Nature of chromosome pairing in SH-genome octaploids involving Elymus canadensis and E. trachycaulus: a genome dose dependent bivalentizing mechanism

Abstract

In spite of regular chromosome pairing, hybrids between Elymus canadensis (Linnaeus) and E. trachycaulus (Link) Gould ex Shinners at the tetraploid level are sterile owing to structural differences between the donor genomes. However, the hybrids between these species at the octaploid level (obtained through chromosome doubling of the tetraploid hybrid and also from a cross between the octaploids of E. canadensis and E. trachycaulus) exhibited a predominance of bivalents in meiosis in spite of the autotetraploid nature of their constituent S and H genomes. The colchicine-induced amphiploids showed varying degrees of fertility. Comparison of chromosome pairing in the hybrid octaploids with that in the parental octaploids and hexaploids revealed that random bivalent formation is promoted when the S and (or) H genomes are at the tetraploid level, but not when they are in the triploid state. A bivalentizing mechanism under polygenic control is suggested to explain the predominance of bivalents in the tetraploid S and H genomes.Key words: Elymus, S genome, H genome, octaploids, bivalents, bivalentization.