Natural or induced nucleocytoplasmic heterogeneity in Triticum longissimum

Alien cytoplasms produce a variety of phenotypes in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars, which indicate the prevalence of cytoplasmic variability in the subtribe Triticinae. Intraspecific cytoplasmic differences have been demonstrated between the subspecies of Triticum speltoides, Triticum dichasians, and Triticum comosum. In this study, durum wheat lines with cytoplasm from two accessions, B and C, of Triticum longissimum were compared, and meiotic chromosome pairing between the group 4 homoeologues from the same two accessions was examined in common wheat. First, monosomic addition or monosomic substitution lines of common wheat with cytoplasm and one chromosome (designated B) from accession B were crossed with those having cytoplasm and a chromosome designated C-1 or C-2 from accession C. In each substitution line, an alien chromosome substituted for a group 4 homoeologue. Each alien chromosome had a "selfish" (Sf) gene, which remained fixed in the wheat nucleus. The F1s had greatly reduced meiotic pairing between chromosomes B and C-1 and B and C-2, which indicated greatly reduced homology between the group 4 homoeologues from the two accessions. Second, by using Triticum timopheevii as a bridging species, chromosome B in a common wheat line was eliminated and an euploid durum line with cytoplasm from accession B was obtained. This line was fertile. In contrast, a similarly produced durum line with cytoplasm from accession C was male sterile and retained a species cytoplasm specific (scs) nuclear gene from T. timopheevii. In conclusion, nuclear and cytoplasmic heterogeneity pre-existed between accessions B and C and they represent varieties or incipient subspecies in T. longissimum. Alternatively, the Sf genes produced chromosomal heterogeneity and mutated cytoplasmic genes from one or both accessions. Key words : meiotic drive, selfish gene (Sf), gametocidal gene (Gc), Triticum, Aegilops.