Differences in Zinc Efficiency among and within Diploid, Tetraploid and Hexaploid Wheats

Greenhouse experiments were carried out with six diploid, ninetetraploid and seven hexaploid wheats, including wild and primitivegenotypes, to study the influence of varied zinc (Zn) supplyon the severity of Zn deficiency symptoms, shoot dry matterproduction and shoot Zn concentrations. In addition to wildand primitive genotypes, one modern tetraploid cultivar withhigh sensitivity to Zn deficiency and two modern hexaploid cultivars,one highly sensitive to and one resistant to Zn deficiency,were included for comparison. Plants were grown for 44 d ina severely Zn-deficient calcareous soil, with (+Zn; 5 mg Znkg^-1soil) and without (-Zn) Zn fertilization. Visible Zn deficiencysymptoms, including whitish-brown necrotic patches on leaf blades,appeared very rapidly and severely in all tetraploid wheat genotypes.Compared with tetraploid wheats, diploid and hexaploid wheatswere less sensitive to Zn deficiency. With additional Zn, shootdry matter production was higher in tetraploid than diploidand hexaploid wheats. However, under Zn-deficient conditionstetraploid wheats had the lowest shoot dry matter production,indicating the very high sensitivity of tetraploid wheats toZn deficiency. Consequently, Zn efficiency expressed as theratio of shoot dry matter produced under Zn deficiency to Znfertilization, was much lower in tetraploid wheats than in diploidand hexaploid wheats. On average, Zn efficiency ratios were36% for tetraploid, 60% for diploid and 64% for hexaploid wheats.Differences in Zn efficiency among and within diploid, tetraploidand hexaploid wheats were positively related to the amount ofZn per shoot of the genotypes, but not to the amount of Zn perunit dry weight of shoots or seeds used in the experiments.The seeds of the accessions of tetraploid wild wheats containedup to 120 mg Zn kg^-1, but the resulting plants showed very highsensitivity to Zn deficiency. By contrast, hexaploid wheatsand primitive diploid wheats with much lower Zn concentrationsin seeds had higher Zn efficiencies. It is suggested that notonly enhanced Zn uptake capacity but also enhanced internalZn utilization capacity of genotypes play important roles indifferential expression of Zn efficiency. The results of thisstudy also suggest the importance of the A and D genomes asthe possible source of genes determining Zn efficiency in wheat.Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Seeds, Triticum aestivum, Triticum monococcum, Triticum turgidum, zinc concentrations, zinc deficiency, zinc efficiency.     

Exploring the diploid wheat ancestral A genome through sequence comparison at the high-molecular-weight glutenin locus region

The polyploid nature of hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum, AABBDD) often represents a great challenge in various aspects of research including genetic mapping, map-based cloning of important genes, and sequencing and accurately assembly of its genome. To explore the utility of ancestral diploid species of polyploid wheat, sequence variation of T. urartu (A^uA^u) was analyzed by comparing its 277-kb large genomic region carrying the important Glu-1 locus with the homologous regions from the A genomes of the diploid T. monococcum (A^mA^m), tetraploid T. turgidum (AABB), and hexaploid T. aestivum (AABBDD). Our results revealed that in addition to a high degree of the gene collinearity, nested retroelement structures were also considerably conserved among the A^u genome and the A genomes in polyploid wheats, suggesting that the majority of the repetitive sequences in the A genomes of polyploid wheats originated from the diploid A^u genome. The difference in the compared region between A^u and A is mainly caused by four differential TE insertion and two deletion events between these genomes. The estimated divergence time of A genomes calculated on nucleotide substitution rate in both shared TEs and collinear genes further supports the closer evolutionary relationship of A to A^u than to A^m. The structure conservation in the repetitive regions promoted us to develop repeat junction markers based on the A^u sequence for mapping the A genome in hexaploid wheat. Eighty percent of these repeat junction markers were successfully mapped to the corresponding region in hexaploid wheat, suggesting that T. urartu could serve as a useful resource for developing molecular markers for genetic and breeding studies in hexaploid wheat.     

