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A scst gene from T. timopheevi also improved compatibility between the nuclear genome of durum wheat and (lo) or (un) cytoplasm (Maan 1992a). The resulting alloplasmic durum lines were male sterile, produced plump and viable seeds having embryos with scst resulting in 28-chromosome male-sterile progeny, while seeds without scst were shriveled and inviable The scst gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 1A (1AL) and closely linked with the centromere (Anderson and Maan 1995; Maan et al. 1999). But, the scst gene was not transferred to telo 1AL of Langdon durum by recombination in the progeny of double-monotelosomic 1A F1's (dMt; 2n=29; 13"+t1t'") from crosses of (lo) scst;- durum to double-ditelosomic 1A of Langdon durum (2n=30; 13''+2t''; dDt 1A) nor misdivision of complete chromosome 1A produced telo 1AL with scst in the progeny of 1A+1D double-monosomic (dM; 2n=28; 13"+2') F1's from a cross of (lo) scst;- durum to 1D(A) double-disomic of Langdon. Possibly, a gene or genes in the short arm of chromosome 1A (1AS) may be essential for the functioning of scst in 1AL.

A vitality (Vi) gene of spontaneous origin located on 1BS produced fertility in the (lo) durum lines carrying scsae in 1DL on the 29-chromosome plants as well as 28-chromosome plants carrying scst on the complete chromosome 1A (Maan 1992b). The Vi gene also produced fertile (lo) durum or euplasmic durum lines having heterozygous or homozygous scsae in T1AL. 1DL or T1BS. 1DL translocation chromosome (Maan unpub).

Similarly, a scsspt gene from Ae. speltoides produced compatibility between (vent) cytoplasm and the nuclear genome of durum wheat (Maan unpub). The resulting (vent) durum line was male sterile and when crossed to normal durum produced plump and viable seeds having embryos with scsspt, while female gametes without scsspt did not function. The W gene did not produce fertility in the (vent) scsspt durum, indicating that scst and scsspt differ in regards to interactions with the (lo), (un), or (vent) cytoplasm, even though these cytoplasms are similar to one another with regards to compatibility with the nuclear genomes of durum or common wheat (Maan 1975, 1978).

In the progeny from successive crosses of (vent) scsspt;- durum to normal durum, some of the plants had pollen mother cells (PMC's) with a meiotic metaphase I configurations (2n=28; 14" and 12"+1IV), indicating that the (vent) durum carried a translocation chromosome (Maan unpub). The objectives of this study were to identify the translocation chromosome and determine the chromosomal location of scsspt in the (vent) durum line.


Materials and methods

A durum line (Selection 56-1) with a scsspt gene from Ae. speltoids and cytoplasm from Ae. ventricosa [(vent) scsspt durum] was produced by S. S. Maan at North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND (Maan unpub). A set of 14 double-ditelosomics of Langdon durum (CS-LDN dDt) were produced by Joppa (1988).

The (vent) scsspt durum, maintained by crossing to durum Selection 56-1, was crossed to a set of 14 CS- LDN dDt (2n=30; 13''+2t''). Some of the (vent) scsspt durum plants were cytologically examined to assure the presence of a translocation chromosome. The resulting double-monotelosomic (dMt) F1's (2n= 29; 13''+t1t''') were crossed to normal durum. Hybrid progeny were cytologically examined to determine the meiotic chromosome number and chromosome pairing at meiotic metaphase I in the pollen mother cells (PMC's).

The laboratory and greenhouse procedures were the same as described by Maan et al. (1999). The experimental plants were g grown m a greenhouse at Fargo, ND. The spikes of male-sterile plants were covered with glycine bags prior to anthesis and recovered after pollination to prevent out-crossing with stray pollen from other wheat plants in the greenhouse.

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