Characterization of Triticum aestivum/Psathyrostachys juncea derivatives by genomic in situ hybridization

Using the genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) technique, one translocation line, seven translocation-addition lines, five translocation plus translocation addition lines and two ditelosomic addition lines were identified in backcross progenies of Triticum aestivum L. -Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski intergeneric hybrids. No complete P. juncea chromosomes were detected in the 25 lines studied. The results suggest that intact P. juncea chromosomes may be difficult to isolate in a wheat background. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Production of an interspecific hybrid in Gypsophila by ovule-embryo culture

Summary We have succeeded in producing useful interspecific hybrid using ovule-embryo culture between Gypsophila paniculata L. Red Sea and G. manginii, an incompatible combination by ordinary cross breeding methods. The hybrid plant had double flowers with a color of pale purplish pink. Hybrid characteristics of the plant were firmed by observation of plant form, flower type, chromosome number and peroxidase isozyme patterns.     

A gamete abortion locus detected by segregation distortion of isozyme locus Est-9 in wide crosses of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary A locus for male gamete abortion in hybrids for Japonica and Indica rice was identified with the aid of marker genes Rc and Est-9 on chromosome 7. In an Indica-Japonica cross, AKAMAI 1/IR50, the Indica allele Est-9 ² was transmitted via the male gamete with a ratio of 0.29 instead of the normal 0.5, whereas no segregation distortion was observed for the Rc locus. The recombination value (p) for Est-9 and Rc was estimated to be 0.38 by a least square method after adjusting Mendelian segregation ratios with the male transmission ratios of 0.29 (Tr) for Est-9 ² and 0.71 (1-Tr) for Est-9 ¹. The recombination value (q) for the new locus for male gamete abortion, ga-11, and Est-9 was estimated to be 0.23 by using 56 F₃ lines from F₂ plants which were heterozygous for the Est-9 locus. No linkage for Rc and ga-11 was found. Therefore, the two markers and ga-11 were located in the order of ga-11-Est-9-Rc. Using the estimated recombination value (q), the male transmission rate (k) of ga-11 ^a was estimated to be 0.11 with the F₂ data and-0.07 with the F₃ line data. Thus, it was apparent that male gametes possessing ga-11 ^a were frequently aborted in the Indica-Japonica hybrid.     

RFLP/AFLP mapping of a brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål) resistance gene Bph1 in rice

We have constructed a linkage map of the rice brown planthopper (BPH)resistance gene, Bph1. RFLP and AFLP markers were selected by thebulked segregant analysis and used in the mapping study of 262 F₂sthat were derived from a cross of `Tsukushibare', a susceptible japonica cultivar, and `Norin-PL3', an authentic japonicaBph1-introgression line. Twenty markers were mapped within a 28.9-cMregion containing the Bph1 locus on the long arm of rice chromosome12. Combining the result of segregation analysis of BPH resistance by themass seedling test and that of the markers, the Bph1 locus wasmapped within a 5.8-cM region between two flanking markers. The closestAFLP markers, em5814N and em2802N, was at 2.7 cM proximal to theBph1 locus. Together with the previously constructed high-resolutionmap of bph2 locating the locus at ca. 10 cM proximal to the Bph1 locus, this improved version of the linkage map would facilitatepyramiding these two important BPH resistance genes.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Production and characterization of Raphanus sativus-Brassica rapa monosomic chromosome addition lines

Breeding of Raphanus sativus‐Brassica rapa monosomic chromosome addition lines (MALs, 2n = 19) was carried out by backcrossing the synthesized amphidiploid line, Raphanobrassica (R. sativus×B. rapa, 2n = 38, RRAA, line RA89) with R. sativus cv. ‘Shogoin’ (2n = 18, RR). In the first cross of Raphanobrassica× radish, four sesquidiploidal BC₁ plants (2n = 28, RRA, RA89‐36‐1, RA89‐31‐1, RA89‐31‐2, RA89‐31‐3) were successfully developed. In these plants, the chromosome configurations of 9II + 10I and 10II + 8I were observed frequently at first metaphase (MI) of meiosis in pollen mother cells (PMCs). The RA 89‐36‐1 plant produced many seeds in the reciprocal backcrosses with radish. About 50% of the BC₂ plants obtained from the cross of RA89‐36‐1 plant × radish were 2n = 19 plants, followed by 2n = 18 plants (24%) and 2n = 20 plants (19%). In the reciprocal cross, 2n = 19 plants were also developed at the rate of 40%. From analysis of specific morphological traits, 2n = 19 plants were classified into eight types (a‐h). When 25 selected primers were used in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers derived from B. rapa for each type of MAL were detected in numbers between three for e‐type and 16 for b‐type. RAPD markers specific for each type alone were from one (OPE 05‐344) for h‐type to nine for b‐type. In the g‐type, no marker specific to this type alone was observed. However, 19 bands were common between at least two types. These MAL plants exhibited predominantly the chromosome configuration of 9II + 1I at MI of PMCs, pollen and seed fertility being the same level as the radish cv. ‘Shogoin’. From the morphological traits and DNA markers, eight different MAL types among 10 expected were identified.     

