Regulation of homoeologous pairing in pentaploid wheat hybrids

Comparisons were made of levels of chromosome pairing in pentaploid hybrids between normal and ph _1b -and ph ₂ -mutant forms of Triticum aestivum ssp. vulgare cv. Chinese Spring each crossed with Triticum kotschyi and T. turgidum var. dicoccoides. Higher levels of multivalent formation in the ph _1b -kotschyi, compared with the ph _1b -dicoccoides pentaploid was attributed mainly to the absence of allelic buffering, by the Ph ₁ allele, in the Kotschyi pentaploid and its presence in the dicoccoides pentaploid. The higher level of homoeologous pairing in the ph ₂ -dicoccoides pentaploid compared with that of kotschyi was believed to be due to differential levels of homoe-and non-homoallelic buffering in the two pentaploids. The high level of homoeologous pairing caused by the ph ₂ -mutant in the dicoccoides pentaploid indicates a potential use of pairing promoters, free of homoallelic buffering, as a means of increasing thelevel of homoeologous pairing in wheat and in certain of its hybrids with alien species.     

Cytological analysis of hybrids among triticales and trigopiros

WE STUDIED THREE DIFFERENT TRICEPIROS: (Don Santiago x Don Noé), (Cumé x Horovitz) and (Cumé x Don Noé). The tricepiro (Don Santiago x Don Noé) was obtained by crossing the triticale Don Santiago INTA (AABBRR, 2n = 6x = 42) with the trigopiro Don Noé INTA (AABBDDJJ, 2n = 8x = 56). The number of chromosomes for the F(1) was 2n = 49, the most frequent meiotic configuration being 14 bivalents and 21 univalents. The univalents were situated in the periphery of the equatorial plane, whereas the bivalents were located in the central zone. The chromatids in some of the univalents split when bivalents underwent reductional division in anaphase I. There were few laggard chromosomes or chromatids at this phase. The number of chromosomes (2n = 48-58) was high and variable, and the number of bivalents per cell (18-23) also high in F (3) individuals. In all F (8) tricepiros (Don Santiago x Don Noé), F (12) tricepiros (Cumé x Horovitz) and F (12) tricepiros (Cumé x Don Noé), the number of chromosomes (2n = 42) was the same, these retaining the rye genome, as demonstrated by GISH and FISH. These new synthesized allopolyploids constitute interesting models for investigating the evolutionary changes responsible for diploidization, and the chromosomal and genomic re-ordering that cannot be revealed in natural allopolyploids.     

Cytological observations on some species and hybrids ofVaccinium

Summary Meiosis was studied inVaccinium myrtillus (n=12),V. vitis-idaea (n=12),V. myrtillus ×vitisidaea (n=12), colchicine-induced tetraploidV. myrtillus (n=24),V. uliginosum (n=24), the cultivated blueberry varieties Rancocas and Pemberton (n=24), and the hybridsV. uliginosum × Rancocas andV. uliginosum × Pemberton (n=24). Pairing was regular in the diploid species. Some multivalent formations occurred inV. uliginosum and in the cultivated blueberry varieties and to a considerable extent in the autotetraploidV. myrtillus. The spontaneous diploid hybridV. myrtillus ×vitis-idaea displayed numerous meiotic irregularities, whereas the artificial hybrids betweenV. uliginosum and cultivated blueberry showed relatively regular meiosis. Pairing relationships of the various genomes are discussed. Breeding programs for the use of North-European species with American cultivated blueberry varieties are discussed in the light of the cytological observations.

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Zusammenfassung Die diploiden (n=12) ArtenVaccinium myrtillus, V. vitis-idaea, V. myrtillus×vitis-idaea und die tetraploiden (n=24)V. myrtillus (Colchicin-induziert) undV. uliginosum sowie die kultivierten amerikanischen Blaubeersorten Rancocas und Pemberton (n=24) und die HybridenV. uliginosum×Rancocas undV. uliginosum×Pemberton wurden cytologisch untersucht. In den diploiden Arten war die meiotische Chromosomenpaarung regelmäßig. Multivalente traten in geringerem Umfange beiV. uliginosum und kultivierten Blaubeersorten, viel stärker aber in der autotetraploidenV. myrtillus auf. Die spontane diploide HybrideV. myrtillus×vitis-idaea zeigte zahlreiche meiotische Störungen, die künstlichen Hybriden zwischenV. uliginosum und der kultivierten amerikanischen Blaubeere hatten demgegenüber eine relativ regelmäßige Meiose. Die Paarungsverhältnisse der verschiedenen Genome werden diskutiert. Auf Grund der cytologischen Beobachtungen wird ein Züchtungsprogramm für nordeuropäischeVaccinium-Arten zusammen mit amerikanischen Kultursorten erörtert.