Phytosiderophore release in Aegilops tauschii and Triticum species under zinc and iron deficiencies.

Using three diploid (Triticum monococcum, AA), three tetraploid (Triticum turgidum, BBAA), two hexaploid (Triticum aestivum and Triticum compactum, BBAADD) wheats and two Aegilops tauschii (DD) genotypes, experiments were carried out under controlled environmental conditions in nutrient solution (i) to study the relationships between the rates of phytosiderophore (PS) release from the roots and the tolerance of diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid wheats and AE: tauschii to zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiencies, and (ii) to assess the role of different genomes in PS release from roots under different regimes of Zn and Fe supply. Phytosiderophores released from roots were determined both by measurement of Cu mobilized from a Cu-loaded resin and identification by using HPLC analysis. Compared to tetraploid wheats, diploid and hexaploid wheats were less affected by Zn deficiency as judged from the severity of leaf symptoms. Aegilops tauschii showed very slight Zn deficiency symptoms possibly due to its slower growth rate. Under Fe-deficient conditions, all wheat genotypes used were similarly chlorotic; however, development of chlorosis was first observed in tetraploid wheats. Correlation between PS release rate determined by Cu-mobilization test and HPLC analysis was highly significant. According to HPLC analysis, all genotypes of Triticum and AE: tauschii species released only one PS, 2'-deoxymugineic acid, both under Fe and Zn deficiency. Under Zn deficiency, rates of PS release in tetraploid wheats averaged 1 micromol x (30 plants)(-1) x (3 h)(-1), while in hexaploid wheats rate of PS release was around 14 micromol x (30 plants)(-1) x (3 h)(-1). Diploid wheats and AE: tauschii accessions behaved similarly in their capacity to release PS and intermediate between tetraploid and hexaploid wheats regarding the PS release capacity. All Triticum and Aegilops species released more PS under Fe than Zn deficiency, particularly when the rate of PS release was expressed per unit dry weight of roots. On average, the rates of PS release under Fe deficiency were 3.0, 5.7, 8.4, and 16 micromol x (30 plants)(-1) x (3 h)(-1) for AE: tauschii, diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats, respectively. The results of the present study show that the PS release mechanism in wheat is expressed effectively when three genomes, A, B and D, come together, indicating complementary action of the corresponding genes from A, B and D genomes to activate biosynthesis and release of PS.     

Dryland Wheat Domestication Changed the Development of Aboveground Architecture for a Well-Structured Canopy

We examined three different-ploidy wheat species to elucidate the development of aboveground architecture and its domesticated mechanism under environment-controlled field conditions. Architecture parameters including leaf, stem, spike and canopy morphology were measured together with biomass allocation, leaf net photosynthetic rate and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE_i). Canopy biomass density was decreased from diploid to tetraploid wheat, but increased to maximum in hexaploid wheat. Population yield in hexaploid wheat was higher than in diploid wheat, but the population fitness and individual competition ability was higher in diploid wheats. Plant architecture was modified from a compact type in diploid wheats to an incompact type in tetraploid wheats, and then to a more compact type of hexaploid wheats. Biomass accumulation, population yield, harvest index and the seed to leaf ratio increased from diploid to tetraploid and hexaploid, associated with heavier specific internode weight and greater canopy biomass density in hexaploid and tetraploid than in diploid wheat. Leaf photosynthetic rate and WUE_i were decreased from diploid to tetraploid and increased from tetraploid to hexaploid due to more compact leaf type in hexaploid and diploid than in tetraploid. Grain yield formation and WUE_i were closely associated with spatial stance of leaves and stems. We conclude that the ideotype of dryland wheats could be based on spatial reconstruction of leaf type and further exertion of leaf photosynthetic rate.     

