Identification of Blue-grained Wheat Translocation Lines Using Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization

The blue-grained wheat substitution line (blue 58) originated from wild hybridization between Triticum aestivum L. and Agropyron elongatum (Host) Beauv= Elytrigia elongatum (Host) Nevski= Thinopyrum ponticum (Host) Barkworth and Dewey (2n=10x=70) was irradiated and four translocation lines were screened by fluorescence in situ hybridization from the offsprings. The results obtained include the following: (1) both the two translocation lines, 9906 and 9902, have 42 chromosomes. The length of the translocated blue-grained segment was approximately one-third of the short-arm and one-half of the long-arm of the translocated wheat chromosome in 9906 and 9902, respectively, and the blue-grained translocated segment in 9902 was located on D genome; (2) both 9915 and 9904 have 44 chromosomes. One pair of chromosomes was translocated and two chromosomes from Th. ponticum were added in 9903, while two pairs of chromosomes were translocated in 9904 by blue-grained wheat segment. The location and application of blue-grained wheat translocation lines were discussed.     

Utilization of blue-grained character in wheat breeding derived from Thinopyrum poticum

The blue grain trait in common wheat （Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD）, which is caused by blue pigments in the aleurone layer, was originally derived from the tall wheatgrass （Thinopyrum ponticum Liu ＆ Wang = Agropyron elongatum, 2n = 10x = 70, StStStStEeEeEbEbEXEx） during chromosome engineering research. Over the last few decades, there have been continued interests in the genetic mechanism of this blue coloration and the practical utilization of the blue aleurone character as a phenotypic marker. This article reviews the research history and the recent progress of the studies on blue-grained wheat, with emphases on genetic and biochemical analysis and practical applications of blue-grained wheat.     

应用基因组原位杂交鉴定蓝粒小麦及其诱变后代

应用基因组原位杂交技术（GISH）对普通小麦（Triticum aestivumL.)和长穗偃麦草[Agropyron elongatum(Host)Beauv,2n=10x=70]杂交后选育出的蓝粒小麦蓝-58及其诱变后代的染色体组成进行了鉴定。结果表明,GISH可方便地检测到小麦遗传背景中的长穗偃麦草染色体或易位的片段。如前人报道,蓝-58（2n=42)是一个具有2条长穗偃麦草4E染色体的异代换系（4E/4D）。LW004可能是一个具有两对相互易位染色体的纯合系,其田间表现磷高效特性,LW43-3-4为41条染色体的蓝单体（40W 1’4E）,种子颜色为浅蓝色,通过此法还检测出一些染色体结构发生很大变异的材料如4E的单端体（40W 1‘4E),种子颜色为浅蓝色,通过此法还检测出一些染色结构发生很大变异的材料如4E的单端体（40W 1‘t4E)以及组型为39W 1‘4E 1‘t4E的个体,此项研究结果更为直观地表明控制蓝粒体状的基因的确在来自长穗偃麦草的染色体上。同时说明有效的突变方法与灵活方便的检测手段的有机结合在染色体工程材料的创制和染色体工程育种中起着至关重要的作用。     

Physical localization of a novel blue-grained gene derived from Thinopyrum bessarabicum

Blue wheat grain contains different groups of pigments that can be used for making specialty foods or as food colorants. Thinopyrum bessarabicum, a wild relative of wheat, carries a blue-grained gene on chromosome 4J. In this study, we analyzed the mitotic chromosomes of 159 F7 lines derived from the cross between Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS) and a CS–Th. bessarabicum amphiploid by using multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization, genomic in situ hybridization, and newly developed chromosome 4J-specific DNA markers. Intact chromosome 4J and various 4J chromosomal segments were identified in the 159 lines. The blue-grained gene of Th. bessarabicum was physically localized to the region between the centromere and FL0.52 on chromosome arm 4JL. The chromosomal location of this gene differed from the location of previously reported blue-grained genes. In addition, a strong dosage effect was observed with this gene. These results suggest that the blue-grained gene in Th. bessarabicum represents a novel gene locus for blue aleurone, designated BaThb. The wheat lines and 4J chromosome-specific molecular markers developed in this study will facilitate the introgression and utilization of BaThb for wheat nutritional quality improvement.     