     

Cytological and molecular characterization of oat x maize partial hybrids

In cereals, interspecific and intergeneric hybridizations (wide crosses) which yield karyotypically stable hybrid plants have been used as starting points to widen the genetic base of a crop and to construct stocks for genetic analysis. Also, uniparental genome elimination in karyotypically unstable hybrids has been utilized for cereal haploid production. We have crossed hexaploid oat (2n=6x=42, Avena sativa L.) and maize (2n=2x=20, Zea mays L.) and recovered 90 progenies through embryo rescue. Fifty-two plants (58%) produced from oatxmaize hybridization were oat haploids (2n=3x=21) following maize chromosome elimination. Twenty-eight plants (31%) were found to be stable partial hybrids with 1–4 maize chromosomes in addition to a haploid set of 21 oat chromosomes (2n=21+1 to 2n=21+4). Ten of the ninety plants produced were found to be apparent chromosomal chimeras, where some tissues in a given plant contained maize chromosomes while other tissues did not, or else different tissues contained a different number of maize chromosomes. DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were used to identify the maize chromosome(s) present in the various oat-maize progenies. Maize chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were detected in partial hybrids and chromosomal chimeras. Maize chromosomes 1 and 10 were not detected in the plants analyzed to-date. Furthermore, partial self-fertility, which is common in oat haploids, was also observed in some oat-maize hybrids. Upon selfing, partial hybrids with one or two maize chromosomes showed nearly complete transmission of the maize chromosome to give self-fertile maize-chromosome-addition oat plants. Fertile lines were recovered that contained an added maize chromosome or chromosome pair representing six of the ten maize chromosomes. Four independently derived disomic maize chromosome addition lines contained chromosome 4, one line carried chromosome 7, two lines had chromosome 9, one had chromosome 2, and one had chromosome 3. One maize chromosome-8 monosomic addition line was also identified. We also identified a double disomic addition line containing both maize chromosomes 4 and 7. This constitutes the first report of the production of karyotypically stable partial hybrids involving highly unrelated species from two subfamilies of the Gramineae (Pooideae — oat, and Panicoideae — maize) and the subsequent recovery of fertile oat-maize chromosome addition lines. These represent novel material for gene/ marker mapping, maize chromosome manipulation, the study of maize gene expression in oat, and the transfer of maize DNA, genes, or active transposons to oat.Joint contribution of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and USDA-ARS. Scientific journal series paper No. 21 859 of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. Mention of a trademark or proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USDA-ARS or the University of Minnesota and does not imply approval over other products that also may be suitable     

Cytological studies in South AmericanIridaceae

Although the South AmericanIridaceae are cytologically diverse, three tribes are distinguishable on the basis of karyotype morphology. TheSisyrinchieae andTrimezieae have variable basic numbers, ploidy levels and chromosome sizes, while theTigridieae are characterized by a relatively uniform basic number and bimodal karyotype. Changes in chromosome size within genera may suggest fluctuations in their DNA amount with latitude and altitude, particularly inSisyrinchium. The results are considered in terms of opportunities for more detailed research.     

Cytological observations on genome homology in eight interspecific hybrids ofPhalaenopsis

Cytological analysis of eight interspecific hybrids ofPhalaenopsis, (2n=38), intra-as well as intersectional, involving eight species, revealed various degrees of genome homology. The species can be divided into two groups. Within each of the groups a strong genome homology occurs. The first group comprises the speciesP. amabilis, P. stuartiana, P. sanderiana, P. aphrodite andP. equestris, all having similar genomes of small chromosomes. The second group includesP. lueddemanniana, P. mannii andP. amboinensis, having genomes comprising larger chromosomes. In addition, the genomes of the latter three species have a different average chromosome size. Cytological evidence for differences in length at somatic metaphase as well as in metaphase I configurations in hybrids of species of the second group is presented. Hybrids between representative species of the first and the second group show poor to fair genome homology. The implications of the cytological observations for the classification ofPhalaenopsis are discussed.This research was supported by grants toDr. Y. Sagawa and forms part of a thesis submitted by the author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a MS degree at the University of Hawaii (1968).Journal Series No. 1161 of the Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station.     

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.