The induction of triploidy in Oreochromis aureus by heat shock

Summary Triploid fish were obtained using heat-shock treatment. The optimal conditions for the heat shock (39.5±0.2°C for 3.5–4 min) as well as the exact zygote age (3 min) at which this heat shock was applied were studied. Results showed that this treatment gives rise to 100% of triploid fish with a satisfactory survival rate of 61% beyond the yolk sac resorption. The genital papillae of this triploid fish were underdeveloped in comparison to normal diploid fish. However, no morphological or growth-rate differences between diploid and triploid fish could be observed up to the age of 6 months. Triploidy was assessed by the karyotyping of embryo cells or adult PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, or by erythrocyte measurements. The occurrence of a heat-shock sensitive event at the zygotic age of 6 min is discussed.     

人工诱导雌核发育日本白鲫

分别用遗传失活的散鳞镜鲤(Cyprinus carpio L.)、团头鲂(Megalobrama amblycephala)精子诱导日本白鲫(Carassius cuvieri)进行雌核发育.未经冷休克处理,用UV照射过的镜鲤的精子(其最佳UV照射剂量为4 200 mJ/cm2)与日本白鲫卵子受精获得(32.4±3.3)%雌核发育单倍体和(0.7±0.3)%杂交二倍体,而照射过的团头鲂精子(其最佳UV照射剂量为3 600mJ/cm2)与日本白鲫卵子受精得到了(33.8±1.4)%雌核发育单倍体和(0.5-±0.3)%杂交二倍体.日本白鲫卵子分别经灭活的镜鲤、团头鲂的精子激活(精子经各自最佳UV剂量处理),施以冷休克处理(受精后2min,0-4℃,40min),其孵化率分别为(27.8±2.1)%和(29.4±3.3)%,发育到摄食期,其正常的雌核发育二倍体鱼苗分别为(15.7±3.4)%和(23.6±4.1)%,在镜鲤实验组中,其正常的雌核发育二倍体鱼苗占孵化鱼苗总数的56%,这比团头鲂实验组中正常雌核发育二倍体鱼苗的比率(达到80%)低,结果表明诱导日本白鲫雌核发育,与母本遗传关系远的团头鲂精子较镜鲤的更有效.从染色体数目、外形特征和性腺结构等方面证实雌核发育后代的生物学特性.雌核发育日本白鲫全为雌性,这表明其雌性是同配XX型.雌核发育日本白鲫在生产上将有着潜在的价值,如比普通日本白鲫长得更快,抗病能力强等.所有的雌核发育日本白鲫的染色体数目都是100,而所有的团头鲂与日本白鲫的杂交后代都是三倍体(3n=124),新三倍体鱼在鱼类养殖和理论研究中将存在潜在的价值.     

Does triploidization produce functional sterility of triploid males of tench <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tinca tinca</Emphasis> (L.)?

Triploidy interferes with gametogenesis in all fish species tested so far. In fish it results in complete female sterility however, males are still able to develop testis. The reason why sterility levels in triploid fishes differ among species and between sexes is unclear. In the present study the reproductive capacity of triploid males of tench was studied. Flow cytometry revealed sperm cells of triploids to be largely aneuploid with high mosaic DNA, oscillating from haploid DNA to diploid DNA content. Analysis of variance showed an insignificant influence of ploidy level on the percentage of motile spermatozoa, as well as on spermatozoa velocity. Experimental crosses between normal diploid female and triploid males resulted in the appearance of triploid progeny, which exhibited genotypes composed of microsatellite alleles inherited from the founder female and additional allele derived from the donor male. We can conclude that the triploid males analysed in the present study were capable to fertilize eggs derived from diploid females.     

Morphological comparisons of diploid and triploid hybrid grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella♀×Hypophthalmichthys nobilis♂

Morphological and karyological comparisons of 25–28 hybrid grass carp from each of 3 year-classes (1979–1981) indicated that diploid fish resulted during 1979 (82.1%) and 1980 (76.0%) the others being triploid. All of the fish tested from the 1981 year-class were triploid. Most triploid fish differed from diploid fish by having a faster growth rate, fewer scales in the lateral line and transverse series below the lateral line, a relatively longer gut, and fewer deformities.     

