The Transfer of Thinopyrum-Derived Leaf-rust Resistance from Common Wheat to Durum Wheat.

The leaf rust resistance gene on chromosome 7AL of ‘Chinese Spring’ transfer no. 12 derived from Thinopyrum ponticum, was transferred to durum wheat by standard backcrossing. In ‘Agatha’ and ‘Indis’ a leaf rust resistance gene from Thinopyrum ponticum and Thinopyrum ponticum respectively, is found on a translocated segment on chromosome arm 7DL. The use of the ‘Langdon’ disomic D-chromosome substitution lines for 7A and 7B resulted in the recovery of tetraploid leaf-rust resistant lines from the crosses with ‘Agatha’ in the B₂F₁ generation. Tetraploid lines carrying the ‘Indis’ translocation segment were recovered in the B₂F₂ generation. The F₂ segregation ratios for rust resistance after selfing or back-crossing generally fitted a 1: 1 ratio indicating non-transmission of the translocation segments in the male gametes. Homozygous resistant plants were not obtained. Meiotic instability was observed in 28 chromosome B₂ F₂ derivatives of the crosses between ‘Chinese Spring’ transfer no. 12 and durum wheat.     

Comparison of two fertility restoration systems against photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility in wheat

A ‘two‐line system’ using photoperiod‐sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility (PCMS) caused by Aegilops crassa cytoplasm under a long‐day photoperiod ( 15 h) has been proposed as a new means of producing hybrid varieties in common wheat. The PCMS line is maintained by self‐pollination under short‐day conditions, and hybrid seeds can be produced through outcrossing of the PCMS line with a pollinator under long‐day conditions. Two kinds of fertility restoration systems against the PCMS are known. One is involved with a set of multiple fertility‐restoring (Rf) genes in the wheat cultivar ‘Norin 61’ located on (at least) chromosomes 4A, 1D, 3D and 5D. The other is controlled by a single dominant major Rf gene, Rfd1, located on the long arm of chromosome 7B in the wheat cultivar ‘Chinese Spring’. To examine the degree of fertility restoration by these two systems, nine PCMS lines were crossed with ‘Norin 61’ and ‘Chinese Spring’ as the restorer lines, and the F₁ hybrids were investigated. The degree of fertility restoration was estimated by comparing the seed set rates in the F₁ hybrids having the Ae. crassa cytoplasm and those with normal cytoplasm. The results revealed that the fertility restoration ability of a set of multiple Rf genes in ‘Norin 61’ was higher than that of the Rfd1 gene in ‘Chinese Spring’.     

Effects of Wheat Chromosome 1D Telosomes on Hybrid Seed Development in Wheat × Rye Crosses

Pollination of ‘Chinese Spring,’ monosome 1D plants with rye results in failure of hybrid seed development in a proportion of the F₁ seeds corresponding to the transmission rate of the nullisomic 1D egg cells. Development and viability of these hybrid seeds closely resemble that normally observed in T. aurum× rye crosses. Using ‘Chinese Spring’ chromosome ID telosomic plants in crosses with rye, it was possible to illustrate that the observed effect was associated with the long arm of this chromosome.     

Molecular and physical mapping of genes affecting awning in wheat

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for three traits related to awning (awn length at the base, the middle and the top of the ear) in wheat were mapped in a doubled‐haploid line (DH) population derived from the cross between the cultivars ‘Courtot’ (awned) and ‘Chinese Spring’ (awnless) and grown in Clermont‐Ferrand, France, under natural field conditions. A molecular marker linkage map of this cross that was previously constructed based on 187 DH lines and 550 markers was used for the QTL mapping. The genome was well covered (more than 95%) and a set of anchor loci regularly spaced (one marker every 20.8 cM) was chosen for marker regression analysis. For each trait, only two consistent QTL were identified with individual effects ranging from 8.5 to 45.9% of the total phenotypic variation. These two QTL cosegregated with the genes Hd on chromosome 4A and B2 on chromosome 6B, which are known to inhibit awning. The results were confirmed using ‘Chinese Spring’ deletion lines of these two chromosomes, which have awned spikes, while ‘Chinese Spring’ is usually awnless. No quantitative trait locus was detected on chromosome 5A where the B1 awn‐inhibitor gene is located, suggesting that both ‘Courtot’ and ‘Chinese Spring’ have the same allelic constitution at this locus. The occurrence of awned speltoid spikes on the deletion lines of this chromosome suggests that ‘Chinese Spring’ and ‘Courtot’ have the dominant B1 allele, indicating that B1 alone has insufficient effect to induce complete awn inhibition.     

