MORE THAN A CENTURY OF CYTOGENETIC STUDIES IN CHILEAN PLANTS: HOW MUCH HAVE WE PROGRESSED?

An overview is provided on the cytogenetic of Chilean plants, highlighting information gathered from more than a century of work carried out by foreign and national researchers who have contributed to the study of native species. We briefly present the progress made to date and also emphasize some strategies that, in our opinion, could spur further advances in this second century of cytogenetic studies in Chilean plants. Key words: Cytogenetics, cytogenomics, Chilean plants.

MORE THAN A CENTURY OF CYTOGENETIC STUDIES IN CHILEAN PLANTS: HOW MUCH HAVE WE PROGRESSED?

An overview is provided on the cytogenetic of Chilean plants, highlighting information gathered from more than a century of work carried out by foreign and national researchers who have contributed to the study of native species. We briefly present the progress made to date and also emphasize some strategies that, in our opinion, could spur further advances in this second century of cytogenetic studies in Chilean plants. Key words: Cytogenetics, cytogenomics, Chilean plants.

Production, morphology, and cytogenetics of intergeneric hybrids of Elymus L. species with Triticum aestivum L. and their backcross derivatives

Elymus canadensis L. (2n = 28, SSHH), E. dahuricus Turcz. ex Griseb. (2n = 42, SSHH??), and E. cylindricus (Franch.) Honda (2n = 42, SSHH??) were successfully hybridized with Triticum aestivum L. cv. Chinese Spring (2n = 42, AABBDD) by in vivo – in vitro embryo culture. The F1 hybrids were male sterile and morphologically intermediate to their parents. The average numbers of associated chromosome arms per cell were 0.24, 2.04, and 0.65, and the mean arm association frequencies were 0.0086, 0.0486, and 0.0155, respectively. The first backcross derivatives all resulted from fusion of an euploid, hypoploid, or hyperploid unreduced F1 female gamete with a normal male gamete of common wheat. They had average numbers of associated arms per cell of 27.10, 24.36, and 23.84, and average chromosome arm association frequencies of 0.644, 0.580, and 0.568, respectively. First backcross derivatives were male sterile but morphologically, closer to their wheat parents. This study shows that no homologous genomes exist between Elymus and Triticum and that gene transfer between these two genera would be very difficult but not impossible. Key words: cytogenetics, Elymus L., Triticum L., hybrid (intergeneric).