The transfer and characterization of resistance to common root rot from Thinopyrum ponticum to wheat.

Common root rot, caused by Cochliobolus sativus (Ito and Kurib) Drechs. ex Dastur, is a major soil-borne disease of spring and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.) on the Canadian prairies. Resistance to common root rot from Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Liu and Wang was transferred into wheat via crossing with Agrotana, a resistant wheat - Th. ponticum partial amphiploid line. Evaluation of common root rot reactions showed that selected advanced lines with blue kernel color derived from a wheat x Agrotana cross expressed more resistance than the susceptible T. aestivum 'Chinese Spring' parent and other susceptible wheat check cultivars. Cytological examination revealed 41 to 44 chromosomes in the advanced lines. Genomic in situ hybridization, using total genomic DNA from Pseudoroegneria strigosa (M. Bieb) A. L?ve (St genome) as a probe, demonstrated that the blue kernel plants had two pairs of spontaneously translocated J-Js and Js-J chromosomes derived from the J and Js genome of Th. ponticum. The presence of these translocated chromosomes was associated with increased resistance of wheat to common root rot. The lines with blue aleurone color always had a subcentromeric Js-J translocated chromosome. The subtelocentric J-Js translocated chromosome was not responsible for the blue kernel color. The genomic in situ hybridization analysis on meiosis revealed that the two spontaneous translocations were not reciprocal translocations.     

蓝粒小麦花青素生物合成途径中的二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶基因的分子克隆

蓝色色素在蓝粒小麦种子糊粉层中的生物合成途径的分子生物学机制至今仍不清楚.应用RT-PCR和RACE方法从蓝粒小麦正在发育的种子中克隆到一个编码二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶的基因(DFR).推测其为花青素生物合成途径中的一个关键基因,且与蓝粒小麦中蓝色色素形成密切相关;其开放阅读框编码一个包含354个氨基酸残基的多肽,与一些从其他植物中已克隆到的DFR有很高的同源性:大麦(94%)、水稻(83%)、玉米(84%).从长穗偃麦草(2n=70)、蓝粒小麦、浅蓝粒小麦自交产生的白粒后代小麦以及中国春的基因组中分别分离到一个全长DFR序列.经聚类分析表明DFR cDNA核甘酸序列与从中国春基因组中克隆的DFR具有100%的同源性,且与长穗偃麦草、蓝粒小麦、白粒小麦基因组中分离的DFR均有很高的同源性.4个DFR基因组DNA均含有3个内含子,且它们之间的差异主要在内含子区,表明该基因在进化上很保守.经Southern杂交分析,DFR在小麦中至少有3～5个拷贝,不同小麦材料间未见明显差异,但与长穗偃麦草有明显差异,属于一个DFR超基因家族.Northern分析表明该DFR在蓝粒和白粒种子的不同发育时期的表达存在明显差异,都在开花后大约18 d表达最强,在同一时期的蓝白种子中,DFR在蓝粒种子中的表达量高于白粒.DFR转录本在小麦和长穗偃麦草的幼叶中积累多,但在芽鞘中的表达显著低于幼叶中;在小麦的根和长穗偃麦草的发育种子中均未检测到DFR的表达.推测蓝粒小麦中可能存在调控DFR在蓝粒小麦中表达的调控基因,类似于玉米花青素合成途径中的调节基因.     

