Genotype-independent leaf disc transformation of potato (Solanum tuberosum) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Summary Leaves of the in vitro grown potato cultivars Bintje, Berolina, Desiree, and Russet Burbank were wounded and co-cultivated with Agrobacterium strains having chimeric bar and nptII genes on a disarmed T-DNA. Each leaf from these cultivars formed numerous calli on kanamycin-containing medium, and almost all calli regenerated shoots. For Russet Burbank, it was necessary to include AgNO₃ in the medium to obtain efficient shoot regeneration. The transformed plants have one to a few copies of the T-DNA, show NPT-II and PAT activities, and are resistant to high doses of the commercial preparation of phospinotricin (glufosinate). Almost no somaclonal variation was detected in trans-genic plants.     

Sources and inheritance of resistance to leaf curl virus in Lycopersicon

Summary One hundred and twenty-two varieties, lines and wild accessions of Lycopersicon were screened under three different regimes during the autumn/winter season of 1982–83 and 1983–84 for resistance to tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV). L. hirsutum f. glabratum (B6013) and L. hirsutum f. typicum (A1904) proved to be highly resistant to TLCV in all three environments. Various accessions of L. peruvianum were also highly resistant. L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) exhibited no TLCV symptoms within 90 days. Of the cultivated varieties, Acc 99 exhibited the minimim score for susceptibility; AC 142, Collection No. 2, Kalyanpur Angurlata and HS 101 had a low rating for virus incidence. The inheritance of resistance was studied in the interspecific crosses between a TLCV resistant line of L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) and five (HS 101, HS 102, HS 110, Pusa Ruby and Punjab Chhuhara) susceptible cultivars of L. esculentum. Parents, F₁, F₂ and backcross progenies were artificially inoculated with local strains of TLCV using vector the viruliferious whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). Data indicated that the resistance of L. pimpinellifolium (A 1921) is monogenic and incompletely dominant over susceptibility.     

Chromosome elimination in Hordeum vulgare x H. bulbosum hybrids

Summary The hybrid progeny from a stable amphidiploid of H. vulgare x H. bulbosum involving the cultivar Vada and an unstable amphidiploid involving the cultivar Emir were studied. The genotypes examined contained two genomes from Vada or one from Vada and one from Emir, with one or two genomes from H. bulbosum. Comparisons between the chromosome numbers in root-tips and anthers revealed that there was no chromosome elimination in most plants, whether there was one or two Vada genomes present. The one plant in which chromosome elimination was positively identified had Emir as opposed to Vada cytoplasm. It also had a high incidence of degraded or fragmented chromosomes in the PMCs. Differences in stability between a 27 chromosome plant and other hypotetraploids suggest that Vada contains both elimination genes and elimination suppressor genes. Upon selfing, again irrespective of the number of Vada genomes present, circa triploid hybrids gave rise to diploid H. vulgare offspring while hypotetraploids produced hybrid-like plants. These included diploids, triploids and tetraploids. There was evidence that suggested that H. vulgare as well as H. bulbosum chromosomes had been eliminated.     

Nuclear and cytoplasmic gene control of resistance to loose smut (Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr.) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary Using disomic chromosome substitution lines based on the susceptible wheat cultivar Chinese Spring, loose smut resistance of wheat cultivars Hope and Thatcher was shown to be conferred in each case by a single dominant major gene carried on chromosome 7 A (Hope) or 7 B (Thatcher). Partial resistance was determined by genes on an additional eight Hope or seven Thatcher chromosomes, and similarities were evident between the partial resistance genotypes ofHope and Thatcher. Chinese Spring exhibited a mean infection value of approximately 50%, indicating a significant level of partial resistance, which was found to be due, in part, to genes on the homoeologous chromosome arms 1 As, 1 Es and 1 Ds, and to cytoplasmic genes. Substitution of the Chinese Spring nucleus into the cytoplasm of Aegilops squarrosa, Ae. variabilis or Ae. mutica resulted in increased susceptibility to Ustilago tritici. Several alloplasmic lines of the resistant wheat cultivars Selkirk and Chris exhibited race-specific susceptibility to U. tritici.     

