Partial asynapsis involving specific chromosomes in intervarietal hybrids of Triticum aestivum L.

Summary Metaphase I chromosome association of the monosomic F1 and the backcross progenies made to develop a monosomic line in the Spanish common wheat Pané-247 was analyzed using a Giemsa C-banding technique. This permits the unequivocal identification of nine meiotic chromosomes (4A, 7A and the seven chromosomes of the B genome). The average frequencies of pairing per arm and of univalents for these nine pairs per arm and of univalents for these nine pairs indicate a difference between arms. The F1 showed asynapsis with univalents in 18.5 per cent of PMC's in intervarietal hybrids. This mainly involved chromosomes 4A, 1B and 6B which also have the largest amount of constitutive heterochromatin. The possible causes of reduced metaphase I association and its rapid decrease during backcrossing are discussed in relation to polymorphism between heterozygous homologous chromosomes.     

Chromosomal location of genes controlling grain size in a large grained selection of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary Grain size in wheat is the most stable yield component and has a favorable effect on flour yield. To identify the chromosomes associated with the large grains of line G603-86, (grain weight over 60 mg and grain length of about 9 mm), F₃ lines, extracted from F₂ populations obtained from F₁ monosomics of crosses between G603-86 (P₁) and the monosomic set of Favorit (P₂) were tested in the field. ANOVA showed significant differences among parents for grain weight and grain length, but not for grain width or the factor expressing the difference in grain form and density. Homoeologous groups had significant effects on grain weight and on all components of grain weight, while genomes were not significantly different for any of these characters. Grain weight was significantly increased by chromosomes 6D and 4A of G603-86. Grain length was significantly increased by chromosomes 4A, 4B, 2B, 3A and 1B, grain width by chromosomes 1A and 1B, and the factor form-density by chromosomes 6D and 6A. The high grain size in G603-86 results from the effects of genes located on many chromosomes which affect grain dimensions, form and density.     

Genetical and anatomical analyses of a leaf flecking mutant in Triticum aestivum L.

Flecking trait in the mutant C591 (M8) Triticum aestivum L. is a stable,developmentally programmed, dominant mutation under monogenic control resembling pathogenic attack and starts appearing only from boot leaf stage of the plant. Mutant plants differ significantly from normal plants in terms of total chlorphyll contents only at later stages of symptom spread when the flecks fully cover the leaf sheath and leaves. However, total grain weight per main spike of mutant did not differ significantly from the normal plants. Microscopic studies of the mutant leaves did not reveal any damaging effect of the mutation on leaf anatomy per se, even though differences were observed in chlorophyll filling in mesophyll cells. Considering the peculiar characteristics of the mutation, many of which resembling the disease lesion mimic mutations in other crops, this is suspected to be such a mutation in wheat. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Major gene control of tolerance of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to high concentrations of soil boron

Summary The genetic control of tolerance of wheat to high concentrations of soil boron was studied for five genotypes. Each genotype represented one of five categories of response to high levels of boron, ranging from very sensitive to tolerant. Tolerance to boron was expressed as a partially dominant character, although the response of an F₁ hybrid, relative to the parents, varied with the level of boron applied. The F₁ hybrids responded similarly to the more tolerant parent at low B treatments and intermediate to the parents at higher treatments. Ratios consistent with monogenic segregation were observed for the F₂ and F₃ generations for the combinations (WI^*MMC) × Kenya Farmer, Warigal × (WI^*MMC) and Halberd × Warigal. The three genes, Bo1, Bo2 and Bo3, while transgressive segregation between two tolerant genotypes, G61450 and Halberd, suggested a fourth locus controlling tolerance to boron.     

Chromosomal location of powdery mildew resistance genes in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) 3. Gene Pm22 in cultivar Virest

Summary Common wheat cultivar Virest possesses mildew resistance which is different from resistances expressed by currently documented mildew resistance genes, detected by response to eleven differential wheat powdery mildew isolates. F₂ populations from hybrids of the 21 Chinese Spring monosomic lines with Virest revealed one major dominant gene, located on wheat chromosome 1D. The new gene is designated Pm22. Italian cultivars Elia, Est Mottin, Ovest and Tudest also showed the disease response pattern corresponding to Virest.     

Physiological studies on grass-dwarf selection lines in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary Low power heating wires insulated in a flexible plastic strip were used to heat the shoot meristematic region of grass-dwarf genotypes to a precise temperature. The results indicate that the shoot apical meristem is the region requiring 26°C for the initiation of reproductive development in these genotypes. A secondary effect of the reproductive growth induced by high temperature treatments, was a reduction in the high levels of peroxidase enzymes found in vegetative grass-dwarf plants. The heating wire provides a precise method to identify Type I, II and III grass-dwarf genotypes according to their temperature requirements, of 26°C, 21°C and 16°C respectively, for reproductive growth under the same temperature (16 C) and photoperiod (12 hours).     