Heterochronic development of the floret meristem determines grain number per spikelet in diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats

Background and Aims

The inflorescence of grass species such as wheat, rice and maize consists of a unique reproductive structure called the spikelet, which is comprised of one, a few, or several florets (individual flowers). When reproductive growth is initiated, the inflorescence meristem differentiates a spikelet meristem as a lateral branch; the spikelet meristem then produces a floret meristem as a lateral branch. Interestingly, in wheat, the number of fertile florets per spikelet is associated with ploidy level: one or two florets in diploid, two or three in tetraploid, and more than three in hexaploid wheats. The objective of this study was to identify the mechanisms that regulate the architecture of the inflorescence in wheat and its relationship to ploidy level.

Methods

The floral anatomy of diploid (Triticum monococcum), tetraploid (T. turgidum ssp. durum) and hexaploid (T. aestivum) wheat species were investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy to describe floret development and to clarify the timing of the initiation of the floret primordia. In situ hybridization analysis using Wknox1, a wheat knotted1 orthologue, was performed to determine the patterning of meristem formation in the inflorescence.

Key Results

The recessive natural mutation of tetraploid (T. turgidum ssp. turgidum) wheat, branching head (bh), which produces branched inflorescences, was used to demonstrate the utility of Wknox1 as a molecular marker for meristematic tissue. Then an analysis of Wknox1 expression was performed in diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats and heterochronic development of the floret meristems was found among these wheat species.

Conclusions

It is shown that the difference in the number of floret primordia in diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats is caused by the heterochronic initiation of floret meristem development from the spikelet meristem.Key words: Triticum, wheat, inflorescence, spikelet, floret, meristem, heterochrony, heterochronic development, knotted1, polyploidy     

Drought-Stress-Induced Changes in Activities of Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, and Peroxidase in Wheat Species

Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), andperoxidase (POD), as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) contentsand solute potentials, were studied in seedlings of seven wheat(Triticum) species (nine genotypes representing three ploidylevels: hexaploid, tetraploid, diploid) subjected to water stressfor 4, 8, and 12 days by withholding water. Solute potentialsof all genotypes were lowered by water stress. In most species,SOD and CAT activities showed an increase or maintenance inthe early phase of drought and then a decrease with furtherincrease in magnitude of water stress. On the contrary, PODactivities and MDA contents greatly increased in response towater stress. Enzymatic activities partly recovered and MDAcontents decreased with rewatering. Under drought, hexaploidwheats had higher POD activities and MDA contents than tetraploidand diploid wheats; solute potentials and activities of SODand CAT, however, were similar among the three groups. Theseresults suggest that water stress alters the equilibrium betweenfree radical production and enzymatic defense reactions in wheatspecies and that hexaploid wheats have less efficient antioxidantsystems (e.g., the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and the nonenzymaticsystem) than tetraploid and diploid wheats. (Received February 9, 1994; Accepted April 22, 1994)     

Heterochromatin differentiation and phylogenetic relationship of the A genomes in diploid and polyploid wheats

Summary Heterochromatin differentiation, including band size, sites, and Giemsa staining intensity, was analyzed by the HKG (HCl-KOH-Giemsa) banding technique in the A genomes of 21 diploid (Triticum urartu, T. boeoticum and T. monococcum), 13 tetraploid (T. araraticum, T. timopheevi, T. dicoccoides and T. turgidum var. Dicoccon, Polonicum), and 7 cultivars of hexaploid (T. aestivum) wheats from different germplasm collections. Among wild and cultivated diploid taxa, heterochromatin was located mainly at centromeric regions, but the size and staining intensity were distinct and some accessions' genomes had interstitial and telomeric bands. Among wild and cultivated polyploid wheats, heterochromatin exhibited bifurcated differentiation. Heterochromatinization occurred in chromosomes 4A^t and 7A^t and in smaller amounts in 2A^t, 3A^t, 5A^t, and 6A^t within the genomes of the tetraploid Timopheevi group (T. araraticum, and T. timopheevi) and vice versa within those of the Emmer group (T. dicoccoides and T. turgidum). Similar divergence patterns occurred among chromosome 4A^a and 7A^a of cultivars of hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum). These dynamic processes could be related to geographic distribution and to natural and artifical selection. Comparison of the A genomes of diploid wheats with those of polyploid wheats shows that the A genomes in existing diploid wheats could not be the direct donors of those in polyploid wheats, but that the extant taxa of diploids and polyploids probably have a common origin and share a common A-genomelike ancestor.Contribution of the College of Agricultural Sciences, Texas Tech Univ. Journal No. T-4-233.     