Meiosis and fertility of F1 hybrids between hexaploid bread wheat and decaploid tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum)

As the first step in the transfer of barely yellow dwarf virus resistance and salt tolerance from decaploid tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) into hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), octoploid intergeneric hybrids (2n = 8x = 56) were synthesized by crossing the tall wheatgrass cultivar Alkar with wheat cvs. Fukuhokomugi (Fuko) and Chinese Spring. (Fuko x Alkar) F₁ hybrids were studied in detail. The F₁ hybrids were perennial and generally resembled the male wheatgrass parent with regard to morphological features and gliadin profile. Most hybrids were euploid with 56 chromosomes and showed high chromosome pairing. On an average, in 6 hybrids 83.6% of the complement showed chiasmatic association, some between wheat and wheatgrass chromosomes. Such a high homoeologous pairing would be obtained if Ph1, the major homoeologous pairing suppressor in wheat, was somehow inactivated. Some of the Fuko x Alkar hybrids had high pollen fertility (18.5–42.0% with a mean of 31.5%) and high seed fertility (3–29 seeds wtih a mean of 12.3 seeds per spike), offering excellent opportunities for their direct backcrossing onto the wheat parent.     

Identification of a high-molecular-weight subunit of glutenin whose presence correlates with bread-making quality in wheats of related pedigree

Summary The subunit composition of glutenin was analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis using two varieties of contrasting pedigrees. Maris Widgeon, a variety of good bread-making quality, was shown to contain 2 glutenin subunits not present in Maris Ranger, a much higher yielding variety that is unsuitable for making bread. A third subunit was only found in Maris Ranger glutenin. To determine if any of these subunits are directly related to bread-making quality, 60 randomly-derived F₂ progeny from a Maris Widgeon x Maris Ranger cross were analysed for bread-making quality and for glutenin subunit composition. A strong correlation was demonstrated between the presence of one of the two subunits inherited from Maris Widgeon, and quality. This subunit (termed subunit 1 glutenin) had an approx. mol. wt. of 145,000. It was also found in Maris Freeman, a bread-making variety selected from the same cross previously made in 1962. In further crosses involving Maris Widgeon or its descendants, more bread-making varieties have been produced in the last decade at the Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge and all but one have inherited glutenin subunit 1. The subunit has been traced back through Holdfast to White Fife, a Canadian hard spring wheat of excellent breadmaking quality. Some 67 varieties were screened for the presence of glutenin subunit 1 and it was found in 31% of them. Several unrelated varieties of good bread-making quality did not contain subunit 1 glutenin.     

Effect of photoperiod on in vitro tuberization of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Single-node cuttings of potato cultivars Jemseg, Katahdin, Russet Burbank and Superior were cultured on a multiplication medium containing MS salts and no growth regulators. Cultures were exposed to 8 h (SD) and 16 h (LD) photoperiodic regimes. The subsequent plantlets were excised and single node cuttings from each photoperiodic regime were placed under SD or LD on a second medium containing growth regulators which promoted tuberization. Production of microtubers was strongly influenced by genotype and by photoperiodic treatments. Superior produced stunted plantlets and some microtubers under SD conditions in the multiplication medium. The number of microtubers formed by Jemseg was not influenced by photoperiod. However, Katahdin and Russet Burbank formed fewer microtubers under LD-LD conditions compared to LD-SD, SD-SD and SD-LD regimes. Compared with the other regimes, LD-SD photoperiod generally promoted microtuber formation with larger diameters and significantly (p<0.05) greater fresh weight. The intensity of the tuberization stimulus was affected by daylength, and this was characterized by microtubers with secondary tubers, the growth of more than one axillary microtuber, and microtubers subtended by stolons. The maturity group of the potato cultivars and photoperiodic regime in vitro strongly influenced the production of microtubers. These results can be employed to adapt light regimes for multiplication and tuberization to the specific requirements for cultivars from different maturity groups, and thus increase the efficiency of potato multiplication protocols.     

Genetic control of heading date and spikelet number in common wheat (T. aestivum L.) line ‘Noa’

Summary The phenology and build-up of spikelet number under 10 h day-length were studied in five wheat lines: the multispikelet line Noa, the regular line Mara, the F₁ hybrid between them and monosomics 2D of Mara and of this hybrid (lacking the 2D chromosome of Mara). Noa had a longer spike development phase, a higher initial number of spikelet primordia and a slower rate of spikelet production than Mara. The F₁ hybrid was similar to Noa in its high initial number of spikelets and to Mara in its high rate of spikelet production. This hybrid had a shorter spikelet phase than both parents. Deletion of one dose of the Mara 2D chromosome from either Mara or the F₁ hybrid caused a reduction in the rate of spikelet production and an increase in the duration of the spikelet phase. These effects were due to the reduced dosage of the 2D chromosome. However, in the F₁ hybrid this deletion also caused an increase in the spike development phase — an indication that Noa carries on its 2D chromosome a recessive gene for late heading date which acts on the spike development phase. This gene of Noa is independent of the day-length sensitive gene ppd, and is different from Noas dominant gene for large initial number of spikelets.     