远缘杂交形成的二倍体鱼和多倍体鱼生殖细胞染色体研究

本文采用性腺染色体制片及组织学切片方法,系统地研究了不同发育时期的鲫鲤杂交第二代(F2) (2n=100)、异源四倍体鲫鲤(4n=200)、三倍体鲫鱼(3n=150))、雌核发育二倍体鲫鲤第二代(G2)(2n=100)及鲤鱼(Cypninus carpio L)(2n=100)(对照组)生殖细胞的染色体特征.研究结果表明,对照组中鲤鱼精原细胞染色体数与体细胞染色体数一致,为二倍体精原细胞(2n=100),而远缘杂交形成的二倍体鱼和多倍体鱼的生殖细胞中则观察到明显的染色体数加倍现象,其中,鲫鲤杂交第二代(F2)精巢生殖细胞染色体数加倍现象特别丰富,占检测的染色体分裂相的21.6%,为其产生不减半的二倍体配子提供了直接的细胞学证据,同时也说明远缘杂交是导致生殖细胞染色体数加倍的一个重要因素.该研究在探讨多倍体鱼的发生及鱼类遗传育种方面具有重要意义.     

Microsatellite analysis of different ploidy offspring of artificial gynogenesis in Cyprinus carpio

Gynogenesis was induced by using UV-irradiated spermatozoa of blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala to activate eggs of common carp Cyprinus carpio. The maternal genome was then duplicated by cold shock in 0 to 4° C cold water to retain the second polar body. Two kinds of fry, normal fry and abnormal tortuous fry, were hatched. Their DNA content was measured by flow cytometry. The normal fry were identified as diploid, representing the successful gynogenesis in C. carpio whereas the abnormal tortuous fry were haploid. Ten microsatellite loci were used to study the genetic diversity among C. carpio, diploid gynogenetic C. carpio and unduplicated haploid tortuous fry. The results indicated that the genetic homozygosity of gynogenetic C. carpio was significantly higher than that of C. carpio. The genetic homozygosity of the haploid C. carpio was intermediate between that of gynogenetic C. carpio and C. carpio. It might be easier for the allogenetic DNA fragments to be integrated into the haploid genome than into diploid gynogenetic genome.     

Delayed meiosis and polar body release in eggs of triploid Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, in relation to tetraploid production

The dynamics of polar body release are important for creating polyploid shellfish. For producing triploids, these dynamics concern meiosis in diploid eggs and are well understood. For creating tetraploids, eggs from triploids are employed and the dynamics, variation, and environmental influences upon polar body release are less studied. We investigated the effects of several agents on the timing of 50% first polar body (PB1) release in eggs of triploids. PB1 release is generally slower in triploid eggs than diploid ones at 26 degrees C. Lowering the temperature (from 26 to 19 degrees C) had a marked effect on timing of 50% PB1 in both diploid and triploid eggs. While lower temperature merely slowed development in diploid eggs, it nearly halted it in triploid eggs. At any temperature, the variability in 50% PB1 release was much higher in triploid eggs than diploid ones; this variation occurred both within eggs from individual females and among eggs from different females. The amount of time eggs remain in seawater between the time they are stripped and fertilized (or time of hydration) also affected rate of meiosis. In triploid eggs, the average time necessary for the expulsion of 50% PB1 was 23 min post-fertilization (PF) for 75 min of hydration versus 29 min PF for 35 min. However, increasing the time of hydration had no effect on the variability in the timing among females. Serotonin also had no effect on the dynamics of polar body release in triploids. Variability among triploid females in timing of meiosis cannot be improved with any treatments we tried. Consequently we recommend that treatments of triploid eggs to produce tetraploids incorporate a single female at a time.     

The production of cloned fish in the medaka (Oryzias latipes)

The measurement of cellular DNA content by DNA microfluorometry revealed that medaka embryos that were fertilized with normal sperm and exposed to heat shock (41 degrees C for 3 min) or hydrostatic pressure (700 kg/cm2 for 10 min) at 85-95 min after insemination were tetraploid. Embryos fertilized with normal sperm and exposed to heat shock (41 degrees C for 2 min at 2-3 min after insemination) were triploid. These results suggest that heat shock or hydrostatic pressure at 85-95 min after insemination arrests the first cleavage, while heat shock at 2-3 min after insemination arrests the second meiotic division. Medaka clones have been produced by the following method: Eggs from orange-red or variegated variety were activated by UV-irradiated, genetically impotent sperm of wild-type fish (UV sperm). The haploid eggs obtained were diploidized by preventing the first cleavage with heat shock or hydrostatic pressure to produce homozygous females. Each of the two homozygous females was mated with vasectomized male in isotonic balanced salt solution to collect unfertilized eggs. The collected eggs were activated with UV sperm and converted from haploid to diploid by arrest of the second meiotic division with heat shock. Hatched fry of each homozygous diploid (all females) were fed with a methyltestosterone-containing diet (40 micrograms/gm diet) to produce sex-reversed males, which were mated with brood females, and thus two cloned lines were obtained.     