The potential of synthetic hexaploid wheats to improve zinc efficiency in modern bread wheat

Synthetic hexaploid wheats (Triticum aestivum L) derived from crosses between durum wheat [Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.] and diploid wheat (Aegilops tauschii Coss.) have been developed as a means of transferring desirable characteristics of Aegilops tauschii Coss. such as disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance into modern bread wheat genotypes. In a growth room experiment using soil culture, we studied a group of 30 synthetic hexaploid wheat accessions together with modern wheat genotypes in order to identify new sources of zinc efficiency for further improvement of zinc efficiency in modern wheat genotypes. There was considerable genetic variation in expression of zinc deficiency symptoms (slight to severe), zinc efficiency (70–100%), shoot Zn concentration (5.8–10.5 and 33–53 mg/kg DW under deficient and sufficient Zn, respectively), shoot Zn content (3.8–10.6 and 34.0–64.6 μg/plant, under deficient and sufficient Zn, respectively) and Zn utilization (0.096–0.172 and 0.019-0.033 g DW/μg Zn under deficient and sufficient Zn, respectively) within synthetic accessions. The presence of synthetic accessions with greater zinc efficiency (100%) than zinc efficient modern wheat genotypes (85%) indicates that the synthetic hexaploids can be used to improve current levels of zinc efficiency in modern wheat genotypes. Synthetic hexaploids may also be a good source of high grain Zn concentration (28–66 mg Zn/kg seed DW).     

Specific features in using SNP markers developed for allopolyploid wheat

In this work, we analyzed 54 domestic cultivars of hexaploid (common) wheat Triticum aestivum L. (AABBDD genome) and accessions of tetraploid wheats of the Timopheevi group (AAGG) and rye Secale cereale (RR) using 21 SNP markers for common wheat. It was demonstrated that application of the SNP markers developed and verified for particular common wheat cultivars in allele-specific PCR analysis of other cultivars with different geographic origins could lead to an incorrect estimation of the similarity between the genotypes tested. The studied SNP markers of common wheat are inappropriate for analyzing genomes of other cereal species, in particular, T. timopheevii wheats and rye S. cereale.     

Rapid Elimination of Low-Copy DNA Sequences in Polyploid Wheat: A Possible Mechanism for Differentiation of Homoeologous Chromosomes

To study genome evolution in allopolyploid plants, we analyzed polyploid wheats and their diploid progenitors for the occurrence of 16 low-copy chromosome- or genome-specific sequences isolated from hexaploid wheat. Based on their occurrence in the diploid species, we classified the sequences into two groups: group I, found in only one of the three diploid progenitors of hexaploid wheat, and group II, found in all three diploid progenitors. The absence of group II sequences from one genome of tetraploid wheat and from two genomes of hexaploid wheat indicates their specific elimination from these genomes at the polyploid level. Analysis of a newly synthesized amphiploid, having a genomic constitution analogous to that of hexaploid wheat, revealed a pattern of sequence elimination similar to the one found in hexaploid wheat. Apparently, speciation through allopolyploidy is accompanied by a rapid, nonrandom elimination of specific, low-copy, probably noncoding DNA sequences at the early stages of allopolyploidization, resulting in further divergence of homoeologous chromosomes (partially homologous chromosomes of different genomes carrying the same order of gene loci). We suggest that such genomic changes may provide the physical basis for the diploid-like meiotic behavior of polyploid wheat.     