Patterns of direct and indirect embryogenesis from mesophyll protoplasts of Medicago sativa

Clones of three cultivars of Medicago sativa (Rambler, Regen S and Rangelander) were used as sources of mesophyll protoplasts. Although all three clones readily produced protoplasts, the subsequent development patterns in culture varied greatly among genotypes, with protoplasts from Regen S and Rambler forming calli which could be induced to form embryos, and protoplasts from Rangelander undergoing direct embryogenesis. Protoplasts of Regen S exhibited high rates of division while those of Rangelander tended to aggregate with only a few cells per aggregate surviving. The surviving cells gave rise to proembryos within the aggregates; these proembryos developed into differentiated embryos after 5–7 weeks of culture. Based on the initial protoplast population, the efficiency of embryo formation averaged 0.13% and ranged from 0.001–0.4%. Observations during the early stages of culture indicated that cell aggregation was a prerequisite for direct embryogenesis.     

Genotype effects on plant regeneration in callus and suspension cultures of Avena

Regenerative potential of the calli of nineteen genotypes of Avena sativa, Avena nuda, Avena byzantina and one interspecific hybrid were compared over three successive cultures. Highly significant genotype and genotype × subculture interactions were observed. Among the highest plant regenerable genotypes were Corbit (first subculture); GAF/Park and 88Ab3073 (second subculture); and GAF/Park and 87Ab5932 (third subculture). These genotypes regenerated on an average 10 to 17 plants each from a 200 mg callus mass after a 30 to 45 proliferation period. GAF/Park, a progeny of an interspecific cross, regenerated plants at a significantly higher level (11.85 plants/rep), followed by the similarly performing A. sativa (6.23 plants) and A. nuda (5.06 plants) genotypes, which were significantly higher than the A. byzantina genotypes (2.07 plants). Four genotypes were tested for their adaptability to suspension culture and plant regeneration potential by separating their cells and cell clusters into two sizes: larger and smaller than 3 mm. Larger clusters yielded plants for three genotypes GAF/Park, 88Ab3073, and Tibor. The smaller clusters only regenerated plants for GAF/Park and 88Ab3073. From one gram of callus used to initiate suspensions of GAF/Park and 88Ab3073, 119.9 and 18.8 plants, respectively, were regenerated. The plants regenerated for various genotypes from agar-solidified or suspension culture experiments had normal growth and seed set. This study confirms high and sustained regenerative capabilities of GAF/Park, a restricted genotype due to the weedy Avena fatua genetic background and identifies alternative genotypes, especially 88Ab3073 for future tissue culture and transformation studies.     

Rooting apple cultivars in vitro: Interactions among light,temperature, phloroglucinol and auxin

Delicious apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) and several of its strains, which have been difficult to root in vitro, were successfully propagated with rooting percentages up to 100%. The combination of treatments used to achieve this result included placing the shoots on rooting medium in the dark at 30°C for the first week of the rooting stage, then moving them to a regime of 16 hr light-8 hr dark at 25°C. The rooting medium contained half strength Murashige and Skoog salts plus 1.2 M thiamine HCl, 0.56 mM myo-inositol, 1 mM phloroglucinol (PG), 1.4 M indolebutyric acid (IBA), 1.3 M gibberellic acid (GA₃), 87.6 mM sucrose, and 7 g l^–1 Difco Bacto agar. Dark treatment applied during the proliferation stage (etiolation) was less effective than one applied at the beginning of the rooting stage. The optimum length of dark treatment during rooting was 4 to 7 days. Increasing the temperature from 25°C to 30°C improved rooting of Delicious, Royal Red Delicious, and Vermont Spur Delicious in the absence of PG but generally had less effect in the presence of PG. Further increase in temperature to 35°C stimulated rooting of Royal Red Delicious but reduced rooting of Vermont Spur Delicious. Transfer of the cuttings to auxin-free medium after 1 week had no effect on percentage rooting and increased the number of roots per cutting for only 1 of 4 cultivars tested and then only in the presence of PG. In general PG stimulated rooting of Delicious and its strains, but had no effect on Golden Delicious.     

