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Discussion

The genes kr1, kr2 and kr3, which control wheat-rye crossability have been located on 5BL (Riley and Chapman 1967; Lange and Riley 1973; Sitch et al 1985), 5AL (Riley and Chapman 1967; Sitch et al 1985) and 5D (Krowlow 1970; Snape et al 1979; Sitch et al 1985), respectively. In this study we further confirmed the location of kr1 on 5B and
kr2 on 5A of the test line J-11 and the effect of kr1 was stronger than that of kr2. The existence of kr3 gene on chromosome 5D of the line J-11 was confirmed by its very weak effect on the crossability with rye only when this gene was analyzed with Abbondanza monosomic lines.

More importantly, a new gene, kr4, which was discovered in the special Chinese landrace, Sichuan White Wheat complex, by Yen et al (1986) was localized on chromosome 1A. Both of our results from monosomic analyses with Chinese Spring and Abbondanza monosomic lines showed that the promoting effect of the kr4 gene on wheat-rye crossability was stronger than that of kr2 but weaker that of kr1.

Falk and Kasha (1983) reported that the lines that were heterozygous on all the
kr loci were still able to cross with rye and thus concluded that the suppress of the wheat-rye crossability by the Kr genes was incompletely dominant over the kr genes. Their conclusion was based on their regression of the crossability (y) values against doses of Kr1(x1) and Kr2 (x2) , and found y=75.1-30.7 x1-12.6 x2. Based on this regression equation, the wheat-rye crossability of a Kr1kr1Kr2kr2 genotype would be 31.8%. This does not fit to our data. Our results showed that, when analyzed with Abbondanza monosomic lines, the Kr1kr1Kr2kr2Kr3kr3Kr4kr4 genotype had a wheat-rye crossability of only 2.1 %, which is not statistically different from 0%. Therefore, the Kr genes should be completely dominant over the kr genes.

Our results showed that, in a hemizygous status, a kr gene was more effective in the monosomic plant that were derived from Abbondanza monosomic lines than in those that were derived from Chinese Spring monosomic lines. The Abbondanza monosomic lines contain only
Kr alleles and the Chinese Spring monosomic lines have only kr alleles. Besides the hemizygous kr allele on the monosomic chromosome, the monosomic F1 plants involving Abbondanza monosomic 1A, 5B, 5A or 5D line would be heterozygous at other Kr-kr loci. On the other hand, all the monosomic F1 plants involving Chinese Spring monosomic lines will have only kr alleles. Therefore, it seems that Krkr heterozygous loci might have promoting effect on other hemizygous kr loci. Alternatively, a recessive krkr locus might be able to suppress the effect of a hemizygous kr locus.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank very much Dr. Yang Yen for his careful reading and helpful assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.


References

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