Uptake and retranslocation of leaf-applied cadmium (109Cd) in diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats

Uptake and retranslocation of leaf-applied radiolabeled cadmium (109Cd) was studied in three diploid (Triticum monococcum, AA), four tetraploid (Triticum turgidum, BBAA) and two hexaploid (Triticum aestivum, BBAADD) wheat genotypes grown for 9 d under controlled environmental conditions in nutrient solution. Among the tetraploid wheats, two genotypes were primitive (ssp. dicoccum) and two genotypes modern wheats (ssp. durum). Radiolabelled Cd was applied by immersing the tips (3 cm) of mature leaf into a 109Cd radiolabelled solution. There was a substantial variation in the uptake and export of 109Cd among and within wheat species. On average, diploid wheats (AA) absorbed and translocated more 109Cd than other wheats. The largest variation in 109Cd uptake was found within tetraploid wheats (BBAA). Primitive tetraploid wheats (ssp. dicoccum) had a greater uptake capacity for 109Cd than modern tetraploid wheats (ssp. durum). In all wheats studied, the amount of the 109Cd exported from the treated leaf into the roots and the remainder of the shoots was poorly related to the total absorption. For example, bread wheat cultivars were more or less similar in total absorption, but differed greatly in the amount of 109Cd retranslocated. The diploid wheat genotype 'FAL-43' absorbed the lowest amount of 109Cd, but retranslocated the greatest amount of 109Cd in roots and remainder of shoots. The results indicate the existence of substantial genotypic variation in the uptake and retranslocation of leaf-applied 109Cd. This variation is discussed in terms of potential genotypic differences in binding of Cd to cell walls and the composition of phloem sap ligands possibly affecting Cd transport into sink organs.     

Revisiting meiotic pairing in wheat synthetics in relation to the evolution of the meiotic system in wheat

A large panel of hexaploid wheat synthetics was developed. Their tetraploid parents consisted of either four extracted wheat tetraploids (ETWs) or four natural present-day tetraploids, and their diploid parents consisted of twenty accessions of Aegilops tauschii. Analysis of meiotic behaviour of the synthetics showed that chromosome pairing is highly variable and depends on the progenitor. The meiotic behaviour in the four ETWs was compared to that of the natural tetraploid wheats. It appears there was no evolution at the hexaploid level of the meiotic genes carried by the A and B genomes. We also reach the conclusion that the neo-allohexaploids at the origin of present-day wheat had a meiotic behaviour close to that of the present-day hexaploid wheat. It is likely that other neo-hexaploids with an impaired meiosis were formed, but they had no future due to their more or less rapid disappearance due to increasing aneuploidy level and structural changes, mainly Robertsonian translocations.     

Molecular differentiation of null alleles at <Emphasis Type="Italic">ZCCT</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">1</Emphasis> genes on the A,B, and D genomes of hexaploid wheat

A dominant allele of the vernalization gene Vrn-2 is the wild type conferring winter growth habit, whereas a recessive vrn-2 allele confers spring growth habit. The recessive vrn-2 allele is mutated due to the deletion of the complete gene (a null form) or alternation of a key amino acid in the VRN-2 protein (a nonfunctional form) in diploid wheat or tetraploid wheat. VRN-2 is also denoted ZCCT due to the presence of a zinc finger and a CCT domain in its protein. There are two paralogous ZCCT genes at the VRN-2 locus in diploid Triticum monococcum and three paralogous ZCCT genes on each of the A and B genomes in tetraploid wheat, but little is known about the allelic variation in VRN-2 in hexaploid wheat. In the study reported here, we performed a one-shot PCR to simultaneously amplify the promoter regions of the three ZCCT-1 genes from hexaploid wheat, including the 302-bp fragment from ZCCT-A1, the 294-bp fragment from ZCCT-B1, and the 320-bp fragment from ZCCT-D1. Each amplicon could be differentiated by electrophoresis in an acrylamide/bisacrylamide gel. This PCR marker for different lengths of the three ZCCT-1 genes was used to search for null alleles in hexaploid wheat. A null allele was found in each of ZCCT-A1, ZCCT-B1, and ZCCT-D1 among 74 cultivars and genetic stocks of U.S. hexaploid wheat. Among 54 Chinese wheat cultivars, breeding lines, and landraces, we identified three accessions carrying a single null allele at ZCCT-A1, three accessions carrying a null allele at ZCCT-B1, and one accession carrying a double null allele at both ZCCT-A1 and ZCCT-D1. The potential application of these natural ZCCT-1 mutant materials in wheat breeding programs and studies on the genetics of wheat is discussed.     