Massive production of all-female diploids and triploids in the crucian carp

In many species of aquaculture importance, all-female and sterile populations possess superior productivity due to faster growth and a relatively homogenous size of individuals. However, the production of all-female and sterile fish in a large scale for aquaculture is a challenge in practice, because treatments necessary for gynogenesis induction usually cause massive embryonic and larval mortality, and the number of induced gynogens is too small for their direct use in aquaculture. Here we report the massive production of all-female triploid crucian carp by combining artificial gynogenesis, sex reversal and diploid-tetraploid hybridization. Previously, we have obtained an allotetraploid carp population (4n = 200) by hybridization between red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var; ♀) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio; ♂). We induced all-female diploid gynogens of the Japanese crucian carp (Carassius cuvieri; 2n = 100). We also generated male diploid gynogens of the same species treated gynogenetic fry with 17-α-methyltestosterone, leading to the production of sex-revered gynogenetic males. Finally, these males were used to cross with the female diploid Japanese crucian carp gynogens and the allotetraploid females, resulting in the production of fertile all-female diploid Japanese crucian carp (2n=100) and sterile all-female triploid hybrids (3n = 150), respectively. Therefore, diploid crucian carp gynogenetic females and sex-reversed male together with an allotetraploid line provide an opportunity to produce all-female triploid populations in a large scale to meet demands in aquaculture industry.     

The kinetics of the hypoferraemic response and changes in levels of alternative complement activity in diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon, following injection of lipopolysaccharide.

To study any possible effects of triploidy on the kinetics of the response of two non-specific disease factors, full sibling diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon were injected intraperitoneally with either lipopolysaccharide (1 mg kg(-1) body weight) or saline. Individually marked fish were repetitively blood sampled for up to 19 days. Total serum protein concentrations remained constant throughout the experiment indicating that the sampling regime did not cause haemodilution. The alternative complement pathway activity (measured by the titre of haemolytic activity against rabbit erythrocytes) in the serum of saline injected fish remained constant but in LPS-injected fish it fell to barely detectable levels 2 days after injection, but recovered to pre-treatment levels by about day 5. Triploid fish took slightly longer to reach full recovery levels than diploids. All groups of fish showed a hypoferraemic response, suggesting that the sampling regime was at least partially responsible. However, the response was more rapid and pronounced in the LPS-injected fish. In the latter, serum iron concentrations decreased to very low levels by day 2 post-injection in the diploid fish and by day 3 in the triploid fish. Pre-treatment iron levels were re-established by about 15 days post-injection in all groups. The data show only slight differences between the diploid and triploid fish, but the longer time taken for the triploids to recover complement activity and the slower onset of the hypoferraemic response following injection of LPS, suggest that they may be at a disadvantage compared with their diploid siblings in their defence against bacterial infections.     

Meiotic hybridogenesis in triploid Misgurnus loach derived from a clonal lineage

Triploid loaches Misgurnus anguillicaudatus are derived from unreduced diploid gametes produced by an asexual clonal lineage that normally undergoes gynogenetic reproduction. Here, we have investigated the reproductive system of two types of triploids: the first type carried maternally inherited clonal diploid genomes and a paternally inherited haploid genome from the same population; the second type had the same clonal diploid genomes but a haploid genome from another, genetically divergent population. The germinal vesicles of oocytes from triploid females (3n=75) contained only 25 bivalents, that is, 50 chromosomes. Flow cytometry revealed that the majority of the progeny resulting from fertilization of eggs from triploid females with normal haploid sperm were diploid. This indicates that triploid females mainly produced haploid eggs. Microsatellite analyses of the diploid progeny of triploid females showed that one allele of the clonal genotype was not transmitted to haploid eggs. Moreover, the identity of the eliminated allele differed between the two types of triploids. Our results demonstrate that there is preferential pairing of homologous chromosomes as well as the elimination of unmatched chromosomes in the course of haploid egg formation, that is, meiotic hybridogenesis. Two distinct genomes in the clone suggest its hybrid origin.     