Chromosome location of genes affecting polyphenol oxidase activity in seeds of common and durum wheat

This study used cytogenetic stocks to investigate the chromosomal location of genes responsible for polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in common and durum wheat seeds. Substitution lines of chromosome 2A of hexaploid varieties ‘Cheyenne’, ‘Thatcher’ and ‘Timstein’ in ‘Chinese Spring’ showed significantly higher PPO activity than all other substitution lines of the same variety, with the exception of substitutions of ‘Cheyenne’ chromosome 3A and ‘Thatcher’ chromosome 4B. Substitution lines of chromosome 2A of Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides and of chromosome 2D of ‘Chinese Spring’ into the tetraploid variety ‘Langdon’ showed a significant increase in PPO activity relative to all other substitution lines in Langdon. The gene(s) responsible for high PPO activity in chromosome 2D from ‘Chinese Spring’ was mapped on the long arm within a deletion that represents 24% of the distal part of the arm. This study shows that genes located in homoeologous group 2 play a major role in the activity of PPO in wheat.     

Genetic analysis of fertility restoration against photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility in Triticum aestivum cv. Norin 61

Triticum aestivum cv. Norin 26 with the Aegilops crassa cytoplasm becomes almost completely male sterile when grown under a long-day condition (15 h of light or longer), but is highly male fertile under a short-day condition (14.5h or less). This type of male sterility is called photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility (PCMS). Genetic analyses were made of the fertility-restoring (Rf) genes effective against PCMS that are present in T. aestivum cv. Norin 61. Conventional and monosomic studies indicated that restoration of fertility is controlled by multiple Rf genes located on at least four chromosomes: 4 A, 1D, 3D and 5D. The genetic mechanism of fertility restoration by the genes of‘Norin 61’differs from the mechanisms reported for‘Chinese Spring’and a‘Norin 26’mutant line.     

Intergeneric Transfer (Rye to Wheat) of a Gene(s) for Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance

An octoploid triticale was derived from the F, of a Russian wheat aphid-resistant rye, ‘Turkey 77’, and ‘Chinese Spring’ wheat. The alloploid was crossed to common wheat, and to ‘Imperial’ rye/‘Chinese Spring’ disomic addition lines. F₂, progeny from these crosses were tested for Russian wheat aphid resistance and C-banded. A resistance gene(s) was found to be associated with chromosome arm IRS of the ‘Turkey 77’ rye genome. A monotelosomic IRS (‘Turkey 77’) addition plant was then crossed with the wheat cultivar ‘Gamtoos’, which has the 1BL.1RS ‘Veery’ translocation. Unlike the IRS segment in ‘Gamtoos’, the ‘Turkey 77’-derived 1 RS telosome did not express the rust resistance genes Sr31 and Ar26, which could then be used as markers. From the F, a monotelosomic 1 RS addition plant that was also heterozygous for the 1BL. 1 RS translocation was selected and testerossed with an aphid-susceptible common wheat, ‘Inia 66’ Meiotic pairing between the rye arms resulted in the recovery of five euploid Russian-wheat-aphid-resistant plants. One recombinant also retained Sr31 and Lr26 and was selfed to produce translocation homozygotes.     

Evaluation of common wheat cultivars for tan spot resistance and chromosomal location of a resistance gene in the cultivar 'Salamouni'

A total of 50 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were evaluated for resistance to tan spot, using Pyrenophora tritici‐repentis race 1 and race 5 isolates. The cultivars ‘Salamouni’, ‘Red Chief’, ‘Dashen’, ‘Empire’ and ‘Armada’ were resistant to isolate ASC1a (race 1), whereas 76% of the cultivars were susceptible. Chi‐squared analysis of the F₂ segregation data of hybrids between 20 monosomic lines of the wheat cultivar ‘Chinese Spring’ and the resistant cultivar ‘Salamouni’ revealed that tan spot resistance in ‘Salamouni’ was controlled by a single recessive gene located on chromosome 3A. This gene is designated tsn4. The resistant cultivars identified in this study are recommended for use in breeding programmes to improve tan spot resistance in common wheat.     