Study on the response of diploid,tetraploid and hexaploid species of wheat to the elevated CO2

Study was done to compare the response of Triticum aestivum (hexaploid), Triticum durum (tetraploid) and Triticum monococcum (diploid) wheat species to the elevated CO₂ using Free Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) facility. It was demonstrated that the modern cultivar of wheat Triticum aestivum (hexaploid) was largely sink limited. It appeared to have less photosynthesis per unit leaf area than Triticum monococcum (diploid wheat). While leaf size, grain weight and amylase activity increased with the ploidy level from diploid to hexaploid wheat forms, the photosynthetic rate was reduced significantly. These wheat species responded differentially to the elevated CO₂. The larger leaf area and greater seed weight and presence of 38 KDa protein band caused by elevated CO₂ had additive effect in improving the productivity of hexaploid wheat by changing the source sink ratio. Whereas, such a source sink balance was not induced by elevated CO₂ in diploid wheat. The increasing CO₂ may present opportunities to breeders and possibly allow them to select for cultivars responsive to the elevated CO₂ with better sink potential.Key words: Elevated CO₂, FACE technology, Photosynthesis, Seed weight, Source sink ratio, Triticum     

Amylase protein inhibitors and the role of Aegilops species in polyploid wheat speciation

Protein inhibitors extracted with water from seeds of Triticum and genetically related species were characterized according to their apparent molecular weights, electrophoretic mobilities and their specificities in inhibiting α-amylases from human saliva and Tenebrio molitor L. larvae. No detectable amylase inhibition activity was found in extracts from diploid wheats, whereas in all tetraploid and hexaploid wheats as well as in the Aegilops species tested we found several amylase inhibitor groups of different molecular weights. In each group, several inhibitor components slightly different in their electrophoretic mobilities, but identical in their inhibition behaviour toward amylases from different origins have been shown. Both from the qualitative and quantitative standpoints, amylase protein inhibitors from hexaploid wheats were the summation of those from tetraploid wheats plus the ones from Aegilops squarrosa. Amylase inhibitors from Aegilops speltoides largely differed from those extracted from tetraploid wheats as well as from all the amylase inhibitors described in plant seeds up to now. These results indicate a relevant homology between the amylase inhibitor coding genes of the D wheat genome and those of the D Aegilops genome and confirm that Ae. squarrosa is the donor of the whole D genome to hexaploid wheats. They also suggest that Ae. speltoides is not the donor of the B genome to polyploid wheats, although a not yet identified Aegilops species might be such a donor.     

Origin, dispersal and genomic structure of a low-copy-number hypervariable RFLP clone in Triticum and Aegilops species

The genome of common wheat has evolved through allopolyploidization of three ancestral diploid genomes. A previously identified restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) marker, pTag546, has the unique feature of showing hypervariability among closely related common wheat cultivars. To understand the origin and the mode of dispersal of this hypervariable sequence in the wheat genome, the distribution and structure of the homologous sequences were studied using ancestral diploid species, tetraploid disomic substitution lines and synthetic hexaploid lines. Comparative Southern blot and PCR analyses suggested that pTag546 homologs in the tetraploid and hexaploid wheat were derived from the S genome of Aegilops speltoides. Some pTag546 homologs were found to have transposed to A and D genomes in polyploid wheat. Evidence of transposition and elimination in some synthetic hexaploid lines was also obtained by comparing their copy numbers with those in the parental lines. Southern blot analysis of a genomic clone using a contiguous subset of sequences as probes revealed a core region of hypervariability that coincided with the region containing pTag546. No obvious structural characteristics that could explain the hypervariability, however, were found around the pTag546 sequence, except for accumulation of small repetitive sequences at one border. It was concluded that pTag546 increased its copy number through yet unknown mechanism(s) of transposition to various chromosomal locations over the period of allopolyploid evolution and during the artificial genome manipulation in wheat.     