Location of genes for high grain protein percentage and other quantitative traits in wild wheat Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides

Summary The genetic control of grain protein percentage (GPP) in the wild tetraploid wheat, Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides, was determined by crossing four accessions of this taxonomic variety with durum cultivar Inbar, and analyzing the parents, F₁ and F₂ populations. Reciprocal crosses indicated no cytoplasmic effect on GPP. The F₂ variation was continuous in all crosses, showing no transgressive segregation. However, crosses between different accessions of var. dicoccoides showed transgressive segregation indicating the presence of different genes for high GPP in these accessions. Grain protein percentage was mostly codominant with high GPP, showing either no dominance, or a weak dominance. Heritability coefficients (broad sense) ranged from 0.30 to 0.53. Correlation coefficients between GPP and yield components were usually significantly negative, with the exception of the number of spikelets per spike, and in some crosses, grain weight.The number and chromosomal location of genes coding for high GPP were determined by the association between GPP and 27 markers (23 morphological and 4 biochemical markers). For this purpose, the genetic control of these markers, their linkage groups and chromosomal location were studied. At least four loci for high GPP that segregated in the F₂ populations are suggested: one on chromosome arm 1AS, marked by the black glume gene (Bg); one on 1BS, marked by the HMW gliadin locus Gli-B1; one on group 5, marked by the genes for beaked glume (Bkg) and toothed palea (Tp); and one on group 7, marked by the kinky neck gene (Kn). The relationship between GPP and several yield components was studied in a similar manner. In general, loci of markers that correlated positively with high GPP were not correlated with a decrease in yield components. Moreover, several loci of var. dicoccoides were associated with an increase in yield components.The utilization of markers for chromosomal location of genes coding for quantitative traits is compared to the technique of aneuploid analysis, commonly used in wheat. The significance of the above findings for breeding is discussed.     

Monosomic analysis of Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) resistance in Triticum aestivum line PI137739

Summary The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Homoptera: Aphididae), has become an important pest of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the United States. The aphid causes a phytotoxemic reaction in wheat evidenced by local and systemic chlorosis and rolling of infested leaves. Developing resistance in wheat cultivars to D. noxia is an essential factor in controlling the damage caused by this pest. Several sources of genetic resistance to D. noxia have been identified in wheat germplasm. Monosomic analysis of the monogenic resistant T. aestivum accession PI137739 has shown that the gene (Dn1) for resistance is carried on chromosome 7D. It appears that chromosome 7B may carry a second resistance gene for D. noxia that might be a source of minor or complementary gene action for resistance.     

Inheritance of leaf angle in Triticum aestivum L.

Summary A 6×6 diallel was prepared to study the inheritance of leaf angle in T. aestivum L. Genetic analysis in terms of diallel cross parameters and graphic analysis indicated the control of additive gene effects in the expression of this character. The results of F₁ analysis were supported by the analysis of F₂ data.     

C-band polymorphism and structural rearrangements detected in common wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Summary Giemsa C-banding allows for the identification of all 21 chromosome pairs of hexaploid wheat. However, variation in banding patterns of individual chromosomes and structural rearrangements exist between different cultivars making chromosome identification more difficult. The paper summarizes the available data on C-band polymorphism and structural rearrangement present in wheat cultivars and germplasms.     

Genetic variation for nitrogen use efficiency in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary The new European Common Agricultural Policy and environmental considerations are certainly to change agricultural practices toward low input cultivation systems. Nitrogen is one of the main inputs of winter wheat in northern France and it contributes highly to phreatic water pollution. A research programme has then been set up in order to study whether it is possible to breed for winter wheat cultivars using more efficiently N fertilisers. Less nitrogen would be applied, decreasing pollution risks and operational costs. It has been shown that a large variation exists for N related traits and for the resistance against N deficiency. On the one hand the cv Arche is very resistant to N deficiency, its yield on low N conditions (with no N fertiliser) is on average 89% of its yield on high N conditions (with a high N application). On the other hand, cv Récital is very susceptible to N deficiency as this same percentage is only 61%. A study on 10 hybrids showed that heterosis for grain yield was higher at low N level than at high N level. This was due to a higher number of grains per m².     

