Hybrid necrosis in triticale and the expression of necrosis genes in allopolyploids

Summary The occurrence in triticale of four different genes causing hybrid necrosis is described: Ne1 and Ne2 in the B genome of wheat and Ner1 and Ner2 in the rye genome. Hybrid necrosis develops due to dominant complementary interaction of two genes. This interaction in triticale, however, may take place not only between genes belonging to the same genome but also between genes of different genomes. In triticale, these genes can cause hybrid necrosis in four different combinations. The inheritance of the phenomenon in triticale is, therefore, more complicated than it is in wheat or rye. To avoid hybrid necrosis in triticale, attention should be paid that no necrosis genes are introduced into the primary triticale stocks from the wheat and rye parents. The expression of necrosis genes is influenced by the level of ploidy. Any additional genome — A, B, D, or R — may exert a suppressing effect on the expression of necrosis genes. Therefore, when identifying genotypes of triticale with regard to their necrosis genes, the level of ploidy has to be accounted for. Moreover, the present results illustrate that gene expression in polyploids is not only determined by interactions with other single genes but that it may also be modified by the total genotype of the respective individual.