Characterization and molecular mapping of EMS-induced brittle culm mutants of diploid wheat (Triticum monococcum L.)

Diploid wheat (Triticum monococcum L, A^mA^m) is an ideal material for induced mutations which can be easily characterized and transferred to polyploid wheats. The EMS-induced brittle culm mutants, brc1, brc2, and brc3 used in the present investigation, were isolated from T. monococcum. All the brittle mutants had brittle roots, leaves, leaf sheaths, culms, and spikes, and were also susceptible to lodging. The mutants had 47–57% reduced α-cellulose in the secondary cell walls than that of T. monococcum indicating that all of them had defective synthesis of cellulose. All the mutants were monogenic recessive. Bulk segregation analysis of the mutants, using A^m genome anchored SSR markers in their F ₂ populations with T. boeoticum, located the mutants, brc1, brc2, and brc3 on chromosome 6A, 3A, and 1A of T. monococcum, respectively. Molecular analysis of the putatively linked markers showed that brc1 mapped on chromosome 6AS between Xbarc37 and Xbarc113 markers, brc2 on chromosome 3AL between Xcfd62 and Xcfa2170 markers whereas brc3 mapped on chromosome 1AL between Xgwm135 and Xwmc470 markers. Isolation and mapping of three different brittle culm mutants in wheat for the first time shows that there might be many more genes in wheat which affect synthesis and deposition of cellulose.