Chromosome pairing in hybrids of ph1b mutant wheat with rye

Abstract

Metaphase I pairing was studied in five ph1b mutant wheat × rye hybrids to verify the presence of translocations between homoeologous chromosomes in ph1b mutant wheat and to establish the pairing homoeology between wheat and rye chromosomes. Three 5B-deficient ABDR hybrids with standard chromosome structure were used as controls. Chromosomes 1R and 5R of rye and most wheat chromosomes, as well as their arms, were identified by means of C-banding. The presence of 5BS in ph1b hybrids raised the overall pairing level. The pattern of pairing between wheat chromosomes in ph1b hybrids, as in 5B-deficient hybrids, was characterized by the occurrence of preferential pairing between chromosomes of the A and D genomes in most homoeologous groups. The existence of a double translocation involving 4BL, 5AL, and 7BS in common wheat was confirmed. Deviation from the standard pairing pattern suggested the existence of a translocation involving 1BL and 1DL in one ph1b ABDR plant and another translocation involving 3AL and 3DL in three other ph1b hybrids. In ph1b hybrids, wheat – rye pairing was relatively frequent for 1RL, 5RL, and an arm of a metacentric rye chromosome, probably 2R, that is homoeologous to 2BL, and the homoeologous arms of 2A and 2D. The existence of a translocation involving 5RL and 4RL in rye was confirmed.Key words: homoeologous, homologous, 5B-deficient, translocations, C-banding.