A de novo reciprocal chromosomal translocation t(3;6)(p14;q26) in the black Lucano pig

In the past two decades, several cytogenetic screening programmes identified different chromosome rearrangements in pig, most of which represented by reciprocal translocation (rcp). This chromosome abnormality does not involve the variation in the number of chromosomes, but only the rearrangement of genetic material, resulting in phenotypically normal carriers with fertility problems. During an occasional cytogenetic screening, a new reciprocal translocation was detected in the black Lucano pig native breed. We analysed 15 animals reared by a family-run piggery in Basilicata region (Southern Italy). After karyotyping, four pigs (two boars and two sows) revealed two unpaired chromosomes. Analysis of the RBA karyotype and the dual-colour FISH technique confirmed that these pigs showed the same reciprocal translocation involving the chromosomes SSC3 and SSC6. The precise location of breakpoints was identified by RBH-FISH t(3;6)(p14;q26), whereas the analysis of the pedigree showed a case of Mendelian inheritance within a family, after the de novo occurrence of the new rcp. Considering the consequences of the rcp on the fertility, this study points out the importance of the cytogenetic screening in the native breeds for the safeguard of the genetic biodiversity and the sustainability of the rural areas.     

Cytogenetics of a new trispecies hybrid in cotton: [(Gossypium hirsutum L. × G. thurberi Tod.)2 × G. longicalyx Hutch. & Lee]

A three‐species hybrid named HTL including Gossypium hirsutum L. [2n = 4 x = 52, (AD)₁ genome] was created using the pseudophyletic introgression method with G. longicalyx Hutch. & Lee (2n = 2x = 26, F₁ genome) as donor parent and G. thurberi Tod. (2n = 2x = 26, D₁ genome) as bridge species. The new hybrid was totally self‐sterile and its interspecific status was confirmed using simple sequence repeat markers and cytogenetic analysis. Cytogenetic studies showed that its chromosome configuration was 2n = 52 = 14.13 I + 15.10 II + 1.03 III + 0.9 IV + 0.03 V + 0.13 VI (where I, II, III, IV, V and VI are univalents, bivalents, trivalents, tetravalents, pentavalents and hexavalents, respectively). Prospects for successfully exploiting the HTL hybrid in breeding programmes are discussed.     

Characterization of a set of common wheat–Hordeum chilense chromosome 7Hch introgression lines and its potential use in research on grain quality traits

Chromosome 7H^ch from Hordeum chilense has potential for improving seed carotenoid content in wheat as it carries a Phytoene synthase 1 (Psy1) gene, which has a major role in this trait. Structural changes in chromosome 7H^ch were obtained in common wheat background by crossing the wheat disomic substitution line 7H^ch(7D) with a disomic addition line carrying chromosome 2C^c from Aegilops cylindrica in common wheat cv. ‘Chinese Spring’. Rearranged 7H^ch chromosomes were cytologically characterized by FISH. A set of 24 molecular markers and the Psy1 gene were used to identify the H. chilense chromosome segments involved in the introgressions. Six structural rearrangements of chromosome 7H^ch were identified. They included three homozygous wheat–H. chilense centromeric translocations, one involving the 7H^chS arm (T‐7H^chS·A/B) and two involving the 7H^chL arm (T1‐7H^chL·A/B and T2‐7H^chL·A/B). In addition, one 7H^chS arm deletion, one 7H^chL·7H^chL isochromosome and one 7H^chS telosome were obtained in hemizygous condition. These genetic stocks will be useful for studying the effect of chromosome 7H^ch on wheat flour colour.     

Cytogenetic study of in vitro-derived bovine embryos

A cytogenetic study of early bovine embryos (2-16 blastomeres) produced in vitro was conducted to determine the incidence of embryos carrying chromosome anomalies. The embryos were produced from immature oocytes matured in vitro and fertilized by sperm prepared using the Percoll density gradient method. Slides were prepared according to an 'air drying' technique and the chromosomal complement of embryos was studied by Giemsa-staining. Approximately 57% of prepared embryos were suitable for analysis. The results revealed that 18% of cytogenetically analysed embryos presented chromosomal anomalies, including haploidy (8%), aneuploidy (2%) and polyploidy (8%). Our results were compared to the results of other studies in cattle and other domestic animals.     

Cucumis hystrix Chakr.×黄瓜种间杂种F1及其双二倍体细胞遗传学特性及花粉育性研究

研究了野生种Cucumis hystrix(2n=2x=24)与栽培黄瓜C. sativus L.(2n=2x=14)种间杂种F1(2n=2x=19)及其双二倍体(2n=4x=38)自交S1～S4代的细胞遗传学特征及花粉育性.结果表明减数分裂中期Ⅰ,杂种F1代花粉母细胞(pollen mother cell,PMC)染色体主要以单价体存在,染色体构型为16.75 Ⅰ+0.5Ⅱ+0.25Ⅲ+0.13Ⅳ;双二倍体染色体构型以二价体为主,伴随着自交,平均每个PMC所含二价体比例逐渐增加,非二价体配对比例减少.四分体时期,F1代不能形成正常的四分孢子,主要以多分孢子形态存在;双二倍体以四分孢子为主,并随着自交世代的增加,其比例增高.花粉育性观察发现,随着自交世代的增加,双二倍体花粉育性呈增高趋势.以上结果暗示,双二倍体在遗传上逐渐趋于稳定;双二倍体PMCs在后期Ⅰ和Ⅱ普遍含有落后染色体、染色体桥及染色体不均等异常现象,可能是导致其花粉育性较低的原因.     

