When reciprocal crosses are made between different pea genotypes, there is a strong maternal influence on mature seed size of the reciprocal hybrids, i.e. their dry weights are similar to that of seeds obtained from their maternal parents. Reciprocal crosses between pea varieties having very different mature seed sizes were used to investigate how the maternal genotype controls seed development and mature seed size. The differences in dry seed weight between genotypes and reciprocal hybrids reflected differences in both cotyledon cell number and mean cell volume, and the maternal control on the establishment of these two traits was investigated. Using flow cytometry, data relative to endoreduplication kinetics in cotyledons during the transition between the cell division phase and maturation were obtained. The appearance of nuclei having an 8C DNA content indicates the initiation of the endoreduplication phenomenon and thus the end of the cell division phase. It was shown that the duration of the cell division phase was the same in the reciprocal hybrids, its value being intermediate between those recorded for their maternal parents. This result indicates that the timing of development of the embryo is not under maternal control, but depends on its own genotype. Consequently, maternal genotype must influence the mitotic rate during the cell division phase to achieve differences in cell number found in the cotyledons of mature F1-reciprocal hybrids. The final level of endoreduplication in cotyledons of mature seeds was also investigated. This study showed that there is a close relationship (r2 = 0.919) between the endoreduplication level in mature cotyledons and seed dry weight or mean volume of cotyledon cells, suggesting that both maternal and non-maternal factors could control the number of endoreduplicating cycles in the cotyledons and, hypothetically, the cotyledon cell size.
This research reports a new technique for chromosome doubling of clover (Trifolium sp.) axillary meristems via in vitro colchicine application. Plant material utilized included T. pratense (red clover) cv. Kenstar clones, and three interspecific hybrids: T. ambiguum (kura clover) × T. repens (white clover); T. alpestre × T. pratense; and T. sarosiense × T. pratense. Vegetative axillary meristems were excised from plants, surface sterilized, and trimmed to a length of 0.5–1 mm. Meristems were placed on the surface of a shoot proliferation medium (ML8) containing colchicine (0.1%) for 48 or 72 h and then transferred back to ML8. Alternative treatments were to preculture meristems on ML8 for 7 days prior to colchicine treatment. Plantlets with two or three trifoliolate leaves were induced to root on CR2 or RL rooting media. Preculturing of meristems on ML8 prior to colchicine exposure resulted in the highest chromosome doubling frequencies among the different genotypes, although there was apparent genotype × treatment interaction. Chromosome doubling frequencies were as high as 81 and 44% for initial root tips and mature shoots, respectively. To make rapid assessments of ploidy level of flowering plants, pollen shape was examined. Chromosome doubling increased the pollen stainability of the T. ambiguum × T. repens hybrid from 2.5 to 33.6%, but did not result in fertility in the other two interspecific hybrids.Key words: Trifolium, colchicine, chromosome doubling, interspecific hybrids.
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used with the objective of identifying DNA markers hnked to the sclerotinia crown and stem rot (SCSR) resistance of red clover. Bulked segregant analysis was used to detect polymorphism that should be hnked to SCSR resistance. Two bulks were made by pooling previously extracted DNA. Each bulk (one resistant, and the other susceptible) consisted of eight genotypes from an F2 population obtained from a cross between a susceptible and a resistant parent. A binomial model was used to select RAPD fragments with a low probabihty of no linkage with SCSR resistance. Four RAPD fragments were retained as candidate markers of SCSR resistance. Three are associated with resistance and one with susceptibility.
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