THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF POTATO VARIETIES TO INFESTATION BY THE EELWORMS DITYLENCHUS DESTRUCTOR AND D. DIPSACI

Twenty-five varieties of potato in common commercial cultivation were found to be susceptible to tuber attack by potato-derived populations of Ditylenchus destructor under field and pot experimental conditions. Stunting and leaf deformation may also be caused by the eelworms but appear less consistently. A race of D. destructor from mushroom spawn had almost no effect on potatoes. Various races of D. dipsaci can reproduce in the shoot tissue of potato, sometimes causing damage. One population of this stem eelworm produced lesions on the tubers.     

Rust resistance in Triticum cylindricum Ces. (4x, CCDD) and its transfer into durum and hexaploid wheats.

In order to counteract the effects of the mutant genes in races of leaf rust (Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici Rob. ex Desm.) and stem rust (P. graminis f.sp. tritici Eriks. &Henn.) in wheat, exploration of new resistance genes in wheat relatives is necessary. Three accessions of Triticum cylindricum Ces. (4x, CCDD), Acy1, Acy9, and Acy11, were tested with 10 races each of leaf rust and stem rust. They were resistant to all races tested. Viable F1 plants were produced from the crosses of the T. cylindricum accessions as males with susceptible MP and Chinese Spring ph1b hexaploid wheats (T. aestivum, 6x, AABBDD), but not with susceptible Kubanka durum wheat (T. turgidum var. durum, 4x, AABB), even with embryo rescue. In these crosses the D genome of hexaploid wheat may play a critical role in eliminating the barriers for species isolation during hybrid seed development. The T. cylindricum rust resistance was expressed in the F1 hybrids with hexaploid wheat. However, only the cross MP/Acy1 was successfully backcrossed to another susceptible hexaploid wheat, LMPG-6. In the BC2F2 of the cross MP/Acy1//LMPG-6/3/MP, monosomic or disomic addition lines with resistance to either leaf rust race 15 (infection types (IT) 1=, 1, or 1+; addition line 1) or stem rust race 15B-1 (IT 1 or 1+; addition line 2) were selected. Rust tests and examination of chromosome pairing of the F1 hybrids and the progeny of the disomic addition lines confirmed that the genes for rust resistance were located on the added T. cylindricum C-genome chromosomes rather than on the D-genome chromosomes. The T. cylindricum chromosome in addition line 2 was determined to be chromosome 4C through the detection of RFLPs among the genomes using a set of homoeologous group-specific wheat cDNA probes. Addition line 1 was resistant to the 10 races of leaf rust and addition line 2 was resistant to the 10 races of stem rust, as was the T. cylindricum parent. The added C-genome chromosomes occasionally paired with hexaploid wheat chromosomes. Translocation lines with rust resistance (2n = 21 II) may be obtained in the self-pollinated progeny of the addition lines through spontaneous recombination of the C-genome chromosomes and wheat chromosomes. Such translocation lines with resistance against a wide spectrum of rust races should be potentially valuable in breeding wheat for rust resistance.     

Hybridization and introgression of the genomes of Drosophila nasuta and Drosophila albomicans: evolution of new karyotypes.

Drosophila nasuta (2n = 8) and Drosophila albomicans (2n = 6) are cross-fertile allopatric sibling chromosomal races of the nasuta subgroup of Drosophila. Hybrids of these races can be maintained for any number of generations. Some of the introgressed hybrid lineages of D. nasuta and D. albomicans, after passing through a transient phase of karyotypic polymorphism, ended up with a stable karyotype whose composition is different from those of the parental races. Such hybrid populations were called cytoraces, in which the chromosomes of D. nasuta and D. albomicans are represented in different combinations. The karyotypic composition of 16 such cytoraces have been presented and discussed with reference to evolutionary strategies such as balancing selection, directional selection, and sex-specific effect on different components of the evolving karyotypes.     