Determination of cytogenetic markers for biological monitoring in coypu (Myocastor coypu)

Cytogenetic tests are used to assess the influence of physical and chemical factors with potential mutagenic and genotoxic properties on the animal organism. The test results make it possible to eliminate mutagens, as well as helping predict possible genetic consequences in animal cells and assess animal resistance. The aim of this study was to examine, using cytogenetic tests, the spontaneous chromosome and DNA damage in coypu lymphocytes. Four tests: fragile site (FS), bleomycin (BLM), micronucleus, (MN) and comet were used for the first time in coypu cells. The averages with standard deviations obtained in the research were as follows: 3.30 ± 0.80 fragile sites/cell; 0.63 ± 0.80 BLM damage/cell; 6.10 ± 0.53% binucleated cells with MN; and 3.24 ± 0.63% DNA in tail. The present analysis showed high interindividual variation in spontaneous chromosomal and DNA damage levels. In the case of micronucleus, fragile sites, and comet assays, the differences between animals were statistically significant. The data suggest that these assays are sensitive enough to detect some effects on an individual animal and can be proposed as tools for coypu biomonitoring.     

Development and identification of wheat–Haynaldia villosa T6DL.6VS chromosome translocation lines conferring resistance to powdery mildew

Three lines conferring resistance to powdery mildew, Pm97033, Pm97034 and Pm97035, were developed from the cross of Triticum durum-Haynaldia villosa amphidiploid TH3 and wheat cv.'Wan7107' via backcrosses, immature embryo and anther culture. Genomic in situ hybridization analysis showed that these lines were disomic translocation lines. Cytogenetic analysis indicated that the F1 plants of crosses between the three translocation lines and 'Wan7107' and crosses between the three translocation lines and substitution line 6V(6D) formed 21 bivalents at meiotic metaphase I. Aneuploid analysis with 'Chinese Spring' double ditelocentric stocks indicated that the translocated chromosomes were related to chromosome 6D. Biochemical and restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses showed that the translocation lines lacked a specific band of 6VL of H. villosa compared with the substitution and addition lines but possessed specific markers on the short arm of the 6V chromosome of H. villosa. The three translocation lines lacked specific biochemical loci and RFLP markers located on chromosome 6DS. The results confirmed that Pm97033, Pm97034 and Pm97035 were T6DL.6VS translocation lines.     

Cytogenetics of the 'glandless-seed and glanded-plant' trait from Gossypium sturtianum Willis introgressed into upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

In order to introgress the ‘glandless-seed and glanded-plant’ trait from Gossypium sturtianum Willis (2n= 2x= 26, C₁ genome) into the cultivated upland cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. (2n= Ax= 52 (AD), genome), two trispecific hybrids have been created using either Gossypium thurberi Torado (2n= 2x= 26, D₁ genome) or Gossypium raimondii Ulbrich (2n= 2x= 26, D₅ genome) as bridge species. The cross of both trispecific hybrids by G. hirsutum produced the first backcross progenies (BCl). Cytogenetic analysis showed that the trispecific hybrids had 52 chromosomes, their chromosome configurations at metaphase I (Ml) being 15.071 + 15.3411 + 0.93III + 0.69IV + 0.26VI in G. thurberi×G. sturtianum×G. hirsutum (TSH) and 14.421 + 17.0311 + 0.82III + 0.15IV + 0.07VI in G. hirsutum × G. raimondii ×. G. sturtianum (HRS), respectively. Among six BCl plants analysed, the only plant expressing the ‘glandless-seed and glanded-plant’ trait had 52 chromosomes and a meiotic configuration of 5.261 + 20.61II + 0.69III + 0.77IV at MI. Pollen fertility was 2.90% in TSH, 8.97% in HRS, and ranged from 0% to 40.28% in the BCl progenies. The introgressed BCl plant is perennial in growth habit. It can be used in breeding programmes aiming at the introgression of the ‘glandless-seed and glanded-plant’ trait into a cultivar of upland cotton.     

The genome donors of the groundnut/peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) revisited

Arachis hypogaea, the cultivated groundnut is a tetraploid with an AABB genomic constitution. The available literature on the origin of groundnut reveals that there is general agreement that the cultivated groundnut has evolved from the wild tetraploid species A. monticola, with which it crosses freely to produce fertile hybrids. However, the issue of actual diploid ancestors of A. monticola is still unresolved. Both cytogenetic and molecular evidences support A. duranensis being the most probable progenitor and donor of the A genome to A. hypogaea. For the B genome, the cytogenetic evidence suggests A. batizocoi to be the most probable progenitor, but the RFLP banding pattern indicates that A. batizocoi is more distantly related to A. hypogaea than other species of section Arachis. RFLP banding pattern indicates A. ipaensis to be one of the closest species to A. hypogaea and the possible donor of the B genome. The present article critically analyzes the available data, which suggests that until an amphidiploid is produced synthetically between A. duranensis × A. ipaensis and crossed successfully with A. hypogaea to produce a fertile hybrid, this issue would remain unresolved. A. batizocoi would remain the most probable donor of the B genome because of its directly demonstrable cytogenetic affinity.     

Prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in breeding pigs in Spain

The main aim of this study was to document the prevalence of chromosomal aberrations found to date on the pig population in Spain, a country in which this production sector has a critical role, being the fourth country in the world in pig production and the second one within the European Union. The total number of animals studied was 849, and the founded frequency of carrier pigs with chromosomal alterations was 3.8%. When only the structural alterations were considered, the prevalence in males was 3.3%. This percentage is far from the 0.5% of carrier boars that has been estimated in France, a country where there is a systematic cytogenetic screening of future breeding pigs since 1992. In order to avoid the productive and economic losses caused by karyotype alterations in breeding pigs, it would be important to establish a cytogenetic screening of breeding animals at artificial insemination centres and genetic selection farms.