Homoeologous chromosome pairing at metaphase I of meiosis in Hordeum vulgare L. × H. bulbosum L. triploid hybrids (HvHbHb)

Background. One of the ways to use the genetic potential of bulbous barley, which is characterized by a number of valuable traits, is interspecific hybridization. In crosses of H. vulgare (2x) × H. bulbosum (2x) and H. vulgare (4x) × H. bulbosum (4x) with a genome ratio of 1Hv: 1Hb in a hybrid embryo, elimination of bulbous barley chromosomes is observed in many cases, and the intensity of the process and the result of the crossing depend on the genotypes of the parental forms. This limits the possibility of including a significant variety of parental forms in crosses. Сrossing of diploid forms of H. vulgare with tetraploid accessions of H. bulbosum (4x) results in the formation of triploid hybrids (HvHbHb) with stable chromosomal composition in pollen mother cells (PMCs) at metaphase I (MI) of meiosis. These triploid hybrids can serve as a basis for obtaining series of introgressive lines of cultivated barley. One of the tasks of this type of work is to estimate the involvement of various chromosomes and their arms in homoeologous associations. The aim of this work was to study the possibility of homoeologous pairing of chromosomes of parental species at MI of meiosis in triploid hybrids using GISH and FISH with chromosome-specific markers, as well as to register the participation of individual arms of the cultivated barley chromosomes in homoeologous associations with the chromosomes of bulbous barley in triploid hybrids (HvHbHb).Materials and methods. Seven triploid hybrids of H. vulgare × H.bulbosum (HvHbHb) obtained in four combinations of crosses with the participation of three diploid cultivars of cultivated barley and two tetraploid accession of bulbous barley were used in this study. The features of homoeologous pairing of chromosomes at MI were studied using the method of fluorescent in situ hybridization (GISH and FISH) with chromosome-specific markers.Results All the studied hybrid plants are characterized by a stable chromosomal composition in PMCs at the MI stage of meiosis. Meiotic configurations formed by homoeologous chromosomes of the parental species, ranging from 0.87 to 1.40 on average per cell, were identified in all the studied plants. Among them, vbb trivalents prevailed. Analysis of chromosome pairing at MI in triploid hybrids revealed the participation of all chromosome arms of H. vulgare in homoeologous Hv-Hb associations, except for the short arm of chromosome 1H. In all the studied triploid hybrids, there is a tendency for a higher frequency of involvement of the long arms of chromosomes in the formation of homoeologous associations; this feature is most clearly manifested in case of chromosome 5H.Conclusions Intergenomic associations with the participation of all arms of H. vulgare chromosomes, except for the short arm of chromosome 1H, were revealed at MI in H. vulgare × H. bulbosum triploid hybrids (HvHbHb). Chromosome 5H, as well as any other cultivated barley chromosome, is characterized by a higher involvement of its long arm in homoeologous associations Hv-Hb, as compared to the short arm.

GENOME SIZE IN THREE SPECIES OF Glandularia AND THEIR HYBRIDS

In this work the relationship between genome size of Glandularia species and the meiotic configurations found in their hybrids are discussed. Glandularia incisa (Hook.) Tronc., growing in two localities of Corrientes and Córdoba provinces, Argentina, with different ecological conditions, showed inter-population variability of the 2C-value. The DNA content found in the Corrientes locality (2.41 pg) was higher than that obtained in the Córdoba locality (2.09 pg) which has more stressful environmental conditions than the former. These values are statistically different from those that were found in Glandularia pulchella (Sweet) Tronc. from Corrientes (1.43 pg) and in Glandularia perakii Cov. et Schn from Córdoba (1.47 pg). The DNA content of the diploid F1 hybrids, G. pulchella × G. incisa and G. perakii × G. incisa, differed statistically from the DNA content of the parental species, being intermediate between them. Differences in the frequency of pairing of homoeologous chromosomes were observed in the hybrids; these differences cannot be explained by differences in genome size since hybrids with similar DNA content differ significantly in their meiotic behavior. On the other hand, the differences in the DNA content between the parental species justify the presence of a high frequency of heteromorphic open and closed bivalents and univalents with different size in the hybrids. Key words: Intra-specific DNA content variability, homoeologous pairing, heteromorphic bivalents

The Effect of Homoeologous Meiotic Pairing in Tetraploid Hordeum bulbosum L. × H. vulgare L. Hybrids on Alien Introgressions in Offspring

The pairing behaviour of the individual chromosome arms of Hordeum vulgare (Hv) with their homoeologous arms of H. bulbosum (Hb) at metaphase I of meiosis in tetraploid Hb × Hv hybrids and the frequencies of recombined Hv chromosome arms in selfed offspring were studied on differentially visualized chromosomes after fluorescent in situ hybridisation. The frequencies of paired Hv-Hb arms in the F2 and F3 hybrids were correlated with the frequencies of recombined Hv chromosomes in progenies. Self-generation of hybrids, the number of Hv and Hb chromosomes, and the number of recombined Hv chromosomes of the hybrids strongly influenced the Hv-Hb pairing frequency in meiosis. Within the offspring of F2 and F3 hybrids both Hv plants and hybrids were detected. In contrast, all progenies of the F4 hybrid were hybrids which exhibited centromere misdivisions. The highest frequencies of homoeologous pairing in hybrids and most recombinants were obtained for the barley chromosome 1HL. Recombinants for 4HL, 5HS, 6HS, and 7HS were rarely found. Meiotic pairing and recombinants involving chromosome 1HS were never observed. The results of this study demonstrate that fertile tetraploid interspecific hybrids with a high intergenomic pairing at meiosis are valuable basic material for introgression breeding in barley.

Comparison of homoeologous chromosome pairing between hybrids of wheat genotypes Chinese Spring ph1b and Kaixian-luohanmai with rye

The ph-like genes in the Chinese common wheat landrace Kaixian-luohanmai (KL) induce homoeologous pairing in hybrids with alien species. In the present study, meiotic phenotypic differences on homoeologous chromosome pairing at metaphase I between hybrids of wheat genotypes Chinese Spring ph1b (CSph1b) and KL with rye were studied by genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). The frequency of wheat–wheat associations was higher in CSph1b × rye than in KL × rye. However, frequencies of wheat–rye and rye–rye associations were higher in KL × rye than in CSph1b × rye. These differences may be the result of different mechanisms of control between the ph-like gene(s) controlling homoeologous chromosome pairing in KL and CSph1b. Wheat–wheat associations were much more frequent than wheat–rye pairing in both hybriods. This may be caused by lower overall affinity, or homoeology, between wheat and rye chromosomes than between wheat chromosomes.