Induction of Gynogenesis in Japanese Crucian Carp (Carassius cuvieri)

Diploid gynogenesis was induced in Japanese crucian carp (Carassius cuvieri) eggs using UV-irradiated genetically inactive spermatozoa from mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) or blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), with or without cold shock. The optimal radiation dosage was 4200 mJ/cm² and 3600 mJ/cm² for mirror carp and blunt snout bream sperm, respectively. At this dosage and without cold shock, the yields were (32.4±3.3)% vs. (33.8±1.4)% gynogenetic haploids and (0.7±0.3)% vs. (0.5±0.3)% hybrid diploids, respectively. At the optimal UV dosage but with cold shock (2 min after fertilization, 0-4°C for 40 min), the hatching rates were (27.8±2.1)% and (29.4±3.3)%, respectively. From hatching to feeding, (15.7±3.4)% and (23.6±4.1)% normal gynogenetic diploids were recorded, respectively. Survival of normal gynogenetic diploids was 56% out of the hatched fry when using irradiated spermatozoa of mirror carp, which was lower than that (up to 80%) when using irradiated spermatozoa of blunt snout bream. This indicated that the sperm of blunt snout bream, with distant genetic relation to the maternal Japanese crucian carp, was more effective than that of mirror carp to induce diploid gynogenesis. The nature of the gynogenetic progeny was identified with external appearance, chromosome number and gonad structure. The presence of only females in gynogenetic progeny probably suggested XX genotype in the female Japanese crucian carp. The gynogenetic diploids have potential values such as faster growth and stronger disease resistance than the normal Japanese crucian carp. All gynogenetic progeny possessed 100 chromosomes whereas all J x B crosses were triploid with 124 chromosomes. The formation of the new triploid hybrids in J x B crosses may be useful in aquaculture.     

Cytological mechanisms of gynogenesis and sperm incorporation in unreduced diploid eggs of the clonal loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Teleostei: Cobitidae)

The loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus comprises diploid clonal, triploid and diploid-triploid mosaic individuals in a wild population on Hokkaido island, Japan. When diploid eggs of clonal loaches are fertilized by haploid sperm of normal bisexual loaches, both diploid clonal and non-diploid aclonal individuals occur in the progeny. Flow cytometry and microsatellite analyses revealed that the occurrence of triploid, diploid-triploid and other progeny was essentially due to the genetic incorporation of sperm to diploid clonal genomes of unreduced eggs. In this study, we examined the influence of water temperature from fertilization to early embryogenesis on frequencies of diploid clonal and other progeny and observed that progeny of three out of four clonal females examined exhibited approximately constant rates of diploid clonal individuals (54.2-68.9%) at hatching stage. Thus, no drastic increase of non-diploid progeny was detected. However, the 28 degrees C group of the fourth clonal female gave significantly lower rate (28.1%) of diploid clonal progeny, suggesting that this temperature might be a critical or a borderline temperature inducing sperm incorporation. We also examined the cytological process by which diploid clonal and other aclonal progeny develop after fertilization. In some fertilized eggs, the sperm nucleus remained condensed throughout fertilization and early embryogenesis and never fused with the female pronucleus. This cytological observation concludes that clonal eggs develop by the mechanism of gynogenesis. However, some other eggs showed the cytological process of syngamy between the female pronucleus and an accidentally formed male nucleus, suggesting the formation of triploid progeny. The syngamy between an accidentally activated sperm nucleus with a male pronucleus-like structure and nucleus of a blastomere of gynogenetically developing clonal diploid embryo might produce a diploid-triploid mosaic individual.     

黄姑鱼三倍体的诱导、鉴定及其性腺发育特征

研究采用冷休克方法诱导黄姑鱼(Nibea albiflora)三倍体并进行鉴定,进一步采用组织学和生殖相关基因表达分析比较了三倍体黄姑鱼的性腺发育特征。研究结果表明:(1)在受精后2.5min以3℃进行10min的冷休克处理,冷休克处理组的受精率和孵化率分别为(70.31±4.49)%和(21.5±6.63)%,其受精率和孵化率显著低于二倍体对照组;(2)经流式细胞仪倍性检测和染色体核型分析发现,三倍体的DNA含量为二倍体的1.5倍,染色体数目为72条,而二倍体的染色体数目为48条,三倍体的比例为100%;(3)三倍体的生殖腺指数显著低于二倍体,进一步通过组织切片观察发现三倍体的精巢和卵巢发育较二倍体滞后,在12月龄时,二倍体精巢和卵巢处于Ⅴ期,而三倍体精巢和卵巢分别处于Ⅲ期和Ⅰ期;(4)三倍体精巢的dmrt1和vasa基因及三倍体卵巢的cyp19a基因表达量均显著低于二倍体(P<0.05);三倍体卵巢的vasa基因表达量也比二倍体低(P>0.05)。综上结果表明:研究通过冷休克处理成功诱导了黄姑鱼三倍体;三倍体的性腺发育较二倍体滞后,育性明显降低。     

