| Abstract: | The cultivated husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa) (2n = 2x = 24) is native from Mexico and Central America and shows a wide genetic variation. Presently, it is the fourth horticultural crop in cultivation surface in Mexico. The working team of this research previously developed an autotetraploid population by using colchicine. The objectives of the present work were to analyze the ploidy level and meiotic behavior of the subsequent generations (C3, C4, C5, C6) from the original (C2) composed only by plants with the duplicated genome from the Rendidora cultivar, and to determine pollen viability. As a diploid control the cultivar Rendidora of P. ixocarpa was used. Ploidy level was determined by flow citometry and meiotic analysis. For the meiotic study, the microsporocytes were prepared by the squash method, stained with carmin and analyzed in diakinesis. Pollen viability was evaluated through 0.01% Buffalo Black staining. The tetraploid condition prevailed through four cross-pollinating generations, maintaining a constant chromosome number 2n = 4x = 48. In diakinesis, the chromosomes of the diploid cultivar were associated into bivalents, whereas in tetraploid plants the chromosomes associated into univalents, bivalents and trivalents. Highly significant differences in bivalent pairing were detected between autotetraploid plants and between generations. Pollen viability did not show significant differences between generations and allowed reproduction. These results indicate that it is possible to develop an autotetraploid cultivar, because the polyploid state is naturally maintained and the plants are fertile. Furthermore, given the differences in bivalent pairing between plants and generations, a response to selection toward meiotic stability is expected. |
