Meiotic studies of spontaneous hybrids of Amaranthus: genome analysis

The meiotic behaviour of 13 spontaneous interspecific F₁ hybrids of Amaranthus was studied. The hybrids between species with n= 16 chromosomes had 16 bivalents but varied considerably in pollen stainability (0–55%). These results suggest the existence of cryptic structural hybridity. The hybrids involving A. cruentus (n = 17) and species with n = 16 (A. caudatus and A. quitensis) always formed 15II+1 III with very low pollen stainability (5–7%). Further observations indicated that Amaranthus species are allotetraploids with basic numbers of x= 8 and x= 9 but exhibit x= 16 and x= 17 as secondary basic numbers, as demonstrated by (a) the frequent presence of 811 + 171 in the meiosis of the hybrid A. spinosus (n = 17) × A. hybridus (n= 16); and the occurrence of secondary associations between bivalents in MI. Genomic formulae are proposed for each species, on the basis of the meiotic behaviour of the hybrids studied.     

Reproductive Behavior of Hexaploid/Diploid Wheat Hybrids 1

The bottleneck restricting introgression of useful genes directly from diploid into hexaploid wheats is the low number of BC₁F₁ seeds obtained. In crosses between hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; AABBDD) and Aegilops squarrosa L. (DD) or T. urartu Thum. (AA), this bottleneck may be overcome simply by pollinating a sufficient number of F₁ spikes. However, hybrids between hexaploid wheat cultivars (T. aestivum) and T. monococcum L. (AA) generally are highly female-sterile, often having no pistils. One T. monococcum accession, PI 355520, when crossed with T. aestivum, produced hybrids with female fertility in the same range as that of T. aestivum/A. squarrosa or T. aestivum/T. urartu hybrids, ca. 0.5 to 1.0 backcross seed per spike. We found that female fertility was controlled by two duplicate genes in PI 355520, and that this accession can be used as a bridging parent to introgress genes from other T. monococcum accessions into hexaploid wheat. Pairing of homologous chromosomes was less frequent and weaker in such crosses than in T. aestivum/A. squarrosa crosses, but homoeologous bivalents occurred at a rate of almost 0.5 II per cell. Restitution division was detected in crosses involving all three diploid species and was confirmed cytologically in crosses with PI 355520. Chromosome numbers of BC₁F₁ plants ranged from 35 to 67; plants with 49 or more chromosomes occurred at frequencies of 0.09 to 0.21 among progeny of A. squarrosa and T. urartu and 0.29 in progeny of T. aestivum/T. monococcum crosses involving PI 355520. These results are consistent with those of previous studies, demonstrating the potential of direct Hexaploid/diploid crosses for rapidly introgressing useful genes into Hexaploid wheat with minimum disturbance of the background genotype.     

A gene for hybrid necrosis in an inbred line of rye (Secale cereale L.)

Summary An inbred line of rye (Secale cereale L.) has been found to carry a gene for hybrid necrosis. This gene was detected in crosses with a highly crossable wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotype which carries the gene Ne₂. This appears to be the first report of a gene for hybrid necrosis being present in the rye genome.     

Incongruity of interspecific and intergeneric crosses involving Nicotiana and Petunia species that exhibit potential for somatic hybridization

Summary Extensive pollinations were made in attempts to produce selected intergeneric or interspecific hybrids using Nicotiana and Petunia species that exhibit potential for somatic hybridization. Pollination between pairs of species was done by standard and bud-pollination methods. Nicotiana alata or N. tabacum when pollinated reciprocally with selected Petunia species failed to produce hybrids. Likewise, no interspecific hybrids were obtained between Petunia parviflora and 4 Petunia species or P. hybrida. The type of incongruity existing between these species is discussed in relation to the production of hybrids by standard In vitro techniques as compared to somatic hybridization.On leave from the Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, Michigan, USA. supported by a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) fellowship and The Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation, N. Y., USA.Supported by the Agricultural Research Council.     

Yield performance of interspecific F1 hybrids of the greek mountain tea, Sideritis spp. L.

Interspecific F₁ hybrids were produced after artificial intercrossing of six Sideritis species indigenous to Greece, namely: S. athoa, S. euboea, S. syriaca, S. raeseri, S. scardica, S. clandestina and a cultivated clone of S. raeseri. It was found that all species cross with each other, but the level of crossability varied with the cross-combination. In the yield evaluation experiments, the interspecific hybrids with a common female parent were considered as a group. It was observed that yield during the year of establishment was relatively low, but the interspecific hybrids out-yielded the control in both fresh and dry weight. All hybrids produced higher yields in the following years and their productivity started to decline after the fifth year. All hybrids produced higher yields than the control in all six years of the experiment. The highest yield over the years, in fresh and dry weight, was produced by the group Sideritis raeseri cultivated clone (cc) ×Sideritis spp. This yield, however, was not always significantly different from the yield produced by the second in the rank group (S. clandestina×Sideritis spp.). A high correlation (r > 0.99) between fresh and dry weight was observed. The two groups with the highest yield also had the highest essential oil content. In addition, all the interspecific hybrids had a higher essential oil content than the control species. Furthermore, the essential oil content of the selected individual hybrid plants ranged between the midparental value to a value higher than the high-parental species, indicating an additive and dominance gene action. It was also found that the content of the essential oil in the seven most important components (pinene, lemonene, cynene, menthone, copaene, caryophyllene and valerianic ester) varied from hybrid to hybrid. Given that Sideritis reproduces mainly asexually, the direct use of individual interspecific hybrids with higher yield and content in essential oil than the control species is possible in cultivation.     