蓝粒小麦花青素生物合成途径中的二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶基因的分子克隆

蓝色色素在蓝粒小麦种子糊粉层中的生物合成途径的分子生物学机制至今仍不清楚。应用RT—PCR和RACE方法从蓝粒小麦正在发育的种子中克隆到一个编码二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶的基因(DFR)。推测其为花青素生物合成途径中的一个关键基因,且与蓝粒小麦中蓝色色素形成密切相关;其开放阅读框编码一个包含354个氨基酸残基的多肽,与一些从其他植物中已克隆到的DFR有很高的同源性：大麦(94％)、水稻(83％)、玉米(84％)。从长穗偃麦草(2n=70)、蓝粒小麦、浅蓝粒小麦自交产生的白粒后代小麦以及中国春的基因组中分别分离到一个全长DFR序列。经聚类分析表明DFR cDNA核甘酸序列与从中国春基因组中克隆的DFR具有100％的同源性,且与长穗偃麦草、蓝粒小麦、白粒小麦基因组中分离的DFR均有很高的同源性。4个DFR基因组DNA均含有3个内含子,且它们之间的差异主要在内含子区,表明该基因在进化上很保守。经Southern杂交分析,DFR小麦中至少有3-5个拷贝,不同小麦材料间未见明显差异,但与长穗偃麦草有明显差异,属于一个DFR超基因家族。Northern分析表明该DFR在蓝粒和白粒种子的不同发育时期的表达存在明显差异,都在开花后大约18d表达最强,在同一时期的蓝白种子中,DFR蓝粒种子中的表达量高于白粒。DFR转录本在小麦和长穗偃麦草的幼叶中积累多,但在芽鞘中的表达显著低于幼叶中;在小麦的根和长穗偃麦草的发育种子中均未检测到DFR的表达。推测蓝粒小麦中可能存在调控DFR在蓝粒小麦中表达的调控基因,类似于玉米花青素合成途径中的调节基因。     

蓝粒小麦易位系的荧光原位杂交鉴定

普通小麦（Triticum aestivum L.)和长穗偃麦草（Agropyron elongatum (Host)Beauv=Elytriga elongatum(Host)Nevski=Thinopyrum ponticum (Host)Barkworth and Dewey,2n=10x=70)杂交后选育出的蓝粒小麦异代换系（蓝５８）,２n=42其中９９０６中被易位蓝粒片段的相对长度约占易位小麦染色体短臂的１／３,而９９０２中被易位蓝粒片段的相对长度约占易位小麦染色体长臂的１／２,并将９９０２的蓝粒易位片段定位在小麦Ｄ组染色体上;（２）９９１５易位附加和９９０４易位－易位附加,其体细胞染色体数均为４４,其中９９１５的体细胞染色体只有一对发生了易位,另外队了两条长穗偃麦草染色体;而９９０４有两对染色体发生了易位,并易位系中控制蓝粒性状的长穗偃麦草染色体片段的定位和蓝粒小麦易位系的应用进行了讨论。     

Cytological and molecular characterization of a Triticum aestivum x Lophopyrum ponticum backcross derivative resistant to barley yellow dwarf.

Barley yellow dwarf is the most damaging virus-caused disease in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A resistant line, SW335.1.2-13-11-1-5 (2n = 47), derived from a cross of T. aestivum x Lophopyrum ponticum was characterized by meiotic chromosome pairing, by in situ DNA hybridization and by expression of molecular markers to determine its chromosome constitution. All progeny of this line had three pairs of L. ponticum chromosomes from homoeologous chromosome groups 3, 5, and 6 and the 2n = 47 progeny had an additional L. ponticum monosome. The pairs from groups 3 and 6 were in the added state, while the group 5 pair was substituted for wheat chromosome 5D. Several wheat-wheat translocations with respect to the parental wheat genotype occurred in this line, presumably owing to the promotion of homoeologous chromosome pairing by L. ponticum chromosomes. It was hypothesized that homoeologous recombination results in homoeologous duplication-deletions in wheat chromosomes. An aberrant 3:1 disjunction creates the potential at each meiosis for replacement of these wheat chromosomes by homoeologous L. ponticum chromosomes. Wheat chromosomes 3A and 6A appeared to be in intermediate stages of this substitution process.     