Chromosomal location of esterase,peroxidase and phosphoglucomutase isozyme structural genes in cultivated rye (Secale cereale L.)

Summary Isoelectric focusing of esterase (EST), peroxidase (PRX), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) isozymes in Chinese Spring wheat, Imperial rye and several Chinese Spring/Imperial and Holdfast/King II addition, translocation and substitution lines revealed the chromosomal location of nine Est loci previously described and of one Prx and Pgm locus. Loci Est1, Est2, Est3, Est5, Est6 and Est7 were found on chromosome arm 5RL, Est8 and Est9 on chromosome 6R in Imperial rye, and the Est10 locus on chromosome arm 4RL in Imperial rye and King II rye. A discrepancy was found between the chromosomal location of the Prx locus in Imperial where chromosome 2R was responsible for the expression of the peroxidase enzyme, and King II with chromosome 1R carrying the Prx gene. As a possible explanation, the occurrence of translocation events during the production of wheat/rye aneuploid lines is discussed. The rye Pgm locus could be associated with chromosome 4RS in Imperial and King II rye. Except for the location of Est loci on chromosome 5RL, the results reported in this paper lend further evidence for the assumed homoeology relationships between the chromosomes of Triticinae and for the conservation of gene synteny groups during the evolution of the Triticeae tribe.     

Monosomic analysis of heading date and spikelet number in the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) multispikelet line ‘Noa’

Summary Genetic analysis of heading date and spikelet number was carried out in the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) multispikelet line Noa, by using the monosomic series of the regular line Mara. Noa's high number of spikelets was found to be controlled by a recessive major gene on chromosome 2D; a slight reduction in spikelet number was induced by another recessive gene on Noa's 7A chromosome. Noa's late heading date was found to be controlled by two recessive genes, located on chromosome 2D (a major effect) and 6B (a minor effect). The nature of the genes located on Noa's 2D chromosome and the relationship between spikelet number and heading date are discussed.     

Nomenclatural consequences of some recent studies on Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera,Brachionidae)

Recent studies on morphology, karyotype, genetics including allozyme constitution and reproductive behaviour of S- and L-type B. plicatilis showed that these types are best treated as different species. A reexamination of existing available names revealed B. plicatilis O. F. Müller, 1786 and B. rotundiformis Tschugunoff, 1921 as the correct names for the L- and S-type, respectively.     

Differential effects of foods traditionally regarded as ‘heating’ and ‘cooling’ on prostaglandin E2 production by a macrophage cell line

Some components of natural foods may enhance or inhibit prostaglandin formation and potentially affect the inflammation condition. A macrophage cell line, RAW264.7, was employed to examine the effects of foods traditionally regarded as heating or cooling on the production of PGE₂, a well-known proinflammatory mediator. Foods traditionally regarded as heating (litchi, longan, and dried longan) or cooling (chrysanthemum flower, bitter gourd, and lotus seed plumule) were extracted sequentially with water and ethyl acetate. The water extracts (WE) and ethyl acetate extracts (EAE) were applied to RAW264.7 macrophages in the presence or absence of LPS (lipopolysaccharide). In the absence of LPS, the WEs from the heating foods, litchi, longan, or dried longan had a dose-dependent enhancing effect on PGE₂ production, with respective EC₅₀s of 8.4, 16, and 11 mg/ml. This effect was accompanied by significant induction of COX-2 protein expression, as shown by Western blot analysis. In contrast, LPS-induced PGE₂ production was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the WEs of the cooling foods, chrysanthemum flower, bitter gourd, and lotus seed plumule, with respective IC₅₀s of 0.6, 0.13, and 0.08 mg/ml. At the concentrations tested, none of the EAEs had any effect on basal PGE₂ production, while LPS-induced PGE₂ production was inhibited or increased by the EAE from bitter gourd and longan, respectively. Water-soluble extracts of foods traditionally regarded as heating enhanced basal PGE₂ production, while those from cooling foods significantly inhibited LPS-induced PGE₂ production by the macrophage cell line. This subject merits further study to determine whether appropriate food selection may help patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions.     