从ATPase8-6基因研究杂交多倍体鱼线粒体母性遗传

异源四倍体鲫鲤是世界上首例人工培育的两性可育并形成群体的且能自然繁殖的四倍体鱼。本文采用质粒克隆测序法测定了红鲫、异源四倍体鲫鲤、三倍体湘云鲫和三倍体湘云鲤的ATPase8和ATPase6基因全序列 ,结合鲤鱼、日本白鲫和斑马鱼的同源序列 ,对不同倍性水平鲤科鱼类的ATPase8和ATPase6基因进行了比较 ,分析了碱基组成、变异情况以及核苷酸和氨基酸序列差异。红鲫、鲤鱼、异源四倍体鲫鲤、日本白鲫、三倍体湘云鲫和三倍体湘云鲤之间的序列差异为 0 0 % - 1 3 4 % ,它们与外群斑马鱼之间的序列差异为 2 7 9% -31 0 %。用MEGA软件中的MP法、ME法、NJ法和UPGMA法构建分子系统树 ,得到了相似的拓扑结构。结果分析表明 ,人工杂交多倍体异源四倍体鲫鲤、三倍体湘云鲫和三倍体湘云鲤在线粒体ATPase8和ATPase6基因上具有严格的母性遗传特征。值得注意的是 ,异源四倍体鲫鲤经过 1 1代的繁育后 ,与其原始母本红鲫仍然保持了非常高的同源性 ,说明了新的异源四倍体基因库在线粒体ATPase8和ATPase6基因上拥有稳定的遗传特性。对不同倍性鲤科鱼类线粒体ATPase8和ATPase6基因的研究表明 ,ATPase8和ATPase6基因是杂交鱼后代遗传变异研究的一个很好的分子标记     

Evaluation of the separation of triploid and diploid grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes), by external morphology

The external morphology of diploid and triploid grass carp was studied to determine whether the two types could be separated by differences in external characteristics. In a comparison of 27 measurements, six scale counts and five fin formulae from two stocks of diploid and triploid fish obtained from commercial producers, analysis of covariance and discriminant analysis indicated a classification accuracy of only 65–85%. Clearly, triploid grass carp differentiated by external morphology alone should not be stocked into waters where diploid fish are illegal or would cause management problems.     

Life‐history traits of the Whiting polyploid line of the parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis

In hymenopterans, males are normally haploid (1n) and females diploid (2n), but individuals with divergent ploidy levels are frequently found. In species with ‘complementary sex determination’ (CSD), increasing numbers of diploid males that are often infertile or unviable arise from inbreeding, presenting a major impediment to biocontrol breeding. Non‐CSD species, which are common in some parasitoid wasp taxa, do not produce polyploids through inbreeding. Nevertheless, polyploidy also occurs in non‐CSD Hymenoptera. As a first survey on the impacts of inbreeding and polyploidy of non‐CSD species, we investigate life‐history traits of a long‐term laboratory line of the parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) (‘Whiting polyploid line’) in which polyploids of both sexes (diploid males, triploid females) are viable and fertile. Diploid males produce diploid sperm and virgin triploid females produce haploid and diploid eggs. We found that diploid males did not differ from haploid males with respect to body size, progeny size, mate competition, or lifespan. When diploid males were mated to many females (without accounting for mating order), the females produced a relatively high proportion of male offspring, possibly indicating that these males produce less sperm and/or have reduced sperm functionality. In triploid females, parasitization rate and fecundity were reduced and body size was slightly increased, but there was no effect on lifespan. After one generation of outbreeding, lifespan as well as parasitization rate were increased, and a body size difference was no longer apparent. This suggests that outbreeding has an effect on traits observed in an inbred polyploidy background. Overall, these results indicate some phenotypic detriments of non‐CSD polyploids that must be taken into account in breeding.     