Oogenesis and the Chromosomes of the Parthenogenic Root-knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

220 populations of Meloidogyne incognita and related forms from 46 countries reproduced by mitotic parthenogenesis (apomixis). Determination of somatic chromosome numbers from oogonia and oocytes revealed the existence of a predominant, possibly triploid race A with 3n = 40 to 46 and a rare, diploid race B with 2n = 32 to 36 chromosomes. There is no correlation between cytological races and the four recognized host races of this species. The characteristic behavior of prophase I chromosomes of maturing oocytes, which results in a prolonged prophase stage, is a unifying feature of all forms of M. incognita and supports monophyletic evolution, distinct from that of other Meloidogyne species. Extensive chromosomal polymorphism detected among populations can be helpful in elucidating the cytological pathway of evolution of the species.     

The cytology of Brachycome lineariloba

A comparison of the karyotypes of races D (2n=8), E (2n=10), B (2n=12) and C (2n=16) of B. lineariloba suggests that these races have in common a basic set of four chromosome pairs, and that the higher chromosome number races are related to race D by successive chromosome addition. — A study of meiosis in B × C and A₁ × B hybrids supports this contention and elucidates the homologies of the additional chromosomes. — Meiotic pairing in hybrids between A and C is very complex. At present it can only be stated that there are extensive interchromosomal homologies between the two races. — Two phyletic schemes of the relationships of the races are considered. The second, which is favoured, involves successive chromosome addition, with the quasidiploid race E (2n = 10) giving rise to race B by diploidisation of the univalent chromosomes. This scheme is supported by features of univalent behaviour in the various races and their hybrids. — The ecogeographic distribution pattern of the races shows replacement of D by E by B by C as the species extends into more arid and more harsh environments. This replacement is also associated with increasing vigour. — It seems most likely that the addition chromosomes are derived from a race A (2n=4) source since they are added always by twos, and each addition increases both vigour and drought tolerance. Race A is the most vigorous and one of the most drought tolerant of the five races.It is suggested that the evolution of the races can be related to the increasing aridity of the Late Pleistocene and Recent geological epochs.     

The cytology of Brachycome lineariloba

A study of approximately 300 plants in the taxonomic species B. lineariloba is reported. Five biological species differing in chromosome number exist in this species complex. The species with the lowest number (species A, n = 2) often carries B chromosomes, which may be large, or minute. It also exists in three racial forms which differ in karyotype. Observations on naturally occurring hybrids in zones of overlap show that two of the races differ by an unequal interchange. — The species with n = 8 (species C) is probably of amphidiploid origin from the cross A X B. Species B, E and D, with n = 6, 5 and 4 respectively, may represent a series of reductions in chromosome number. They show close karyotypic relationships. The relationship of species A with D, E and B is obscure.     

Does evolution reduce the body size? A study of the four members of newly evolved nasuta‐albomicans complex of Drosophila

Our long range interracial hybridization experiments between a pair of cross fertile races, Drosophila nasuta (2n = 8) and D.albomicans (2n = 6) have resulted in the evolution of two new karyotypic strains under laboratory conditions, which are named as Cytorace 1 and Cytorace 2. These Cytoraces harbor chromosomes from both parents. Here, we compare the body size of the parental races and newly evolved Cytoraces and the relationship between the body size and fitness. Analysis reveals that the parental races have reduced fertility and are larger in body size than newly evolved Cytoraces. Thus, the newly evolved Cytoraces show reduced body size and better fitness in the course of their evolution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A cytotaxonomic study of some Australian species of Drosera L. (Droseraceae)

