Morphology and cytology of induced hexaploid of Elymus canadensis and its backcross derivatives—pentaploids, tetrasomics, and trisomics

Abstract

A tissue culture induced octoploid of Elymus canadensis was crossed with two accessions ("Canada" and "Montana") of the same tetraploid species to produce hexaploids. Hexaploid (2n = 42) and near-hexaploid progeny (2n = 43 or 40) obtained from the crosses were morphologically vigorous but either partially or completely sterile. Mean frequencies of univalents and trivalents in the hexaploid pollen mother cells at metaphase I were 3 or 4 and 2 to 4 per cell, respectively. In view of the genomic constitution of the parents, the hexaploids were expected to be genomically double triploids. Nevertheless, bivalents, averaging 14–17 per cell, predominated. This might be due to the failure of chiasma formation and chiasma terminalization. One hexaploid plant was backcrossed to the tetraploid. The progeny consisted of one pentaploid and five aneuploids including one tetrasomic and two trisomics. All of the progeny from the backcrosses were less vigorous than aneuploids at the near-hexaploid level. Tetrasomics and trisomics had stainable pollen and a 17–19% seed set. Two trisomic plants were morphologically indistinguishable from each other and predominantly showed chromosome pairing of 14 II + 1 I. This indicates failure of chiasma formation and chiasma terminalization between homologous chromosomes.Key words: Elymus canadensis, hexaploids, tetrasomics, trisomics, meiosis.