Genetic analysis of offspring from intra‐ and interspecific crosses of Carassius auratus gibelio by chromosome and RAPD analysis

The ploidy of silver crucian carp Carassius auratus gibelio individuals, originating from nine natural habitats of Hungary, was estimated by erythrocyte nucleus area analysis. On the basis of DNA polymorphism, the genetic homogeneity or heterogeneity and the chromosome number of different offspring derived from the crossing of triploid and diploid populations and of two types of silver crucian carp females with other cyprinid males ( Cyprinus carpio, Carassius carassius, Carassius auratus and Barbus conchonius ) were determined. The results of chromosome and RAPD analysis demonstrated that diploid females could reproduce sexually with silver crucian carp and other cyprinid males and that the offspring of intra‐ and interspecific crosses contained the paternal DNA. Triploid females usually reproduced by gynogenesis and their offspring were clones, however, in very rare cases paternal genes were actually transmitted ( i.e . paternal leakage) to the offspring and the progeny were triploid interspecific hybrids. RAPD analysis showed that while the paternal DNA appeared in the offspring, the maternal phenotype was strongly expressed.     

Clonal diploid sperm of the diploid-triploid mosaic loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Teleostei:Cobitidae)

The loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus comprises diploid, triploid and diploid-triploid mosaic individuals in a wild population of the Hokkaido island, Japan. Previous studies revealed the presence of a cryptic clonal lineage among diploid loaches, which is maintained by uniparental reproduction of genetically identical diploid eggs. In the present study, we analyzed distribution and genetic status of diploid and triploid cells in infrequent mosaic males. Flow cytometry, microsatellite genotyping and DNA fingerprinting verified that mosaic males consisted of diploid cells with genotypes identical to the natural clone and triploid cells with diploid genomes of the clonal lineage plus haploid genome from sperm nucleus of the father. Thus, the occurrence of diploid-triploid mosaicism might be caused by accidental fertilization of a diploid blastomere nucleus with haploid sperm after the initiation of clonal development of unreduced eggs. Such mosaic males produced fertile sperm with diploid DNA content. The experimental cross between normal diploid female and diploid-triploid mosaic male gave rise to the appearance of triploid progeny which exhibited two microsatellite alleles identical to the clonal genotype and one allele derived from the normal female. In DNA fingerprinting, such triploid progeny gave not only all the DNA fragments from the clone, but also other fragments from the normal female. Induced androgenesis using UV irradiated eggs and sperm of the mosaic male gave rise to the occurrence of diploid individuals with paternally derived microsatellite genotypes and DNA fingerprints, absolutely identical to the natural clonal lineage. These results conclude that the diploid-triploid mosaic male produced unreduced diploid sperm with genetically identical genotypes. The spermatogenesis in the clonal diploid cells under the mosaic condition suggests that triploid male somatic cells might transform genetically all-female germ cells to differentiate into functionally male gametes. The discovery of the mosaic male producing unreduced sperm suggests the theoretical occurrence of triploids and other polyploids by the syngamy of such paternally derived diploid gametes.     

STABLE DIPLOIDS FROM INTRAGROUP ZYGOSPORES OF CLOSTERIUM EHRENBERGII MENEGH. (CONJUGATOPHYCEAE)1

Two pairs of stable diploid clones were obtained as aberrant forms among F₁ progeny of an intragroup (intraspecific) cross between R-11-4 (mating type +) and M-16-4b (mating type -) of Group A of Closterium ehrenbergii Menegh. Each pair was derived from the two germination products of a single zygospore, and both clones were mating type minus. The cell size range of these four diploid minus clones was considerably above that of normal (haploid) Group A clones. Chromosome counts at the second meiotic metaphase indicated that these clones were diploid with approximately 200 chromosomes, which was double the number for normal Group A clones. Diploid minus clones conjugated normally with any haploid Group A plus clones, and yielded many triploid zygospores. Triploid zygospores germinated normally as did intragroup diploid zygospores. In metaphase I preparations, only bivalents were observed except on a few occasions where some uni- and multivalents were also detected. Viability of F₁ progeny from triploid zygospores (55–74%) was somewhat lower than from diploid zygospores of Japanese Group A populations (65–90%), but higher than intergroup (interspecific) hybrid zygospores from Groups A, B and H (0–12%). In addition to lower viability, some F₁ progeny from triploid zygospores exhibited slow vegetative growth. Almost all pairs of F₁ clones from single triploid zygospores were of opposite mating type, similar to normal diploid zygospores of the intragroup cross. Morphological variability of F₁ progeny of triploid zygospores was great. The apparently normal meiosis of triploid zygospores and the high viability of F₁ progeny suggested that the genome of Group A contains several sets of chromosome complements with mechanisms by which bivalents are regularly formed in the first meiotic division.