Response of excised embryos of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to X-rays

Summary The response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) embryos to X-rays (M₁ to M₃) was studied. By means of irradiating excised embryos, both chlorophyll and macromutation were successfully induced in three genotypes of rice. However, differential responses in terms of mutation frequency, mutation spectrum and optimal levels of X-rays required for induction of mutation (chlorophyll as well as morphological) were found to exist between cultivars. In Satika and Ashkhata, LD₅₀ values and maximum induced seed sterility are concomitant to optimum level of radiation required for triggering chlorophyll mutation. However, optimum dose for induction of macromutation in Satika and Kerangserang is independent of either LD₅₀ and/or induced seed sterility.Chances of obtaining both dominant and locus specific recessive mutations in the immediate X-ray treated generation (M₁) are large. This indicates the very high degree of effectiveness of the excised embryo irradiation technique with rice.     

Analysis of the effect of rye chromosomes 4R, 6R and telomeric heterochromatin on 7R on homologous chromosome pairing in pentaploid hybrids (AABBR,AABBD)

Summary Meiotic pairing in Triticum turgidum cv. Ma (4x) with a mean chiasmata frequency of 27.16 per cell was compared with chiasmata frequencies in its hybrids with several triticale strains, Chinese Spring wheat and its addition lines for Imperial rye chromosomes 4R and 6R. In hybrids between Ma and x Triticosecale cv. Rosner the chiasmata frequency was marginally reduced by an average of 1.25%, by 8.8% in hybrids with x Triticosecale cv. DRIRA HH and by 6.7% with DRIRA EE (lacking 90% telomeric heterochromatin from chromosome arm 7RL). In pentaploid hybrids between Ma and T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring the reduction was an average of 10.30%, while addition lines with rye chromosome 6R reduced chiasmata frequencies by an average of 7.4% and rye addition line for 4R showed the greatest depression in chiasmata frequency in hybrids by a 25.04% reduction. An interchange difference involving long chromosome segments was observed between Ma and Rosner.Contribution No. 819 Ottawa Research Station     

Effect of LiCl on compression and tension properties ofPophyra perforata tissue

The mechanical properties of various differentiated regions of thePorphyra perforata thallus and the effect of LiCl were studied by performing compression and tension tests. Among the various differentiated tissues, the holdfast area was high in its compressive modulus of elasticity and tensile modulus of elasticity, possibly related to its thick matrix. Vegetative non-dividing tissue and vegetative dividing tissue were the most flexible and strong, showing the highest percentage elongation at break and tensile strength. The patch area, which is a transition zone leading to sexually mature tissue, had moderate values of tensile properties. Meanwhile, sexually differentiated male and female tissues had the highest compressive modulus of elasticity and lowest tensile properties. Thes tisues tended to crumble easily. Treatments in LiCl, as used for DNA extraction, resulted in a decrease in both compressive modulus of elasticity (87%) and tensile modulus of elasticity (54%). After treatment of tissue for chromosome staining in a method using LiCl, there was a marked decrease in tensile modulus of elasticity (49%), while the compressive modulus of elasticity remained unchanged. Such mechanical changes verify the softening effect of LiCl on the seaweedP. perforata tissue.Author for correspondence     

Improved rate of callus induction from rice anther culture following microscopic staging of microspores in iron alum-haematoxylin

Summary High frequencies of callusing were obtained in indica rice from the microspores which were staged in acetic acid iron alum-haematoxylin stain prior to culture on G5 medium. Two local varieties, Khonorullo and Namyi, and two advance pre-release cultures, PK 1-1-3 and PK 12-22, were used in this investigation. All the cultures exhibited a wide adaptation to varying medium; however, the frequency of callusing was highest (45.5%) in PK 1-1-3 followed by PK 12-22 (32.4%) and Khonorullo (31.6%). Cold shock (10 °C) for 11 days enhanced the frequency of callusing by 200% in Khonorullo.     

Effect of excess boron on summer and winter squash

The boron tolerance of two summer squash cultivars (Cucurbita pepo L. Aristocrat Zucchini and Peter Pan Scallop) and one winter squash cultivar (Cucurbita moschata Poir. Butter boy) was determined in large, outdoor sand cultures. Boron treatments were imposed by irrigation with culture solutions that contained 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12.0, or 15.0 mg B L^-1. Relative fruit yields of Zucchini, Scallop, and Butter boy were reduced 5.2%, 9.8%, and 4.3% with each unit (mg L^-1) increase in soil solution B (B_sw)>2.7, 4.9, and 1.0 mg B L^-1, respectively. Reduced yields of all cultivars were attributed to a reduction in fruit number and not fruit size. Boron concentrations in leaves and fruit were directly correlated to B_sw.