Development of B-Genome Chromosome Addition Lines of B. napus Using Different Interspecific Brassica Hybrids

By interspecific hybridization within the genus Brassica, trigenomic haploids were produced and back-crossed four times with B. napus, variety ‘Andor’. From this material, monosomic B-genome chromosome addition lines were selected with the extra chromosome derived from three different B-genome sources, i.e., B. nigra (BB), B. carinata (BBCC), and B. juncea (AABB). After selfing and/or microspore culture, disomic addition lines were obtained. Meiotic behavior was studied of the trigenomic hybrids, the pentaploid BC₁ plants, and the monosomic addition lines. The addition lines were shown to possess cytological stability and good fertility.     

Chromosomal structural changes in Capsicum annuum L. and C. chinense Jacq.

Summary Wide hybridizations between M. arvensis and Brassica amphidiploid species (B. napus and B. juncea) were carried out in order to incorporate desirable traits of M. arvensis into Brassica crops. Crossing barriers between them were present without the use of in vitro techniques. F₁ hybrids have been produced through ovary culture, when M. arvensis were used as a female parent. Higher hybrid embryo productivity (3.07 embryos per pollination) was obtained in the cross of M. arvensis x B. napus than in that of M. arvensis x B. juncea (0.79 embryos). The hybridity was confirmed by morphology, cytology, isozyme and Southern analyses. The first backcrossing progenies and open pollinated ones were produced.     

Comparison of fertility between the F1, F2 and anther derived lines in the crosses of indica/japonica and japonica/indica in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary Response of anthers in in vitro culture was examined in the indica-japonica hybrids of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Significant genotypic differences were observed for callus induction and regeneration among the different interracial hybrids of indica-japonica races. Induction frequency of haploids ranged from 57.7 to 72.9 per cent and doubled haploid androgenic lines ranged from 27.1 to 42.3 per cent in the anther culture of the different hybrids. The indica-japonica hybrids recorded partial pollen grain and spikelet fertility in F1 (29.9 to 41.5% and 19.4 to 48.7% respectively) as well as in F2 (42.7 to 50.6% and 37.1 to 54.4% respectively). In contrast, the androgenic doubled haploid lines recorded significant increase and the pollen grain and spikelet fertility was 76.3 and 78.6 per cent respecitively. The results suggested that the sterility barriers for realising genetic recombinants and fixation of fertile homozygous lines in indica-japonica hybridization programme could be overcome through F1 anther culture technique.Abbreviations BAP Benzyl Amino Purine - 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid - MS Murashige & Skoog medium - IAA Indole Acetic Acid     

Production of interspecific hybrids between Glycine max and G. tomentella through embryo culture

Summary Interspecific hybrids have been obtained in an incompatible cross between Glycine max and G. tomentella through the in vitro culture of hybrid embryos. The percentage of successful pod setting in the crosses averaged 12.8% but there were marked differences depending on the soybean cultivar used as the female parent. Hybrid embryos at globular to heart stages were extracted from the embryo sac 15–25 days after pollination and cultured in vitro. Hybrid plants were successfully obtained by culturing the embryos on B5 medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l IBA followed by culture on B5 medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l TBA plus 0.25 mg/l 2-iP. The F1 plants resembled the wild male parent in growth form, but had an intermediate leaf shape between that of the parents.     

Interspecific hybrids of Cyclamen persicum and C. graecum

Summary Interspecific crosses were made to introduce the disease resistance of Cyclamen graecum into C. persicum cultivars and the abortive hybrid embryos were rescued by ovule culture. Diploid and tetraploid cultivars of C. persicum (CPD, 2n=2x=48; CPT, 2n=4x=96) were the pistillate parents and wild form of C. graecum (CG, 2n=84) were the staminate parents. After pollination, crossed ovaries were periodically collected and examined using paraffin sections. Histological observations suggested that both hybrid ovules of CPD × CG and CPT × CG should be transferred to the culture medium 35 days after pollination. Based upon this observation, crossed ovaries were collected 35 days after pollination, then ovules with placenta were explanted on culture medium and cultured in the dark at 25°C. Plantlets were induced from ovules cultured in MS medium containing 3% sucrose and 10% coconut milk. The hybrids (2n=66) derived from CPD × CG failed to yield viable seeds by self-pollination, although they showed some pollen fertility. In contrast, the hybrids (2n=90) derived from CPT × CG showed high pollen fertility and yielded viable seeds by self-pollination. Furthermore, they were resistant to disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cyclaminis, Erwinia herbicola pv. cyclamenae and Pseudomonas marginalis pv. marginalis.Abbreviations CPD C. persicum diploid - CPT C. persicum tetraploid - CG C. graecum