Morphological and cytological characteristics of some wheat x barley hybrids

Identification and phenotypic description of new wheat – six-rowed winter barley disomic additions

To increase the allelic variation in wheat–barley introgressions, new wheat–barley disomic addition lines were developed containing the 2H, 3H, 4H, 6H, and 7H chromosomes of the six-rowed Ukrainian winter barley ‘Manas’. This cultivar is agronomically much better adapted to Central European environmental conditions than the two-rowed spring barley ‘Betzes’ previously used. A single ‘Asakaze’ × ‘Manas’ wheat × barley hybrid plant was multiplied in vitro and one backcross plant was obtained after pollinating 354 regenerant hybrids with wheat. The addition lines were selected from the self-fertilized seeds of the 16 BC2 plants using genomic in situ hybridization. The addition lines were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization using repetitive DNA probes (HvT01, GAA, pTa71, and Afa family), followed by confirmation with barley SSR markers. The addition lines were grown in the phytotron and in the field, and morphological parameters (plant height, fertility, tillering, and spike characteristics) were measured. The production of the disomic additions will make it possible to incorporate the DNA of six-rowed winter barley into the wheat genome. Addition lines are useful for genetic studies on the traits of six-rowed winter barley and for producing new barley dissection lines.

Identification of new winter wheat – winter barley addition lines (6HS and 7H) using fluorescence in situ hybridization and the stability of the whole ‘Martonvásári 9 kr1’ – ‘Igri’ addition set

A previous paper reported the development of disomic addition lines (2H, 3H, 4H, and 1HS isochromosomic) from hybrids between the winter wheat ‘Martonvásári 9 kr1’ and the two-rowed winter barley cultivar ‘Igri’. The present paper describes the isolation of two new additions, the 7H disomic and 6HS ditelosomic additions, using fluorescence in situ hybridization with the repetitive DNA probes Afa-family and HvT01. The identification of the barley chromosomes in the wheat genome was confirmed with simple sequence repeat markers. The morphological characterization of the new addition lines is also discussed. Studies of the genetic stability of the whole set (2H, 3H, 4H, 7H, 1HS iso, 6HS) of ‘Martonvásári 9 kr1’ – ‘Igri’ additions revealed that the most stable disomic additions are 2H and 3H and the most unstable line is the 1HS isochromosomic addition.

Meiotic restitution in wheat polyhaploids (amphihaploids): a potent evolutionary force

Polyploidy is well recognized as a major force in plant speciation. Among the polyploids in nature, allopolyploids are preponderant and include important crop plants like bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. (2n = 6x = 42; AABBDD genomes). Allopolyploidy must result through concomitant or sequential events that entail interspecific or intergeneric hybridization and chromosome doubling in the resultant hybrids. To gain insight into the mechanism of evolution of wheat, we extracted polyhaploids of 2 cultivars, Chinese Spring (CS) and Fukuhokomugi (Fuko), of bread wheat by crossing them with maize, Zea mays L. ssp. mays. The derived Ph1-polyhaploids (2n = 3x = 21; ABD) showed during meiosis mostly univalents, which produced first-division restitution (FDR) nuclei that in turn gave rise to unreduced (2n) male gametes with 21 chromosomes. The haploids on maturity set some viable seed. The mean number of seeds per spike was 1.45 +/- 0.161 in CS and 2.3 +/- 0.170 in Fuko. Mitotic chromosome preparations from root tips of the derived plantlets revealed 2n = 42 chromosomes, that is, twice that of the parental polyhaploid, which indicated that they arose by fusion of unreduced male and female gametes formed by the polyhaploid. The Ph1-induced univalency must have produced 2n gametes and hence bilateral sexual polyploidization and reconstitution of disomic bread wheat. These findings highlight the quantum jump by which bread wheat evolved from durum wheat in nature. Thus, bread wheat offers an excellent example of rapid evolution by allopolyploidy. In the induced polyhaploids (ABD) that are equivalent of amphihaploids, meiotic phenomena such as FDR led to regeneration of parental bread wheat, perhaps a simulation of the evolutionary steps that occurred in nature at the time of the origin of hexaploid wheat.

Molecular cytogenetic analysis of wheat-barley hybrids using genomic in situ hybridization and barley microsatellite markers

In the present investigation, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and barley microsatellite markers were used to analyse the genome constitution of wheat-barley hybrids from two backcross generations (BC1 and BC2). Two BC1 plants carried 3 and 6 barley chromosomes, respectively, according to GISH data. Additional chromosomal fragments were detected using microsatellites. Five BC2 plants possessed complete barley chromosomes or chromosome segments and six BC2 plants did not preserve barley genetic material. Molecular markers revealed segments of the barley genome with the size of one marker only, which probably resulted from recombination between wheat and barley chromosomes. The screening of backcrossed populations from intergeneric hybrids could be effectively conducted using both genomic in situ hybridization and molecular microsatellite markers. GISH images presented a general overview of the genome constitution of the hybrid plants, while microsatellite analysis revealed the genetic identity of the alien chromosomes and chromosomal segments introgressed. These methods were complementary and provided comprehensive information about the genomic constitution of the plants produced.

