TRISOMIC TRANSMISSION IN LOTUS PEDUNCULATUS

Abstract

Transmission of the extra chromosome was studied for four primary trisomic types of Lotus pedunculatus Cav., named Broad, Pointed, Narrow, and Small (trisomic for chromosomes 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively). Despite the low frequency of transmission (average 9.2%), parental trisomics were recovered in all of the four trisomic types. No significant difference was found between pollen and ovule transmission. It was suggested that either there is no difference in germination and tube growth between the n and n + 1 pollen grains, or selection against the n + 1 male gametes in pollen germination and tube growth is balanced by the mechanism (s) selecting against the n + 1 female gametes. Although there were variations in transmission rate within the same trisomic types, the shorter extra chromosomes tended to be transmitted more frequently than the longer ones. This was interpreted as reflecting the degree of genic unbalance created by the extra chromosome in gametes and zygotes. The longer the extra chromosome, the greater would be the unbalance, and hence the less chance there would be for the n + 1 gametes and 2n + 1 zygotes to be viable. The trisomic types Small and Narrow produced a few unrelated trisomics in their progenies. It was considered that meiotic irregularities in these trisomic types could account for the production of such unrelated trisomics.