The combined lines having both phKL and Ph2-deficiency were obtained in the genetic background of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landrace. These lines had normal fertility. In the wheat combined lines X Aegilops variabilis Eig. (or rye), a significant increase in the chiasmata of homoeologous pairing was shown by the phKL+Ph2(-) plants with respect to their phKL+Ph2 sibs, which indicates that Ph2-deficiency and phKL showed an additive effect on promoting pairing. The effects were shown in the increment of rod bivalents, ring bivalents and trivalents and reduction of univalents, of which, reduction of univalents was mainly due to the increment of rod bivalents. The combined lines are probably more desirable materials for alien gene transferring than phKL or Ph2(-) lines alone. In comparison with that of ph1b X Ae. variabilis (or rye), phKL+Ph2(-) X Ae. variabilis (or rye) show higher (or similar) numbers of rod bivalents, while the total chromosome pairing level significantly reduced that ascribed to the decrement in ring bivalents and multivalents. These results probably indicate the different genetic mechanisms for Ph1 and Ph2 or phKL on controlling homoeologous pairing.
It was suggested that the rapid changes of DNA sequence and gene expression oc- curred at the early stages of allopolyploid formation. In this study, we revealed the microsatellite (SSR) differences between newly formed allopolyploids and their donor parents by using 21 primer sets specific for D genome of wheat. It was indicated that rapid changes had occurred in the “shock” process of the allopolyploid formation between tetraploid wheat and Aegilops tauschii. The changes of SSR flanking sequence resulted in appearance of novel bands or disappearance of parental bands. The disappearance of the parental bands showed much higher frequencies in comparison with that of appearance of novel bands. Disappearance of the parental bands was not random. The frequency of disappearance in tetraploid wheat was much higher than in Ae. tauschii, i. e. the disappearance frequency in AABB genome was much higher than in D genome. Changes of SSR flanking sequence occurred at the early stage of F1 hybrid or just after chro- mosome doubling. From the above results, it can be inferred that SSR flanking sequence region was very active and was amenable to change in the process of polyploidization. This suggested that SSR flanking sequence probably had special biological function at the early stage of ploy- ploidization. The rapid and directional changes at the early stage of polyploidization might con- tribute to the rapid evolution of the newly formed allopolyploid and allow the divergent genomes to act in harmony.
Common or bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L., AABBDD, 2n=42) originated ca. 8 000 years ago from hybridization of tetraploid wheat ( Triticum turgidum L., AABB, 2n=28) and diploid Aegilops tauschii Coss. (DD, 2n=14). An essential prerequisite for this evolutionary step is that the natural hybrids between tetraploid wheat and diploid Aegilops tauschii can produce relatively many filled seeds which germinated well. In this study, without special techniques, e.g. immature embryo culture, out of 22 Ae. tauschii accessions, the genotype AS60 produced relatively many filled seeds which germinated well. The seed germination percentages in the crosses of Ae. tauschii ×tetraploid wheat, tetraploid wheat× Ae. tauschii and Ae. tauschii ×common wheat were, respectively, 50.0%, 57.1% and 45.5%. It seems that Ae. tauschii accession AS60 has a unique genotype which facilitate hybrid seed development and viability, and which meets with the prerequisite for wheat evolutionary. Furthermore, the significance of this finding for common wheat improvement and evolution was discussed.