Physical mapping of the blue-grained gene from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thinopyrum ponticum</Emphasis> chromosome 4Ag and development of blue-grain-related molecular markers and a FISH probe based on SLAF-seq technology

Key message

A Thinopyrum ponticum chromosome 4Ag physical map was constructed, the blue-grained gene was localized, and related specific markers and a FISH probe were developed by SLAF-seq.

Abstract

Decaploid Thinopyrum ponticum (2n?=?10x?=?70) serves as an important gene pool for wheat improvement. The wheat-Th. ponticum 4Ag (4D) disomic substitution line Blue 58, derived from a distant hybridization between Th. ponticum and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), bears blue coloration in the aleurone layer. To map the blue-grained gene, eight wheat-Th. ponticum 4Ag translocation lines with different chromosomal segment sizes were obtained from Blue 58 using ⁶⁰Co-γ ray irradiation and were characterized using cytogenetic and molecular marker analysis. A small-segment blue-grained wheat translocation line L13, accounting for one-fifth of 4AgL, was obtained. A physical map of chromosome 4Ag was constructed containing 573 specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) markers, including three bins with 223 markers on 4AgS and eight bins with 350 markers on 4AgL. The blue-grained gene in three blue-grained translocation lines L5, L9, and L13, was located on bin 4AgL-6 with FL 0.75–0.89. Moreover, 89 blue-grain-related molecular markers and one fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe, pThp12.19, were identified in this bin. The newly developed translocation lines and the molecular markers and FISH probe will facilitate the application of the Th. ponticum-origin blue-grained characteristic in wheat breeding.

     

Selection and identification of a spontaneous alien chromosome translocation in wheat

A wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend Thell) disomic addition line (2n = 6x = 44), SH1–152–2, with a pair of Elytrigia pontica (Podp.) Holub 2n = 10x = 70 [syn. Agropyron elongatum (Host) P.B.] chromosomes controlling blue aleurone color was crossed with a short-statured spring wheat `Sonora 64' (T. aestivum). Isoline pairs of blue-disomic addition lines and nonblue euploid lines were produced by selecting plants segregating for blue aleurone for 12 generations. Nineteen of 20 blue aleurone lines were 2n = 44 addition lines, and one had 2n = 42 chromosomes. Several lines of evidence showed that this line had a spontaneous translocation in which the β arm of wheat chromosome 4A was replaced by an Elytrigia chromosome arm carrying the blue aleurone gene. The Elytrigia chromosome in SH1–152–2 appeared to be homologous with E. pontica chromosome 4el₁, which also carries the blue aleurone gene. It was concluded that the spontaneous translocation originated from simultaneous misdivision of univalents and subsequent reunion at the centromere of chromosome arm 4Aα with the Elytrigia chromosome arm.     

Characterization of six wheat x Thinopyrum intermedium derivatives by GISH, RFLP, and multicolor GISH.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and multicolor genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) are useful tools to precisely characterize genetic stocks derived from crosses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) with Thinopyrum intermedium and Thinopyrum elongatum. The wheat x Th. intermedium derived stocks designated Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, and Z6 were initially screened by multicolor GISH using Aegilops speltoides genomic DNA for blocking and various combinations of genomic DNA from Th. intermedium, Triticum urartu, and Aegilops tauschii for probes. The probing (GISH) results indicated that lines Z1 and Z3 were alien disomic addition lines with chromosome numbers of 2n = 44. Z2 was a substitution line in which chromosome 2D was substituted by a pair of Th. intermedium chromosomes; this was confirmed by RFLP and muticolour GISH. Z4 (2n = 44) contained two pairs of wheat--Th. intermedium translocated chromosomes; one pair involved A-genome chromosomes, the other involved D- and A- genome chromosomes. Z5 (2n = 44) contained one pair of wheat--Th. intermedium translocated chromosomes involving the D- and A-genome chromosomes of wheat. Z6 (2n = 44) contained one pair of chromosomes derived from Th. intermedium plus another pair of translocated chromosomes involving B-genome chromosomes of wheat Line Z2 was of special interest because it has some resistance to infection by Fusarium graminearum.     

