The D genome dependent isozymes of Alpha-amylase in wheat

K. NISHIKAWA, Y. HINA, S. OONISHI and Y. FURUTA

Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University, Kakamigahara Gitu-ken 504, Japan

In our first report (NISHIKAWA and NOBUHARA 1971) out of sixteen isozyme bands of Alpha-amylase detected in the germinated seeds of hexaploid wheat, six have been genetically defined, i.e., Band 1 is specified by the gene on 6DBeta (Beta arm of chromosome 6D), Band 2 on 6ABeta, Band 3 on 6BL (long arm of chromosome 6B), Band 11 on 7DL, Band 13 on 7AL and Band 15 on 7BL, respectively. Afterward, a minor modification of the buffer solution for enzyme extraction made it possible to separate Band 7 from Band 7', both being superimposed on each other in the previous work. The facts that Band 7 was absent in the zymogram of Tetra Canthatch as well as Triticum durum reichenbachii, while it was present in most of strains of Aegilops squarrosa so far tested (NISHIKAWA 1973), would indicate that Band 7 is possibly dependent on the D genome.

Out of eight lines ditelosomic for the respective arms of the D genome chromosomes now available in Chinese Spring, ditelosomic for 6DAlpha showed the zymogram lacking either Band 1 and Band 7 (Fig. 2). This means that the respective genes for Band 1 and Band 7 locate on the same chromosome arm, 6DBeta. But there is no linkage datum of these genes, yet.

As already reported (NISHIKAWA and NOBUHARA 1971) Prelude, a cultivar of common wheat showed a different zymogram from Chinese spring in Band 1 absent and Band 3 minor (Fig. 3). Another cultivar, Thatcher was very similar to Prelude as to Alpha-amylase zymogram (Fig. 5). Tetra Prelude (Fig. 4) and Tetra Thatcher (Fig. 6), both were kindly provided by Dr. P.J. KALTSIKES, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which had got rid of all the D genome chromosomes showed the Alpha-amylase zymograms almost identical to each other and very similar to T. durum reichenbachii (Fig. 7). Namely, the zymograms of these three strains or variety, in contrast to their hexaploid counterparts, showed absence of Band 1, 7 and 11. These results porve in agreement with the previous works that Band 1, 7 and 11 are the D genome dependent Alpha-amylase isozyme bands.

(Received August 15, 1975)