Production of wheat-Psathyrostachys huashanica chromosome addition lines

Psathyrostachys huashanica Keng (2n = 14; N(h)N(h)) is an endangered wheat-related species, with a distribution in the Huashan region of central China. It has many agronomically promising characters including resistance to disease and drought and winter hardiness. We produced hybrids between common wheat as the female parent and P. huashanica as the male parent. From the offspring, we selected chromosome addition lines of common wheat carrying each of all seven chromosomes of P. huashanica. Four chromosomes (B, D, E and F) were recovered in disomic lines and three (A, C and G) in monosomic addition lines. These alien chromosomes were distinguished from each other by cytological analyses. Chromosome A was characterized by a 45S rDNA site in the subtelomeric region of the short arm. Chromosome B carried one 5S and one 45S rDNA sites co-localized in an interstitial region of the short arm, and the expression of the alien high-molecular-weight glutenin was observed in the endosperm of line B. Chromosome D had a 45S rDNA signal in the interstitial region of the long arm. Chromosomes C, E, and F were distinguished by the EST-SSR markers Ltc0464, Ltc0096, and Xcfe175, respectively. The homoeologous group of each alien chromosome was implied from the results above, and the utilization of these addition lines for wheat breeding was discussed.