Molecular characterization of a wheat--Thinopyrum ponticum partial amphiploid and its derivatives for resistance to leaf rust.

Leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.) occurs annually in most wheat-growing areas of the world. Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Z.-W. Liu & R.-C. Wang has provided several leaf rust resistance genes to protect wheat from this fungal disease. Three chromosome substitution lines, Ji806, Ji807, and Ji859, and two chromosome addition lines, Ji791 and Ji924, with a winter growing habit were developed from crosses between wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.) and the wheat - Th. ponticum partial amphiploid line 693. These lines were resistant to leaf rust isolates from China. Sequence-tagged site (STS) analysis with the J09-STS marker, which is linked to the gene Lr24, revealed that the partial amphiploid line 693 and all of the substitution and addition lines carried gene Lr24. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis was carried out on chromosome preparations using total genomic DNA from Pseudoroegneria strigosa (M. Bieb) A. L?ve (St genome, 2n = 14) as a probe in the presence of total genomic DNA from T. aestivum 'Chinese Spring' wheat (ABD genomes, 2n = 42). The GISH analysis demonstrated that these lines had a pair of chromosomes displaying the typical pattern of a Js genome chromosome. This indicates that the chromosome that carries gene Lr24 belonged to the Js genome of Th. ponticum. In addition to 40 wheat chromosomes, eight Js and eight J genome chromosomes were also differentiated by GISH in the partial amphiploid line 693. Since most sources of Lr24 have a red grain color, the white-colored seeds in all of these substitution and addition lines, together with high protein content in some of the lines, make them very useful as a donor source for winter wheat breeding programs.     

普通小麦与长穗偃麦草杂种及其衍生材料的细胞遗传学特性

对十倍体长穗偃麦草(Thinopyrum ponticum)与普通小麦杂交F1及其与普通小麦回交BC1F1的形态学和细胞学特性进行了分析。结果表明,长穗偃麦草与普通小麦‘兰考矮早八’衍生F1(‘兰考小偃麦’)的根尖细胞染色体数为56条;花粉母细胞减数分裂中期Ⅰ染色体构型平均值为19.81Ⅰ+15.78Ⅱ+0.75Ⅲ+0.59Ⅳ;基因组荧光原位杂交(GISH)显示,兰考小偃麦中含有35条完整的长穗偃麦草和21条小麦染色体。‘兰考小偃麦’/‘科育818’和‘兰考小偃麦’/‘Cp02-3-5-5’杂交F1的根尖细胞染色体数及其所遗传的长穗偃麦草染色体数分别为50~52和16~22条,且存在染色体易位;花粉母细胞减数分裂中期Ⅰ平均染色体构型为14.54Ⅰ+17.40Ⅱ+0.55Ⅲ+0.14Ⅳ,平均49.4%的细胞出现多价体(三价体或四价体)。这些材料为创造小麦-长穗偃麦草新种质奠定了基础。     

Detection of alien chromosomes from S-genome species in the addition/substitution lines of bread wheat and visualization of A-, B- and D-genomes by GISH