KONDO, K. & LAVARACK, P. S., 1984. A cytotaxonomic study of some Australian species of Drosera L. (Droseraceae). Karyomorphological comparisons of 15 species of Australian Drosera are presented along with 11 new chromosome counts. In Australia the genus forms an extensive aneuploid series. The species which have chromosome numbers from n =10 to n = 19 show large chromosomes, while those which have chromosome numbers more than 20 show small chromosomes. Drosera paleacca shows the lowest chromosome number in the genus, 2 n = 10, with 10 large chromosomes, indicating a new basic number, x = 5. The non-staining gap between the chromatids of each chromosome is rather wide and their centromeric region is not seen throughout prophase, prometaphase, and metaphase. The C-banding and silver-staining analyses in Drosera petiolaris chromosomes suggest that Drosera chromosomes could have diffuse centromeres and simplified C-segments. Some taxonomic implications are considered, notably the possible removal of Drosera banksii from Drosera section Ergaleium to Drosera section Lasiocephala and the reduction to synonymy of Drosera section Prolifera .     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE ATTACK BY THE STEM EELWORM, DITYLENCHUS DIPSACI, ON STRAWBERRY

Four biologic races of Ditylenchus dipsaci can cause stem eelworm disease on twelve varieties of strawberry, all but one cultivated in Great Britain. The course of attack on strawberry, host reaction and the ways in which the disease originates and is disseminated are described.     

Transfer of leaf rust and stem rust resistance genes from Triticum triaristatum to durum and bread wheats and their molecular cytogenetic localization.

Six accessions of Triticum triaristatum (Willd) Godr. &Gren. (syn. Aegilops triaristata) (6x, UUMMUnUn), having good resistance to both leaf rust (Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici Rob. ex Desm) races and stem rust (P. graminis f.sp. tritici Eriks. &Henn.) races, were successfully crossed with both susceptible durum wheats (T. turgidum var. durum L., 2n = 28, AABB) and bread wheats (T. aestivum, 2n = 42, AABBDD). In some crosses, embryo rescue was necessary. The T. triaristatum resistance was expressed in all F1 hybrids. Backcrossing of the F1 hybrids to their wheat parents to produce BC1F1 plants was more difficult (seed set 0-7.14%) than to produce F1 hybrids (seed set 12.50-78.33%). The low female fertility of the F1 hybrids was due to low chromosome pairing. Only gametes with complete or nearly complete genomes from the F1 hybrids were viable. In BC2F4 populations from the cross MP/Ata2//2*MP, monosomic or disomic addition lines (2n = 21 II + 1 I or 22 II) with resistance to leaf rust race 15 (IT 1) were selected. In BC2F2 populations from the crosses CS/Ata4//2*MP and MP/Ata4//2*MP, monosomic or disomic addition lines with resistance to either leaf rust race 15 or stem rust race 15B-1 (both IT 1) were selected. Rust tests and cytology on the progeny of the disomic addition lines confirmed that the genes for rust resistance were located on the added T. triaristatum chromosomes. The homoeologous groups of the T. triaristatum chromosomes in the addition lines from the crosses MP/Ata2//2*MP, CS/Ata4//2*MP, and MP/Ata4//2*MP were determined to be 5, 2, and 7, respectively, through the detecting of RFLPs among genomes using a set of homoeologous group specific wheat cDNA probes. The addition lines with resistance to leaf rust race 15 from the crosses MP/Ata2//2*MP and CS/Ata4//2*MP were resistant to another nine races of leaf rust and the addition line with resistance to stem rust race 15B-1 from the cross MP/Ata4//2*MP was resistant to another nine races of stem rust as were their T. triaristatum parents. Since such genes provide resistance against a wide spectrum of rust races they should be very valuable in wheat breeding for rust resistance.     

Chromosome polymorphism and C-banding variation of the brachypterous grasshopper Podisma sapporensis Shir. (Orthoptera, Acrididae) in Hokkaido, northern Japan

