CHROMOSOME DIFFERENTIATION IN POLYPLOID SPECIES OF ELYTRIGIA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EVOLUTION OF DIPLOID-LIKE CHROMOSOME PAIRING IN POLYPLOID SPECIES

Abstract

Triticum aestivum L. em Thell ditelosomics 7AL and 7DS and T. aestivum-Elytrigia elongata (Host) Holub (2n = 2x = 14) ditelosomic additions were crossed with "E. elongata 4x" (2n = 4x = 28), E. caespitosa (C. Koch) Nevski (2n = 4x = 28), and E. intermedia (Host) Nevski (2n = 6x = 42). The effect of each Elytrigia genotype on homoeologous (heterogenetic) chromosome pairing was assessed by comparing the pairing frequencies of T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring telosomes 7AL and 7DS in the hybrids with the pairing frequency of telosome 7AL in haploid Chinese Spring. The genotype of "E. elongata 4x" had no effect on heterogenetic pairing in the hybrids. Although some genotypes of E. caespitosa and E. intermedia promoted heterogenetic pairing in the hybrids, others had no effect. Telosome VS of E. elongata interacted in a complementary fashion with the genotype of "E. elongata 4x," but not with the genotypes of Chinese Spring and E. caespitosa, and it promoted heterogenetic pairing. In hybrids in which the wheat diploidizing genes were active at the normal level, the E. elongata telosomes paired with chromosomes of "E. elongata 4x" in 5.8% to 24.6% of the cells, with chromosomes of E. caespitosa in 0.0% to 1.0% of the cells, and with chromosomes of E. intermedia in 0.0% to 2.8% of the cells. A model of chromosome differentiation is discussed and special attention is devoted to the origin of diploid-like pairing in polyploid species.