Effects of Salinity on Growth, Ionic Relations and Physiological Traits of Wheat, Disomic Addition Lines from Thinopyrum bessarabicum, and Two Amphiploids

The effects of NaCl on the growth, ion relations and physiological characteristics at early stages of growth of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties ‘Chinese Spring’ and ‘Glennson 81’, ‘Chinese Spring’ lines tetrasomic for chromosomes 5A, 2B and 5B, ‘Chinese Spring’ disomic addition lines for chromosomes 2E^b and 5E^b from Thinopyrum bessarabicum (formerly Agropyron junceum), and amphiploids between ‘Chinese Spring’ and Thinopyrum bessarabicum and ‘Chinese Spring’ and Lophopyrum elongatum (formerly Agropyron elongatum) were examined. Plants were grown in a controlled environment cabinet, in nutrient solution with or without addition of 200 mol m^?3 NaCl. Growth in terms of leaf area, shoot and root weights was reduced by salt treatment. Salinity conditions gradually reduced the osmotic potential, though there was little effect on water potential. Turgor pressure was not much affected by salt. There was variation between genotypes for all the characteristics studied, especially in the extent of Na accumulation by leaves and roots. The amphiploids and 5E^b addition line accumulated the least Na in comparison with other genotypes. Generally roots accumulated lower quantities of Na than leaves. Genotype K contents were not affected by salt treatment. Stomatal conductance also declined whilst the ABA content increased in the salt treated seedlings. With respect to growth, the amphiploids and 5Eb addition line were most tolerant to salt while ‘Glennson 81’, tetrasomic 2B and tetrasomic 5B lines were most susceptible. The addition of homoeologous group 2 and 5 chromosomes reduced the tolerance to salt relative to ‘Chinese Spring’ euploid. It is concluded that chromosome 5E^b of Thinopyrum bessarabicum carries gene(s) for tolerance to salt and this tolerance may be due to the ability to exclude Na ions from the leaves and roots.     

A New Source of Resistance to Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides, Cause of Eyespot Disease of Wheat, Located on Chromosome 4V of Dasypyrum villosum

Resistance to Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides in five wheat cultivars, accession W6 7283 of Dasypyrum villosum, and ‘Chinese Spring’ disomic addition lines of the D. villosum chromosomes IV, 2V, 4V, 5V, 6V and 7V, was evaluated in seedlings by measuring disease progress 6 weeks after inoculation with a β—glucuronidase—transformed strain of the pathogen and by visual estimates of disease severity. D. villosum and the disomic addition line of chromosome 4V were as resistant as wheat cultivars ‘VPM—1’ and ‘Cappelle Desprez’, but less resistant than ‘Rendezvous’. Resistance of the chromosome 4V disomic addition line was equivalent to that of D. villosum.‘Chinese Spring’ and disomic addition lines of IV, 2V, 5V, 6V and 7V were all susceptible. These results confirm Sparaguee's (1936) report of resistance in D. villosum to P. herpotrichoides and establish the chromosomal location for the genes controlling resistance. The presence of chromosome 4V in the addition line and its homocology to chromosome 4 in wheat were confirmed by Southern analysis of genomic DNA using chromosome group 4-specific clones. This genetic locus is not homoeologous with other known genes for resistance to P. herpotrichoides located on chromosome group 7, and thus represents a new source of resistance to this pathogen.     

Chromosomal location of genes affecting tissue-culture response in wheat

Six ‘Chinese Spring/Triticum spelta’ substitution lines for chromosomes 1A, 1D (duplicates), 3D (duplicates), 6D, and one ‘Chinese Spring/ Marquis’ substitution line for chromosome 2B were studied for tissue-culture response (TCR). The results reported here indicate that chromosomes 2B and 6D are critical for TCR, whereas chromosome ID affects callus weight only. Chromosomes 1A and 3D were not found to be critical, however, these chromosomes may carry genes with minor effects.     