Genetic analysis of presence and absence of lint and fuzz in cotton

Cotton fibre mutants that were fuzzless and/or lintless were crossed with each other and a normal genotype (fuzzy, linted) to produce F₂ and BC₁ generations. F₂ segregation ratios from the cross of fuzzless‐lintless × fuzzy‐linted, for fuzzy‐linted, fuzzless‐linted and fuzzless‐lintless were 45 : 15 : 4. From the cross of fuzzless‐lintless × fuzzy‐linted, the F₂ segregation ratios were 9 : 39 : 16 whereas the BC₁F₁ segregation ratios from the F₁ backcrossed to fuzzless‐lintless were 1 : 3 : 4. These data suggest that the presence or absence of lint and fuzz are controlled by the interaction of four gene loci on non‐homologous chromosomes. We designate these loci as N₁, N₂, Li₃ and Li₄, where N₁ N₁ confers the presence of fuzzy, N₂N₂ confers inhibition of fuzzy initiation and development, and duplicate gene pairs, Li₃Li₃ and Li₄Li₄, determine the presence of lint. Homozygosity for li₃li₃ and li₄li₄ might also inhibit fuzz from development. In other words, they were recessive epistatic to fuzz genes.     

Development and characterization of common wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium translocation lines with resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus

We developed some wheat-Th. intermedium translocation lines,Yw642, Yw443 and Yw243, etc., showing good BYDV resistance from L1by induced homoeologous pairing using CS ph mutant. Characterization ofthese wheat lines was carried out by GISH and RFLP analysis. The resultsof GISH showed that the lines, YWw42, Yw443 and Yw243, etc., arehomozygous wheat-Th. intermedium translocation lines, in which thechromosome segments of Th. intermedium were transferred to thedistal end of a pair of wheat chromosomes. RFLP analysis indicated that thetranslocation chromosome of the wheat lines is T7DS · 7DL-7XL. Thebreakpoint of the translocation is located on the distal end of 7DL, betweenXpsr965 and Xpsr680 about 90–99 cm from the centromere. The BYDVgene is located on the distal end of 7XL around Xpsr680, Xpsr687 andXwg380. The RFLP markers of psr680, psr687 and wg380 werecosegregated with the BYDV resistance respectively and could be used formolecular assisted selection (MAS) in wheat breeding program for BYDVresistance.     

Interspecific hybridization inBrassica juncea × Brassica hirta using embryo rescue

Summary Interspecific hybrids have been obtained in an otherwise incompatible cross betweenBrassica juncea × Brassica hirta through the in vitro culture of hybrid ovules and ovaries. The best response was observed from ovules and ovaries cultured 10–15 and 5–7 days after pollination respectively on a basal medium supplemented with indoleacetic acid, kinetin and casein hydrolysate. In some cases the basal cut end of the ovaries proliferated to form callus and shoots. The in vitro-derived hybrid seeds varied in their colour, size and shape, and the F₁ plants in the field showed a large diversity in their morphological traits. The hybrids were sterile, and had an intermediate number of chromosomes (2n=30).     

Relationships between cold- and salt-tolerance during seed germination in tomato: Germplasm evaluation

Thirty tomato accessions representing six Lycopersicon species were evaluated for the rate of seed germination under no stress, cold-stress and salt-stress conditions. Most accessions responded similarly to both cold- and salt-stress conditions (i.e. they were equally sensitive or tolerant to both stresses), however, a few accessions exhibited more sensitivity (or tolerance) to one stress than the other. In addition, some accessions that germinated relatively rapidly under non-stress conditions exhibited great sensitivity to both cold stress and salt stress. Across accessions, significant (P < 0.01) positive phenotypic correlations were observed between germination rate under control and cold stress (r_P= 0.89), control and salt stress (r_P= 0.63) and cold stress and salt stress (r_P= 0.77). The results indicate that the rate of tomato seed germination under non-stress, cold- and salt-stress conditions may be controlled by the same genes (or physiological mechanisms), but additional components may be involved which affect germination rate under specific stress conditions.