The grasshopper Podisma sapporensis consists of two main chromosome races in Hokkaido. The western group of populations of P. sapporensis, belonging to the XO race, has a diploid number of chromosomes 2n = 23 in the male and 2n = 24 in the female (sex determination XO male/XX female). The eastern group of populations of this species, belonging to the XY race, differs from the western one as a result of Robertsonian translocation between the originally acrocentric X chromosome and M5 autosome in homozygous state, having resulted in the forming of chromosome sex determination neo-XY male/neo-XX female (2n = 22). These races are geographically isolated by the mountainous system consisting of the Mts Daisetsu and Hidaka range, occupying the central part of the island. The hybrid zones between the races have not so far been discovered. Various levels of polymorphism for the pericentric inversions and C-banding variation exist in different chromosomes throughout populations in both chromosome races. In some solitary populations (the population at the summit of Mt Yotei, populations in the vicinity of Naganuma, Oketo, and Tanno) pericentric inversions are fixed in some pairs of chromosomes, which enables marking of the discrete karyomorphes. In the Mt Daisengen population all chromosomes are two-armed as a result of fixing the pericentric inversions. These facts contradict karyotypical conservatism of the tribe Podismini. The level of diversity of P. sapporensis karyotypes could provide a new perspective on the evolutionary process of different karyotype in Orthoptera. The considerable occurrence of polymorphism in chromosomes suggests that karyotypic diversification is undergoing in P. sapporensis. The authors also proposed that P. sapporensis would be divided into four chromosome subraces in the XO chromosome race and two chromosome subraces in the XY race, on the basis of karyotypic features. These races may have been established by fundamental climatic changes during the glacial epoch.     

Cytological Studies on Some Plants of Sichuan and Neighbouring Regions (I)

From standpoint of floristic division, Sichuan is located in the middle part of Eastern Asiatic Region (Takhtajan 1978) or is the area where Sino-Himalayan Forest Subkingdom and Sino-Japan Forest Subkingdom meet (wu 1979). Here exist many socalled Arcto-Tertiary elements and newly originated species or races. In order to bring the light the origin and differentiation of Eastern Asiatic elements, cytological investigation on plants of this region are very significant. The materials of the following 5 species were collected on Mt. Emei in Sichuan Province. Voucher specimens are kept in CDBI. 1. Toricellia angulata Oliver var. intermedia (Harms) Hu PMC meiotic examination revealed n = 12 at diakinesis (Pl. I fig. 9) Toricellia, consisting of 2 spp., is endemic to Eastern Asiatic Region. Based on our result along with the report of Toricellia tiliifolia (Wall.) DC. (2n=24) by Kurosawa (1977), we argue that the basic chromosome number of Toricellia is 12. Many authors, such as Airy-Shaw (1973), Dahlgren (1975, 1977), Takhtajan (1969, 1980), Thorne (1983), have adopted Hu’s (1934) treatment erecting it as a monotypic family Toricelliaceae. Its systematic position, whether closer to Cornaceae than to Araliaceae or vice versa, has been in dispute. Cytologically it seems closer to Araliaceae, as shown anatomically (Lodriguez 1971), because the basic chromosome number of Cornaceae s. 1. is x=11, 9, 8 (Kurosawa 1977), whereas that of Araliaceae is 12 (Raven 1975). 2. Cardiocrinum giganteum (Wall.) Makino Somatic chromosome number, 2n=24 was determined from root-tip cells (Ph. I. fig. 8). Cardiocrinum (Endl.) Lindl., consisting of 3 spp., is endemic to Eastern Asiatic Region. C. giganteum (Wall.) Makino is distributed from Himalayan region to S. W. China. The present report is in accord with the number reported by Kurosawa (1966) who got the material from Darjeeling of India. However the karyotype of the present plant is slightly different from that given by Kurosawa. In the present material, the satellites of the 1st. pair of chromosomes and the short arms of llst. pair of chromosomes are visibly longer than those of Kurosawa’s drawing (fig. 1, 2) The plants from Yunnan, Sichuan and Hubei Provinces, named as C. giganteum var. yunnanense (Leitchtlin ex Elwes) Stearn, differ slightly from those of Himalayan region also in outer morphological characters. The taxon needs both cytological and taxonomical further studies. 3. Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr. PMC meiotic examination revealed n=8 at diakinesis (Pl. I. fig. 6) This species is widely distributed from Himalayan region through Indo-China to our Taiwan Province and Indonesia. Three cytotypes (2n=14, 16, 30) were reported for the taxon including its variety, var. parviflorum (Wall) Hara, by various authors (Hasegawa 1932, Mehra and Pathamia 1960, Kurosawa 1966, 1971 Mehra and Sachdeva 1976a). Some authors consider D. pullum Salisb. and D. calcaratum D. Don as synonyms of D. cantoniense. So D. cantoniense may be a species aggregate with different extreme races. Sen (1973a, b.) reports that the somatic chromosome numbers of D. pullum and D. calcaratum from Eastern Himalayan region are 14, 16, 28, 30, 32. He also discovered that chromosome alterations in species of Disporum involve not only the number but the structure as well. He found that in species of Liliaceae where the reproduction is mainly vegetative, polysomaty often occurs. In China we have not only D. cantoniense and D. calcaratum but also D. brachystomon Wang et Tang which is similar to D. cantoniense var. parviflorum (Wall.) Hara. These taxa need further critical studies. 4. Paris fargesii Franch. PMC meiotic examination revealed n=5+2B (Voucher no. 112) or n=5 (Voucher no. 62) at MI and AI (Pl. I. fig. 1. 4. 5.). This is the first report for the species. A bridge and a fragment were also observed at AI. Paris polyphylla Smith is extraordinarily polymorphic species. Hara (1969) regards all chinese extreme forms, such as P. fargesii Franch., P. violacea Lévl., P. pubescens (Hand. -Mzt.) Wang et Tang, etc. as infraspecific taxa of P. polyphylla. Needless to say, the various races of P. polyphylla Smith in China need further critical studies and are good material for further study to understand the speciation. 5. Reineckia carnea(Andr.) Kunth Reineckia is a monotypic genus endemic to Eastern Asiatic Region. In the present material somatic chromosome number in root-tip cells is determined as 2n=38 (Pl. I. fig. 7). According to the terminology defined by Levan et al., the karyotype formula is 2n=28 m+10 sm. The length of chromosomes varies from 14.28 μ to 5.5 μ. The idiogram given here (fig. 3) is nearly the same as that presented by Hsu et Li (1984). The same number has been previously reported by several authors, Noguchi (1936), Satô (1942), Therman (1956). The karyotype is relatively symmetrical (2B, accorling to the classi-fication of stebbins 1971) in accord with the opinion of Therman (1956).     