A modified approach based on the GISH technique for detecting introgressed chromosomes/chromosome arms from closely related S-genome species to wheat genome and for visualization of A-, B- and D-genomes of Triticum aestivum L. (genome AABBDD, 2n = 6x = 42) is presented. For detecting alien chromosomes we investigated two lines of bread wheat, one is an addition line with a pair of chromosome No. 4 short arms from Aegilops searsii (4SsS) and a wheat substitution line with a pair of chromosomes No. 6 from Ae. longissima (6S1). A hybridization mixture consists of two differently labelled DNAs, one from the line used for chromosome spread preparations, and the second from origin species of alien chromosomes. The latter adds different color in the regions of its hybridization showing the presence of alien chromosomes by creating a strong and easily detected combined signal. For discriminating A-, B-, and D-genome chromosomes, the hybridization mixture of differently labelled total DNA from Ae. tauschii--the proposed progenitor of D-genome (detected red) and T. dicoccoides (genome AABB) (detected green) were used. The high temperature of hybridization allows high precision annealing of chromosome/probe sequences and at the same time it sharpens differences between reassociation kinetics of eu- and heterochromatin revealing chromosome substructure. A pre-annealing step increases probe specificity. As a result, we observed brown chromosomes of A-genome, banded green chromosomes of B-genome and red chromosomes of D-genome. Inter genomic invasion of the sequences from A/B-genomes to D-genome has been detected.     

Production of wheat-rye substitution lines and identification of chromosome composition of karyotypes using C-banding, GISH, and SSR markers

Based on the cross (Triticum aestivum L. x Secale cereale L.) x T. aestivum L., wheat-rye substitution lines (2n = 42) were produced with karyotypes containing, instead of a pair of homologous wheat chromosomes, a homeologous pair of rye chromosomes. The chromosome composition of these lines was described by GISH and C-banding methods, and SSR analysis. The results of genomic in situ hybridization demonstrated that karyotype of these lines included one pair of rye chromosomes each and lacked wheat--rye translocations. C-banding and SSR markers were used to identify rye chromosomes and determine the wheat chromosomes at which the substitution occurred. The lines were designated 1R(1D), 2R(2D)2, 2R(2D)3, 3R(3B), 6R(6A)2. The chromosome composition of lines IR(1A), 2R(W)1, 5R(W), 5R(5A), and 6R(W)1, which were earlier obtained according to the same scheme for crossing, was characterized using methods of telocentric analysis, GISH, C-banding, and SSR analysis. These lines were identified as 1R(1A), 2R(2D)1, 5R(5D), 5R(5A), and 6R(6A)1, C-banding of chromosomes belonging to line 1R(1A) revealed the presence of two translocated chromosomes (3DS.3DL-del. and 4AL.W) during simultaneous amplification of SSR markers located on 3DL and 4AS arms. The "combined" long arm of the newly derived chromosome 4A is assumed to be formed from the long arm of chromosome 4AS itself and a deleted segment 3DL. All examined lines are cytologically stable, except for 3R(3B), which does not affect the stability of rye 3R chromosome transfer. Chromosome identification and classification of the lines will permit them to be models for genetic studies that can be used thereafter as promising "secondary gene pools" for the purpose of plant breeding.     

小偃麦附加系Z1和Z2中外源染色体2Ai-2的结构组成

小偃麦附加系Z1和Z2中外源染色体2Ai-2的结构组成@张增燕$中国农业科学院作物育种栽培研究所!北京100081@辛志勇$中国农业科学院作物育种栽培研究所!北京100081@陈孝$中国农业科学院作物育种栽培研究所!北京100081小偃麦;;附加系;;染色体     

用顺序GISH-FISH 技术鉴定小麦-中间偃麦草小片段易位系

利用顺序基因组-重复序列原位杂交技术对1个来自中3不育系和普通小麦恢75杂种后代稳定株系H96276-2的染色体组成进行了分析。以中间偃麦草（Agropyronintermedium）基因组DNA为探针的荧光原位杂交结果表明,H96276-2的体细胞中有42条染色体,包括20对小麦染色体和1对小麦-中间偃麦草易位染色体,中间偃麦草染色体的易位片段位于1对小麦染色体的端部。进而用重复序列探针pSc119进行第2次荧光原位杂交,证明H96276-2中的中间偃麦草染色体易位片段位于小麦2B染色体的短臂上。     