Isolation, chromosomal location, and expression analysis of putative powdery mildew resistance genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Special and degenerate primers are designed according to the conservative sequence of barley powdery mildew resistance genes Mla1, Mla6, and Mla13. Two wheat Mla-like orthologs, TaMla-2 and TaMla-3 are cloned and sequenced from the cDNA of wheat resistant-powdery mildew line TAM104R by RT-PCR method. TaMla-2 and TaMla-3 encode distinct but highly related coiled-coil nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat type (NBS-LRR) resistant disease proteins and both reveal about 74 and 81% identity with amino acid sequence of Mla1, respectively. They are multiple copies in wheat genomes, one copy of them is mapped on wheat chromosome 1AL and two on 1BL using Chinese Spring nulli-tetra-somic lines and ditelosomic lines of 1A, 1B and 1D in southern analysis. This result suggests that may be the two Mla-like genes originated from the two diploid ancestral genomes, respectively. The expression pattern analysis of semi-quantitative PCR shows the TaMla genes are mainly expressed in leaf and sheath, and expression level is enhanced in organs infected by Erysiphe graminis, suggesting that TaMla-2 and TaMla-3 are powdery mildew resistance related-genes in wheat. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Effects of dwarfing genes on yield and yield components under irrigated and rainfed conditions in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary Near-isogenic tall (no dwarfing gene), semidwarf (Rht1 or Rht2) and dwarf (Rht1 + Rht2 or Rht3) spring wheat lines were evaluated for yield and yield components under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Under irrigated conditions, the dwarf and the semidwarf lines exhibited a significant yield advantage over the tall lines. Under rainfed conditions, the semidwarf lines outyielded the tall as well as the dwarf lines. Percent yield reduction in response to drought stress was highest with the dwarfs and lowest with the tall lines. Dry matter production of the tall lines and that of the semidwarf lines did not differ significantly and both produced significantly more dry matter than the dwarf lines under irrigated as well as rainfed conditions. Plant height and kernel weight decreased with increasing degree of dwarfness while number of kernels per spikelet, harvest index and days to heading increased under both moisture regimes. The dwarfing genes did not have any significant influence on number of tillers/m² and spikelets per spike in either moisture regime.     

Evidence for a ‘uniculm effect’ in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a mediterranean environment

Summary The concept of the uniculm habit as an important feature of a wheat ideotype for a mediterranean environment was evaluated under field conditions. A uniculm plant produces a single shoot and when sown in a stand exemplifies a non-tillering crop with a fixed density of shoots throughout the growing season. Yield and harvest index of normal tillering spring wheat was compared with that of the same crop surgically detillered throughout the growing season to a constant density of 2 shoots per plant. The use of a biculm, whilst retaining the uniculm principle of a fixed density of shoots throughout the growing season, permitted comparison on a single crop sowing at normal field density.The control plots followed the usual pattern of tillering for the region attaining a maximum of about 4.0 shoots per plant by early spring. Shoot number declined to 2.3 and 2.6 per plant by maturity in 1978 and 1979, respectively.Detillered plots outyielded the controls by 14 per cent in 1978 (2.05 v. 1.80 tonnes ha^-1) and 22 per cent in 1979 (1.84 v. 1.51 tonnes ha^-1). Harvest indices were 0.39 v. 0.35 in 1978 and 0.30 v. 0.24 in 1979 for detillered and control plots, respectively.Higher leaf area indices and better water relations after anthesis in biculm stands indicated more efficient water use when shoot population was controlled at near optimum level. Irrigation at anthesis reduced the difference in yield between detillered and control plots.Although the uniculm principle was demonstrated with biculms in practice control of shoot number will require the use of genetic uniculms.     

Temperature-sensitive genes for resistance to Puccinia striiformis in Triticum dicoccoides

Summary Twenty-six selections of wild emmer collected at different sites in Israel and three entries obtained from Turkey were studied for the possible presence of temperature-sensitive genes controlling reaction to Puccinia striiformis. In tests carried out in Israel with a local P. striiformis isolate at two temperature regimes, 16 selections showed a change in infection rating toward resistance at the higher temperature regime. In comparable tests performed in the United States with a Montana P. striiformis isolate of different virulence pattern-including 14 of the same selection—ten entries displayed a temperature-sensitive reaction. Although slightly different temperature regimes were used in Israel and the United States, the results obtained were in general agreement. The shift toward resistance observed in the seedling tests at the higher temperature-profile was also evident in the field in the mature plant stage with increasing spring temperatures.     

Chromosomal location of genes for resistance to powdery mildew in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.) 7. Gene Pm29 in line Pova

Chromosomal localization and linkage mapping of a powdery mildewresistance gene were conducted in the resistant wheat line Pova, derivedfrom a Triticum aestivum cv. Poros-Aegilops ovata-alien additionline. Monosomic analysis revealed that a major dominant gene was locatedon chromosome 7D. This gene possessed a distinct disease response patternagainst a differential set of Blumeria graminis tritici isolates andsegregated independently from resistance gene Pm19 also located onwheat chromosome 7D. Molecular genetic analysis showed that theresistance gene in Pova was specifically located on the long arm ofchromosome 7D closely linked to one RFLP and three AFLP markers. It isproposed that the new gene be designated Pm29.     