Morphology of pachytene chromosomes and its bearing on the nature of polyploidy in the cytological races of Apluda mutica L.

Pachytene chromosomes of diploid (n=10), hexaploid (n=30) and heptaploid (n=35) races of Apluda mutica L. are similar in their diagnostic morphological features. Hexaploids and heptaploids possess the same ten basic types of chromosomes characteristic of the diploid in multiples of six and seven respectively. Quadrivalent associations involving four homologous chromosomes were observed for all ten types of chromosomes of the hexaploid and heptaploid. It is suggested that the polyploid races may be autoploids.This work forms part of a thesis submitted to the Andhra University, Waltair for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.     

Chromosome evolution within theOrnithogalum tenuifolium complex (Hyacinthaceae), with special emphasis on the evolution of bimodal karyotypes

Hypotheses on the evolution of the karyotypes of 8 chromosome races (2n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16-two forms, 26) within theOrnithogalum tenuifolium complex are discussed. Four of the karyotypes are strictly bimodal: 2n = 8 (6 long and two short chromosomes), 2n = 10 (6 long and 4 short chromosomes), 2n = 12 (6 long and 6 short chromosomes) and 2n = 16 (12 long and 4 short chromosomes). The hypotheses are tested by means of measurements of nuclear DNA content, studies of meiosis and pollen fertility of hybrids, and comparisons of karyotype morphology. The results indicate that the E. African 2n = 12 chromosome race is the most primitive and has given rise to the other chromosome races. The 2n = 6 race is found to have a significantly higher fitness than the 2n = 12 race.     