Nagy E. Molecular cytogenetic analysis of wheat-alien hybrids and derivatives

New wheat × barley, wheat ×Aegilops biuncialisand wheat × rye hybrids were produced with the aim of alien gene transfer from these species into wheat. Amphiploids were produced with the help of colchicine treatment from the last two combinations. The new wheat × barley hybrids were multiplied in tissue culture because of the high degree of sterility and then pollinated with wheat to obtain backcross progenies. Wheat-barley chromosome pairing was detected using genomicin situhybridization (GISH) in two combinations (Mv9 kr1 × Igri, Asakazekomugi × Manas).In vitroconditions caused an increase in chromosome arm association frequency in both combinations and in fertility in some regenerants. Five wheat-barley translocations were produced in a wheat background and characterized through the combination of cytogenetic and molecular genetic approaches (GISH, FISH and SSR markers). The following translocations were identified: 2DS.2DL-1HS, 3HS.3BL, 6BS.6BL-4HL, 4D-5HS and 7DL.7DS-5HS. Physical mapping of the SSR markers on chromosomes 1H and 5H was carried out using the intragenomic and interspecific translocation breakpoints and the centromere as physical landmarks.  Disomic wheat-Aegilops biuncialisadditions were produced after backcrossing the wheat-Ae. biuncialisamphiploids. Fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) was carried out using two repetitive DNA clones (pSc119.2 and pAs1) onAe. biuncialisand its two diploid progenitor species to detect chromosome polymorphism. The 7M and 3M disomic chromosome additions were selected and five more lines still need to be characterized.  The octoploid triticale (Mv9 kr1 × Lovászpatonai) produced in Martonvásár was crossed with a 1RS.1BL wheat cultivar Matador. GISH analysis detected pairing between the 1RS arm of the translocation chromosome and that of Lovászpatonai rye in 32 % of the pollen mother cells, making it possible to select recombinants from this combination. The new recombinants between the 1RS of Petkus and the 1RS of Lovászpatonai rye cultivars are being analysed with the help of microsatellite markers.

Production and meiotic pairing behaviour of new hybrids of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) × winter barley (Hordeum vulgare)

New winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) × winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) hybrids produced using cultivated varieties (wheat 'Martonvásári 9 kr1'(Mv9 kr1) × barley 'Igri', Mv9 kr1 × 'Osnova', 'Asakazekomugi' × 'Manas') were multiplied in tissue culture because of the high degree of sterility and then pollinated with wheat to obtain backcross progenies. Meiotic analysis of the hybrids Mv9 kr1 × 'Igri' and 'Asakazekomugi' × 'Manas' and their in vitro regenerated progenies with the Feulgen method revealed 1.59 chromosome arm associations per cell in both initial hybrids. The number of chromosome arm associations increased after in vitro culture to 4.72 and 2.67, respectively, in the two combinations. According to the genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis, wheat-barley chromosome arm associations made up 3.6% of the total in the initial Mv9 kr1 × 'Igri' hybrid and 6.6% and 16.5% of the total in in vitro regenerated progenies of the 'Asakazekomugi' × 'Manas' and Mv9 kr1 × 'Igri' hybrids, respectively. The demonstration by GISH of wheat-barley chromosome pairing in the hybrids and especially in their in vitro regenerated progenies proves the possibility of producing recombinants between these two genera, and thus of transferring useful characters from barley into wheat. In vitro conditions caused an increase in chromosome arm association frequency in both combinations and in fertility in some regenerants.Key words: wheat, barley, intergeneric hybridization, meiotic chromosome pairing, GISH.

Chromosome-mediated and direct gene transfers in wheat

Wild grasses, including relatives of wheat, have several desirable characters that can be introduced into both bread wheat and durum wheat. Since current wheat cultivars lack certain traits, for example, resistance to fusarium head blight (scab), related wild grasses may be the only option for useful variability. Wide hybridization of wheat with grasses, coupled with cytogenetic manipulation of the hybrid material, has been instrumental in the genetic improvement of wheat. Chromosome engineering methodologies, based on the manipulation of pairing control mechanisms and induced translocations, have been employed to transfer into wheat specific disease and pest resistance genes from annual (e.g., rye) or perennial (e.g., Thinopyrum spp., Lophopyrum spp., and Agropyron spp.) members of the wheat tribe, Triticeae. The advent of in situ hybridization techniques, for example, fluorescent GISH combined with Giemsa C-banding, has proved immensely useful in characterizing alien chromatin specifying resistance to various pathogens and pests. The use of DNA markers (RAPDs and RFLPs) helps to identify desirable genotypes more precisely and, thereby, facilitates gene transfer into wheat. Such markers may be particularly helpful in monitoring the introgression of alien genes in the wheat genome. In fact, several cultivars, particularly of bread wheat, contain superior traits of alien origin. The development of novel gene-transfer techniques in the past decade that allow direct delivery of DNA into regenerable embryogenic callus of wheat has opened up new avenues of alien-gene transfer into wheat cultivars. Thus, transgenic bread and durum wheats have been produced and methods of gene delivery standardized. The application of transgenic technology has not only yielded herbicide-resistant wheats, but has also helped to improve grain quality by modifying the protein and starch profiles of the grain. These in vitro approaches to gene transfer are developing rapidly, and promise to become an integral part of plant breeding efforts. However, the new biotechnological tools will complement, not replace, conventional plant breeding.Key words: alien-gene transfer, fluorescent GISH, Giemsa banding, homoeologous chromosome pairing, molecular markers, transgenic bread wheat, transgenic durum wheat.

Meiosis of wheat x lymegrass hybrids

Meiosis was examined in pollen mother cells of F1 hybrids made from crosses between wheat (Triticum aestivum) and lymegrass (Leymus arenarius and L. mollis). Fluorescence genomic in situ hybridization detected pairing between wheat and lymegrass chromosomes during prophase I and metaphase I. Such pairing, when resulting in bivalent formation, was likely to yield correct disjunction, and hence intergenomic recombination could be incorporated into the gametes. Bivalents in these hybrids, however, were more frequently formed between chromosomes of the same parental origin. Univalents were common, whereas multivalents were not clearly detected. Meiotic behaviour in some cells was not totally aberrant, and this may have accounted for the presence of normal pollen. The results are discussed in relation to intergenomic pairing, meiotic behaviour in wide-hybrids and genome relationships, including the Leymus genome origin.