Limited but specific variations of seed storage proteins in Japanese common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The electrophoretic banding patterns ofgliadin in common wheat lines derived fromJapan were determined byacid-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. For the 107 wheat lines used in our study,27 different patterns were identified, 13corresponding to the -gliadin, 8 tothe , -gliadin and 6 to the-gliadin. The gliadin patterns ofJapanese wheat cultivars and landracesgreatly differed from the patterns of wheatlines from other countries, and thevariation seen in wheat lines from Japanwas limited to 46 patterns. Sevencollection or breeding areas in Japanshowed different frequencies in theirgliadin patterns. Combining the gliadinpatterns with high molecular weightglutenin subunit compositions, 67combinations were observed. One gliadinpattern consisting of -gliadinpattern F, , -gliadinpattern H and -gliadin pattern Dwas frequently found in many Japanese wheatlines, though the other patterns werelimited to only one or two wheat lines.     

Production and genetic characterization of the co-isogenic lines of a common wheat Triticum aestivum CV. S-615 for ten major genes

Summary Co-isogenic lines of a common wheat, Triticum aestivum, cv. S-615 with each of the following ten major genes were produced by repeated backcrosses; The gene C on 2D chromosome for the compactum character, s on 3D for the sphaerococcum character, Hd on 4B, B1 on 5A, and B2 on 6B for awn suppression, Hg on 1A for glume hairiness, Hp on 4A for peduncle hairiness, Ne1 on 5B and Ne2 on 2B for hybrid necrosis, and v1 on 3B for virescence. Seven of them showed the typical mendelian fashion of inheritance, while three others (C, s and v1) were transmitted at lower frequencies than their corresponding normal alleles.The effects of those major genes on 24 characters of cv. S-615 were investigated, which are summarized as follows: C: Increased node diameter, number of spikelets per ear and spike density, but decreased lengths of all ear rachis, awn, anther, empty and outer glumes, and grain, and grain index. s: Increased culm diameter and thickness, and spike density, reduced lengths of all 1st and 2nd internodes, culm, flag leaf, rachis, awn, anther, empty and outer glumes, and grain, and grain index, and accelerated heading. Hd: Increased number of spikelets per ear and anther length, while decreased length of awn, and empty and outer glumes. B1: Increased 1st internode, rachis, and anther lengths, and grain index, but decreased spike density, awn length and grain thickness. B2: Increased rachis length, number of spikelets per ear, empty and outer glume lengths and grain index, but reduced awn length and grain thickness. Hg: No effects. Hp: Increased number of spikelets per ear. Ne1: Accelerated heading, and increased empty glume length. Ne2: Increased node and culm diameters. v1: No effects.Two species-specific genes, C and s, affected a large number of characters expressed in various developmental stages. These genes were found to have pleiotropic effects, namely, they influenced, at least, two groups of interdependent characters. Three awn suppressors influenced a limited number of characters, but no evidence of their pleiotropic effects was obtained.Contribution from the Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan, No. 422. The work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 148,004) from the Ministry of Education, Japan.     

Relationship between common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) gluten proteins and dough rheological properties

This paper reports the correlation between the rheological properties of bread wheat dough and the types and quantities of endosperm proteins in 28 common wheat cultivars. Different methods were used to analyse the allelic composition of these cultivars and the relative quantities of the different proteins contributing to the gluten structure. Neither dough strength (W) nor tenacity/extensibility (P/L) correlated with allelic composition. Different wheats with the same allelic composition (i.e., with respect to glutenins) showed different rheological properties. The glutenins were the most influential components of W and P/L, especially the high molecular weight (HMW) glutenin subunits and in particular the type x form. These proteins seem to increase W and are the main constituents of the gluten network. The gliadins and low molecular weight (LMW) glutenin subunits appear to act as a “solvent”, and thus modify the rheological properties of the dough by either interfering with the polymerisation of the HMW glutenin subunits, or by altering the relative amounts of the different types of glutenin available. Thus, the protein subunits coded for by the alleles Glu-B1x7 and Glu-D1x5 stabilised the gluten network, whereas those coded for by Glu-B1x17 and Glu-D1x2 had the opposite effect. Dough properties therefore appear to depend on the glutenin/gliadins balance, and on the ratio of the type x and type y HMW proteins. The influence of external factors seems to depend on the allelic composition of each cultivar.     

Aneuploid analysis for protein content and tyrosinase activity in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.)

Summary A study was conducted to locate the genes responsible for the determination of kernel protein content and tyrosinase activity in a hexaploid wheat variety UP 301 using Pb. C591 monosomic series. Genes located on chromosomes 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 3D and 7D of UP 301 controlled protein content of UP 301. Of these the B genome chromosomes were found to have genes for increased protein content while the D genome chromosomes were found to carry genes for low protein content. A major gene coding for tyrosinase enzyme was detected on chromosome 6B of UP 301 and a modifier on chromosome 5B. This indicated the possibility of improving these quality characters through chromosome manipulation.