The chromosomes of two Drosophila races: D. nasuta nasuta and D. n. albomicana

Heterochromatin distribution and differentiation in metaphase chromosomes of two morphologically identical Drosophila races, D. nasuta nasuta and D. n. albomicana, have been studied by C- and N-banding methods. — The total heterochromatin values differ only slightly between these races. However, homologous chromosomes of the two Drosophila forms show striking differences in the size of heterochromatin regions and there is an alternating pattern in D. n. nasuta and D. n. albomicana of chromosomes which contain more, or respectively less heterochromatin than their counterparts in the other race. — Three different N-banding patterns could be obtained depending on the conditions of the method employed: One banding pattern occurs which corresponds to the C-banding pattern. Another pattern is the reverse of the C-band pattern; the euchromatic chromosome regions and the centromeres are stained whereas the pericentric heterochromatin regions remain unstained. In the Y chromosomes of both races and in chromosome 4 of D. n. albomicana, however, the heterochromatin is further differentiated. In the third N-banding pattern only the centromeres are deeply stained. Furthermore, between the races, subtle staining differences in the pericentric heterochromatin regions can be observed as verified in F₁ hybrids. On the basis of C- and N-banding results specific aspects of chromosomal differences between D. n. nasuta and D. n. albomicana are discussed.Dedicated to Prof. W. Beermann on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

国产五种菊属植物的核型研究

本文对国产5种菊属植物的核型进行了研究,结果为:D. indicum 2n=2x=18=16m 2st,2n=4x=36=28m 6sm 2st;D. lavandulifolium 2n=2x=18=14m 4sm,2n=4x=36=28m 6sm 2st;D. lavandulifolium var.seticuspe 2n=2x=18=12m 6sm;D. chanetii 2n=4x=36=20m 14sm 2st,2n=6x=54=38m 14sm 2st;D. potentilloides2n=2x=18=14m 2sm 2st;D. vestitum 2n=6x=54=38m 16sm.核型分析的结果表明,本文所研究类群中出现的多倍体多为异源多倍体;根据对核型资料、形态特征及地理分布特点的综合分析,作者认为多倍化是菊属野生种进行的主要途径。     

Cytogenetics, cytotaxonomy and chromosomal evolution of Chrysomelinae revisited (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

Nearly 260 taxa and chromosomal races of subfamily Chrysomelinae have been chromosomally analyzed showing a wide range of diploid numbers from 2n = 12 to 2n = 50, and four types of male sex-chromosome systems. with the parachute-like ones Xy(p) and XY(p) clearly prevailing (79.0%), but with the XO well represented too (19.75%). The modal haploid number for chrysomelines is n = 12 (34.2%) although it is not probably the presumed most plesiomorph for the whole subfamily, because in tribe Timarchini the modal number is n = 10 (53.6%) and in subtribe Chrysomelina n = 17 (65.7%). Some well sampled genera, such as Timarcha, Chrysolina and Cyrtonus, are variable in diploid numbers, whereas others, like Chrysomela, Paropsisterna, Oreina and Leptinotarsa, are conservative and these differences are discussed. The main shifts in the chromosomal evolution of Chrysomelinae seems to be centric fissions and pericentric inversions but other changes as centric fusions are also clearly demonstrated. The biarmed chromosome shape is the prevalent condition, as found in most Coleoptera, although a fair number of species hold a few uniarmed chromosomes at least. A significant negative correlation between the haploid numbers and the asymmetry in size of karyotypes (r = -0.74) has been found from a large sample of 63 checked species of ten different genera. Therefore, the increases in haploid number are generally associated with a higher karyotype symmetry.     

Genomic relationships between Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy and D. hordeaceum (Cosson et Durieu) Candargy.