Construction and molecular and cytogenetic analyses of euploid (2n = 42) and telocentric addition (2n = 42 + 2t) alloplasmic lines (Hordeum marinum subsp gussoneanum)-Triticum aestivum

Individual plants from the BC1F5 and BC1F6 backcross progenies of barley--wheat (= H. geniculatum All.) (2n = 28) x T. aestivum L. (2n = 42)] and the BC1F6 progeny of their amphiploids were used to obtain alloplasmic euploid (2n = 42) lines L-28, L-29, and L-49 and alloplasmic telocentric addition (2n = 42 + 2t) lines L-37, L-38, and L-50. The lines were examined by genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), microsatellite analysis, chromosome C-banding, and PCR analysis of the mitochondrial 18S/5S repeat. Lines L-29 and L-49 were characterized by substitution of wild barley chromosome 7H1 for common wheat chromosome 7D. In line L-49, common wheat chromosomes 1B, 5D, and 7D were substituted with homeologous barley chromosomes. Lines L-37, L-38, and L-50 each contained a pair of telocentric chromosomes, which corresponded to barley chromosome arm 7H'L. All lines displayed heteroplasmy for the mitochondrial 18S/5S locus; i.e., both barley and wheat sequences were found.     

Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analyses of Thinopyrum intermedium, its partial amphiploid Zhong 5, and disease-resistant derivatives in wheat

Genomic in situhybridization (GISH) to root-tip cells at mitotic metaphase, using genomic DNA probes from Thinopyrum intermedium and Pseudoroegneria strigosa, was used to examine the genomic constitution of Th. intermedium, the 56-chromosome partial amphiploid to wheat called Zhong 5 and disease-resistant derivatives of Zhong 5, in a wheat background. Evidence from GISH indicated that Th. intermedium contained seven pairs of St, seven J^S and 21 J chromosomes; three pairs of Th. intermedium chromosomes with satellites in their short arms belonging to the St, J, J genomes and homoeologous groups 1, 1, and 5 respectively. GISH results using different materials and different probes showed that seven pairs of added Th. intermedium chromosomes in Zhong 5 included three pairs of St chromosomes, two pairs of J^S chromosomes and two pairs of St-J^S reciprocal tanslocation chromosomes. A pair of chromosomes, which substituted a pair of wheat chromosomes in Yi 4212 and in HG 295 and was added to 21 pairs of wheat chromosomes in the disomic additions Z1, Z2 and Z6, conferred BYDV-resistance and was identical to a pair of St-J^S tanslocation chromosomes (StJ^S) in Zhong 5. The StJ^S chromosome had a special GISH signal pattern and could be easily distinguished from other added chromosomes in Zhong 5; it has not yet been possible to locate the BYDV-resistant gene(s) of this translocated chromosome either in the St chromosome portion belonging to homoeologous group 2 or in the J^S chromosome portion whose homoeologous group relationship is still uncertain. Among 22 chromosome pairs in disomic addition line Z3, the added chromosome pair had satellites and belonged to the St genome and homoeologous group 1. Disomic addition line Z4 carried a pair of added chromosomes which was composed of a group-7 J^S chromosome translocated with a wheat chromosome; this chromosome was different to 7 Ai-1, but was identical to 7 Ai-2. The leaf rust and stem rust resistance genes were located in the distal region of the long arm, whereas the stripe rust resistance gene(s) was located in the short arm or in the proximal region of the long arm of 7 Ai-2. A pair of J^S-wheat translocation chromosomes, which originated from the WJ^S chromosomes in Z4, was added to the disomic addition line Z5; the added chromosomes of Z5 carried leaf and stem rust resistance but not stripe rust resistance; Z5 is a potentially useful source for rust resistance genes in wheat breeding and for cloning these novel rust-resistant genes. GISH analysis using the St genome as a probe has proved advantageous in identifying alien Th. intermedium in wheat. Received: 17 May 1999 / Accepted: 22 June 1999