Recessive genes controlling resistance to Helminthosporium leaf blight in synthetic hexaploid wheat

A study was conducted under controlled environment conditions in a phytotron to determine the nature of the inheritance of resistance Helminthosporium leaf blight (HLB) in a synthetic hexaploid wheat line, ‘Chirya‐3’, against the isolate KL‐8 of Bipolaris sorokiniana from the major wheat growing region of India. Crosses were made between two susceptible lines ‘WH 147’ and ‘Chinese Spring’. Analyses of F₁ and F₂ populations of these two crosses (‘WH 147’בChirya‐3’ and ‘Chinese Spring’בChirya‐3’) showed that resistance against the isolate in ‘Chirya‐3’ was governed by two recessive genes functioning in a complementary interaction giving an F₂ segregation pattern of 1 : 15 (resistant : susceptible). The segregation pattern of the resistant F₂ progenies in F₃ families from both crosses confirmed that two homozygous recessive genes were responsible for resistance to the isolate of Bipolaris sorokiniana in the synthetic line ‘Chirya‐3’. It is proposed that the genes be designated as hlbr1 and hlbr2.     

Development of dominant nuclear male-sterile lines with a blue seed marker in durum and common wheat

In order to develop genie male‐sterile lines with a blue seed marker, male‐sterile plants, controlled by a dominant nuclear gene Ms2, were used as female parents against a 4E disomic addition line ‘Xiaoyan Lanli’(2n= 44, AABBDD+4EII) as the male parent to produce monosomic addition lines with blue seed. Male‐sterile plants from the monosomic addition lines were pollinated with durum wheat for several generations and in 1989 a male‐sterile line with the blue grain gene and the male‐sterile gene Ms2 on the same additional chromosome was detected and named line 89‐2343. Using this line, the blue seed marker was successfully added to a short male‐sterile line containing Ms2 and Rht10. The segregation ratios of male sterility and seed colour as well as the chromosome figurations of different plants indicated that the blue grain genes, Ms2 and Rht10 were located on the same additional chromosome. Cytological analysis showed that the blue marker male‐sterile lines in durum wheat and common wheat were monosomic with an additional chromosome 4E. The inheritance ratio for blue seed male‐sterile plants and white seed male‐fertile plants was 19.7% and 80.3%, respectively, in common wheat. The potential for using blue marker sterile lines in population improvement and hybrid production is discussed.     

Responses to salt stress controlled by the homoeologous group 5 chromosomes of hexaploid wheat

The responses to salt stress in NFT (nutrient film) hydroponics of ‘Chinese Spring’ wheat and a number of its aneuploids involving the chromosomes of homoeologous group 5 were studied. This showed that the absence of chromosome 5D allowed plants to survive better than in the euploid condition. Much of this response could be related to the effects of Vrn3, which conditions the spring habit of ‘Chinese Spring’. The ability to survive relatively high levels of stress was promoted by the group 5 homoeologue from Thinopyrum bessarabicum.     

Hybrids of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) with Thinopyrum scirpeum (4x) and Thinopyrum junceum (6x)

Hybrids were obtained by crossing Thinopyrum scirpeum (4x) and T. junceum (6x) onto Triticum aestivum cv, ‘Chinese Spring’. An average meiotic pairing of 24.44^I+ 5.07^II+ 0.14^IIIin the ‘Chinese Spring’×T. scirpeum hybrid (ABDE₁E²) is attributed to two similar genomes from T. scirpeum (E₁E₂E₃E₄). An average meiotic chromosome pairing in the other hybrid (ABDJ₁J₂E₃) was 31.70^I+ 3.80^II+ 0.90^III and is attributed to autosyndetic pairing between the three genomes of T. junceum.     

Detection of an earliness per se quantitative trait locus in the proximal region of wheat chromosome 5AL

A homoeologous quantitative trait locus to that of eps5L on barley chromosome 5H was identified in a syntenic region of wheat chromosome 5A. Wheat single chromosome recombinant lines (SCRs) were developed from a cross between ‘Chinese Spring’(‘Cappelle-Desprez’ 5A) and ‘Chinese Spring’(Triticum spelta 5A), these were grown together with the parental controls under different vernalization and photoperiod regimes. The variation for ear emergence time accelerated heading induced by the T. spelta segment indicated an effect associated with the Xcdo412-Xbcd9 interval. Since no differences between the SCRs and controls in responses to vernalization and photoperiod treatments were detected, this effect was identified as an earliness per se gene, Q Eetocs-5 A.2, which may be homoeologous to the eps5L quantitative trait locus of barley. Xbcd926 has been found to be closely linked to the rice flowering time quantitative trait loci, QHd9a or FLTQ2, on chromosome 9, suggesting possible relationships among the quantitative trait loci across wheat, barley and rice genomes.     

