids of the wind-pollinated E. capillifolium and the insect-pollinated E. serotinum were found to occur in the Coastal Plain of Louisiana, Mississippi, and southern Arkansas and on the Piedmont in three locations. Interspecific cross-pollination occurs when wind causes the flexible flowering branches of E. capillifolium to whisk over the stiff upright branches of E. serotinum plants. Interspecific pollen was found to be captured by E. serotinum more effectively than by E. capillifolium. However, analysis of cpDNA of natural field hybrids indicated that most were maternally descended from E. capillifolium. This latter bias can be explained by the far greater number of flowers, and thus greater seed producing capacity, of E. capillifolium relative to E. serotinum. Morphological variability observed among field hybrids suggests that backcrossing has occurred; however, field hybrids and progeny grown from field hybrid achenes generally had low pollen stainability, irregular meiosis, and reduced achene set. Furthermore, field hybrids were found to have a chromosome number of 2n = 20, like the parental species, whereas progeny grown from field hybrids had deficiencies and duplications of chromosome numbers. Because these chromosome number deviations were not seen in field hybrids it is logical to suggest that either they are F₁s, or that strong selective forces in the field eliminated the progeny of hybrids with deficiencies and duplications.     

Identification and fine mapping of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S-d</Emphasis>, a new locus conferring the partial pollen sterility of intersubspecific F<Subscript>1</Subscript> hybrids in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

The partial pollen abortion of hybrids between the indica and japonica subspecies of Asian cultivated rice is one of the major barriers in utilizing intersubspecific heterosis in hybrid rice breeding. Although a single hybrid pollen sterility locus may have little impact on spikelet fertility, the cumulative effect of several loci usually leads to a serious decrease in spikelet fertility. Isolating of the genes conferring hybrid pollen sterility is necessary to understand this phenomenon and to overcome the resulting genetic barrier. In this study, a new locus for F₁ pollen sterility, S-d, was identified on the short arm of chromosome 1 by analyzing the genetic effect of substituted segments of the near-isogenic line E11-5 derived from the japonica variety Taichung 65 (recurrent parent) and the indica variety Dee-geo-woo-gen (donor parent). The S-d locus was first mapped to a 0.8 cM interval between SSR markers PSM46 and PSM80 using a F₂ population of 125 individuals. The flanking markers were then used to identify recombinants from a population of 2,160 plants derived from heterozygotes of the primary F₂ population. Simultaneously, additional markers were developed from genomic sequence divergence in this region. Analysis of the recombinants in the region resulted in the successful mapping of the S-d locus to a 67-kb fragment, containing 17 predicted genes. Positional cloning of this gene will contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis for partial pollen sterility of intersubspecific F₁ hybrids in rice.     

Intergeneric hybrids between Enarthrocarpus lyratus,a wild species,and crop brassicas

Summary Attempts were made to produce intergeneric hybrids between Enarthrocarpus lyratus, a wild species, and several species of crop brassicas: B. campestris, B. nigra, B. oleracea, B. juncea, B. napus and B. Carinata. Hybrids using E. lyratus as female parent were realized by means of embryo rescue in four combinations — E. lyratus x B. campestris, E. lyratus x B. oleracea, E. lyratus x B. napus and E. lyratus x B. carinata. Reciprocal crosses showed strong pre-fertilization barriers and yielded no hybrids except in one combination — B. Juncea x E. Lyratus — in which a single hybrid could be realized. All of the hybrids were multiplied in vitro through the multiplication of axillary shoots. Morphological and cytological studies confirmed hybridity. All hybrids were completely pollen sterile except for E. lyratus x B. carinata, which showed 2% pollen fertility. Attempts to double the chromosome number through the in vitro application of colchicine to axillary meristems of F₁ hybrids were successful in only one hybrid, E. lyratus x B. oleracea. Cytological studies of the hybrids indicated the presence of a partial homology between the genomes of E. lyratus and crop brassicas. Backcross progenies were raised from all of the five F₁ hybrids to develop malesterile alloplasmic lines.