Identification of a new family of tandem repeats in Triticeae genomes

Abstract

A new family of cereal tandem repeats was isolated, characterised and designated as spelt-1. The family of repeats comprises about 2% of the Aegilops speltoides genome; however, its content differs considerably in the genomes of various Triticeae species. Copy number of the constituent sequence, relative to Ae. speltoides, proved to be 40–60 times reduced in the genomes of tetraploid wheats, 400-fold reduced in the genome of Triticum monococcum, and 1200–2400 times in the genomes of the other 19 Triticeae species studied. Drastic difference in the copy number and homology extent of the spelt-1 family sequences between Ae. speltoides and other diploid species allows the utilisation of these sequences as species-specific telomeric markers for Ae. speltoides, provided stringent hybridisation conditions apply. RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) analysis of spelt-1 reveals polymorphism between the above species. This study of spelt-1 organisation in different Triticum species provided further substantiation of the polyphyletic origin of the B genome of polyploid wheat.