A new male sterile mutant LZ in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

Genetic male sterility (GMS) genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be used for commercial hybrid seed production. A new wheat GMS mutant, LZ, was successfully used in the 4E-ms system for producing hybrid wheat, a new approach of producing hybrid seed based on GMS. Our objective was to analyse the genetic mechanism of male sterility and locate the GMS gene in mutant LZ to a chromosome. We firstly crossed male sterile line 257A (2n = 42) derived from mutant LZ to Chinese Spring and several other cultivars for determining the self-fertility of the F₁ hybrids and the segregation ratios of male-sterile and fertile plants in the F₂ and BC₁ generations. Secondly, we conducted nullisomic analysis by crossing male sterile plants of line 257A to 21 self-fertile nullisomic lines as male to test the F₁ fertilities and to locate the GMS gene in mutant LZ to a chromosome. Thirdly, we conducted an allelism test with Cornerstone, which has ms1c located on chromosome 4BS. All F₁s were male fertile and the segregation ratio of male-sterile: fertile plants in all BC₁ and F₂ populations fitted 1:1 and 1:3 ratios, respectively. The male sterility was stably inherited, and was not affected by environmental factors in two different locations or by the cytoplasm of wheat cultivars in four reciprocal cross combinations. The results of nullisomic analysis indicated the gene was on chromosome 4B. The allelism test showed that the mutant LZ was allelic to ms1c. We concluded that the mutant LZ has common wheat cytoplasm and carries a stably inherited monogenic recessive gene named ms1g.     

An assessment of the salt tolerance of wheat/Thinopyrum bessarabicum 5Eb addition and substitution lines

Lines of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring carrying an additional chromosome 5E^b from Thinopyrum bessarabicum or having chromosome 5A or 5D replaced by chromosome 5E^b were screened in hydroculture for tolerance to salt. The previously reported tolerance of the 5E^b addition line was confirmed and the two substitution lines were shown to have a higher level of survival in 175 mol/m³ NaCl than both the addition and the ‘Chinese Spring’ parent. Reasons for the better tolerance of the substitutions are discussed.     

A YA-type cytoplasmic male-sterile source in common wheat

A new cytoplasmic male‐sterile (CMS) system for hybrid wheat breeding, YA‐type CMS line with the cytoplasmic mutant from the common wheat variety ‘CA8057’, was developed by the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The pollen sterility of YA‐type CMS line was easily maintained but difficult to restore. Some sterile lines with desirable agronomic performance, such as msYA‐‘CA8057’ (BC₁₇), msYA‐‘Yuandong 6’ (BC₉), msYA‐‘Jin 411’ (BC₉), msYA‐‘WL1’ (BC₁₀), msYA‐‘Yanshi 9’ (BC₁₀), msYA‐‘BPm16’ (BC₉), msYA‐‘Jindong 8’ (BC₉) and msYA‐‘Jinmai 33’ (BC₉), were bred and a restorer line GR1 was screened with 26 new restorer lines being developed by transferring restorer genes from GR1. It was found that abnormal phenomena occurred at the uninucleate‐pollen stage and the abortive pollen was poor in starch content and other components. The variance analysis of agronomic traits in eight sterile lines indicated that there was no general negative effect of cytoplasm. The genetic analysis for fertility restoration showed that two pairs of independent major genes (designated YARf₁YARf₁YArf₂YArf₂) and some minor genes could be involved in the fertility restoration in restorer line GR1, and YARf₁ was epistatic over YARf₂ for the genetic effect of fertility restoration. As a new CMS system, the YA‐type CMS line was of potential value for hybrid wheat breeding and should be further studied.     

Nearly Total Absence of Homoeologous Pairing in a Hybrid between Tetraploid Hordeum chilense and Triticum aestivum

A hybrid between an induced tetraploid of Hordeum chilense (2n = 28 = H^chH^chH^chH^ch) and Triticum aestivum var. ‘Chinese Spring’ (2n = 42 = AABBDD) has been produced to test gene effects of this wild barley on homoeologous pairing in wheat. Cytological investigations in metaphase I have shown that the hybrid, which is perennial like H. chilense but morphologically more similar to the wheat parent, possesses the expected genome composition H^chH^ch ABD and a stable euploid chromosome number of 2n = 35. Pairing among the homologous H. chilense chromosomes was almost complete. The level of non-homologous chromosome association proved to be lower than the range of pairing known from euhaploids of ‘Chinese Spring’.