The origin and genomic constitution of the tetraploid perennial species Dasypyrum hordeaceum (2n = 4x = 28) and its phylogenetic relationships with the annual diploid Dasypyrum villosum (2n = 2x = 14) have been investigated by comparing the two genomes using different methods. There is no apparent homology between the conventional or Giemsa C-banded karyotypes of the two Dasypyrum species, nor can the karyotype of D. hordeaceum be split up into two similar sets. Polymorphism within several chromosome pairs was observed in both karyotypes. Cytophotometric determinations of the Feulgen-DNA absorptions showed that the genome size of D. hordeaceum was twice as large as that of D. villosum. Both the cross D. villosum x D. hordeaceum (crossability rate 12.1%) and the reciprocal cross (crossability rate 50.7%) produced plump seeds. Only those from the former cross germinated, producing sterile plants with a phenotype that was intermediate between those of the parents. In these hybrids (2n = 21), an average of 13.77 chromosomes per cell paired at meiotic metaphase I. Trivalents were only rarely observed. Through dot-blot hybridizations, a highly repeated DNA sequence of D. villosum was found not to be represented in the genome of D. hordeaceum. By contrast, very similar restriction patterns were observed when a low-repeated DNA sequence or different single-copy sequences of D. villosum or two sequences in the plastidial DNA of rice were hybridized to Southern blots of the genomic DNAs of the two Dasypyrum species digested with different restriction endonucleases. By analyzing glutamic-oxaloacetic-transaminase, superoxide dismutase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and esterase isozyme systems, it was shown that both Dasypyrum species shared the same phenotypes, which differed from those found in hexaploid wheat. In situ hybridizations using DNA sequences encoding gliadins showed that these genes were located close to the centromere of three pairs of D. villosum chromosomes and that they had the same locations in six pairs of D. hordeaceum chromosomes. We conclude that the autoploid origin of D. hordeaceum from D. villosum, which cannot be defended on the basis of chromosomal traits, is suggested by the other findings obtained by comparing the two genomes. Key words : Dasypyrum hordeaceum, Dasypyrum villosum, phylogenetic relationships.     

Evolution of the genome size inAkodon (Rodentia,Cricetidae)

Nuclear DNA contents were estimated by microdensitometry in five species of Akodon rodents: Arodon molinae, A. dolores, A. mollis, A. azarae, Bolomys obscurus) and in three chromosomal varieties of A. molinae (2n = 42; 2n = 43, 2n = 22). The data obtained showed that the species with the highest DNA content was B. obscurus, followed in order of decreasing genome size by A. molinae, A. mollis, A. dolores and A. azarae. In A. molinae the forms with 2n = 42 chromosomes had the lowest and the forms with 2n = 44 the highest amount of DNA, while the forms with 2n = 43 had intermediate DNA contents. The variation in DNA amount detected in A. molinae was interpreted as a phenomenon of amplification occurring in the chromosomal areas involved in the chromosomal rearrangement giving rise to the polymorphism exhibited by this species. The DNA contents of shared chromosomes (chromosomes with similar size, morphology and G banding pattern, which are found in two or more phylogenetically related species), were compared and correlated with values of total nuclear DNA. The information obtained indicates that: (a) shared chromosomes have variable amounts of DNA: (b) in a given species there is a correlation between the amount of nuclear and chromosomal DNA in most shared chromosomes (and perhaps in most of the chromosomal complement), e.g., the higher the amount of nuclear DNA, the higher the content of DNA in shared chromosomes; (c) some chromosomes may undergo processes of amplification or deletion restricted to certain regions and usually related with mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Supernumerary chromosomes in the karyotype of the Siberian spruce, P. obovata

Results of karyological study of ornamental forms of Picea obovata Ledeb. are presented. Typical chromosome number (2n) is 24, but some trees have one or two additional chromosomes (2n = 24 + 1B; 2n = 24 + 2B). Heritability of additional chromosomes, pollen fertility, morphological features of cones, and seed quality in trees with and without additional chromosomes were studied. System of B-chromosomes is of importance for population and species adaptation and possibly plays a role in adaptation of P. obovata under introduction.