Molecular and agro-morphological characterization of ancient wheat landraces of turkey

Background

Turkey is one of the important gene centers for many crop species. In this research, some ancient wheats such as tetraploid and diploid hulled wheats together with hexaploid tir wheats (Triticum aestivum ssp. leucospermum Korn.) landraces mainly adapted to harsh winter conditions of Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey were characterized at agro-morphological and molecular level. Totally 50 hulled wheat population from Kastamonu, Konya and Kayseri provinces and 15 tir wheats from Kars provinces of Turkey were in-situ collected for characterization in 2013. Some quantitative and qualitative traits of each population were determined.

Results

Twenty three hulled wheat population collected from Kastamonu province were distinguished into nine emmer and 14 einkorn wheats at morphological level. Additionally, Konya, Kayseri and Kars population were characterized as einkorn, emmer and tir wheat, respectively. Among the evaluated traits, protein ratios of hulled wheats were strikingly higher than registered cultivars. All the populations were also examined by molecular level by using fluorescently labelled 11 polymorphic SSRs primers. The primers exhibited 104 bands, ranging from 6 to 16 with a mean value 9.45 per loci. The clustering analysis separated the germplasm into two clusters which were also divided into two subclusters based on genetic similarity coefficient. Sixty-five population and five checks were analyzed to estimate mean number of alleles (N), expected and observed heterozygoties (He and Ho), polymorphism information content (PIC), Wright fix index (F), genetic deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectation (Fit-Fis) and genetic variation (Fst) were determined as 9.45, 0.71, 0.07, 0.67, 0.90, 0.39, 0.87 and 0.39, respectively. A clear genetic deviation from Hardy – Weinberg expectation was observed among population in particular. These results showed considerable genetic variation among landraces rather than within population.

Conclusions

These molecular information has revealed genetically diverse einkorn, emmer wheat and tir wheat population could be used as parents for further breeding studies in both Turkey and abroad. Furthermore, the molecular analysis has also generally discriminated the germplasm into ploidy level.

     

Intraspecific and intraorganismal copy number dynamics of retrotransposons and tandem repeat in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegilops speltoides</Emphasis> Tausch (Poaceae,Triticeae)

Transposable elements (TE) and tandem repeats (TR) compose the largest fraction of the plant genome. The abundance and repatterning of repetitive DNA underlie intrapopulation polymorphisms and intraspecific diversification; however, the dynamics of repetitive elements in ontogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we addressed the genotype-specific and tissue-specific abundances and dynamics of the Ty1-copia, Ty3-gypsy, and LINE retrotransposons and species-specific Spelt1 tandem repeat in wild diploid goatgrass, Aegilops speltoides Tausch. Copy numbers of TEs and TR were estimated by real-time quantitative PCR in vegetative and generative tissues in original plants from contrasting allopatric populations and artificial intraspecific hybrids. The results showed that between leaves and somatic spike tissues as well as in progressive microsporogenesis of individual genotypes, the copy numbers of three TEs correlatively oscillated between 2- to 4-fold and the TR copy numbers fluctuated by 18- to 440-fold. Inter-individual and intraorganismal TEs and TR copy number dynamics demonstrate large-scale parallelism with extensive chromosomal rearrangements that were detected using fluorescent in situ hybridization in parental and hybrid genotypes. The data obtained indicate that tissue-specific differences in the abundance and pattern of repetitive sequences emerge during cell proliferation and differentiation in ontogenesis and reflect the reorganization of individual genomes in changing environments, especially in small peripheral population(s) under the influence of rapid climatic changes.