Summary
The progeny of 149 plants regenerated from tissue culture of immature wheat (Triticum aestivum) embryos were screened for variation in their grain β-amylase isozyme pattern. One regenerant was found which was heterozygous for a variant pattern characterized by the presence of at least five new isozyme bands, as well as an increased intensity in existing bands in two more positions. The F2 of a homozygous variant crossed back to the parent segregated in an approximate 3∶1 ratio but resolution of the gels was not sufficient to distinguish whether this represents a dominant or co-dominant single mutant gene. No chromosome abnormalities were evident in mitosis or meiosis of the homozygous variant or in the F1 of the variant crossed back to the parent. No recombination has been seen between the variant bands and production of multiple bands from a single locus is consistent with the nature of the known β-amylase loci. However, the variant bands were not evident in a survey of 111 diverse genotypes, nor were they present in developing grain of the parent cultivar. Therefore, this variant could represent a rare mutation leading to expression of a currently unexpressed locus.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ainsworth CC, Gale MD, Baird S (1983) The genetics of β-amylase isozymes in wheat. 1. Allelic variation among hexaploid varieties and intrachromosomal locations. Theor Appl Genet 66:39–49
Benzion G, Phillips RL, Rines HW (1986) Case histories of genetic variability in vitro: oats and maize. In: Vasil IK (ed) Plant regeneration and genetic variability. Academic Press, New York (in press)
Bingham ET, McCoy TJ (1985) Somaclonal variation in alfalfa. In: Plant breeding reviews. AVI Publishing (in press)
Brettell RIS, Dennis ES, Scowcroft WR, Peacock WJ (1986) Molecular analysis of a somaclonal mutant of maize alcohol dehydrogenase. Mol Gen Genet 202:235–239
Chaleff RS, Ray TB (1984) Herbicide-resistant mutants from tobacco cell cultures. Science 223:1154–1181
Davies PA, Pallotta MA, Ryan SA, Scowcroft WR, Larkin PJ (1986) Somaclonal variation in wheat: genetic and cytogenetic characterisation of alcohol dehydrogenase 1 mutants. Theor Appl Genet 72:644–653
Edallo S, Zucchinali C, Perenzin M, Salamini F (1981) Chromosomal variation and frequency of spontaneous mutation associated with in vitro culture and plant regeneration in maize. Maydica 26:39–56
Gale MD, Ainsworth CC (1984) The relationship between α-amylase species found in developing and germinating wheat grain. Biochem Genet 22:1031–1036
Karp A, Maddock SE (1984) Chromosome variation in wheat plants regenerated from cultured immature embryos. Theor Appl Genet 67:249–255
King PJ (1984) From single cells to mutant plants. Oxford Surveys of Plant Mol Cell Biol 1:7–32
Larkin PJ, Scowcroft WR (1981) Somaclonal variation — a novel source of variability from cell culture for plant improvement. Theor Appl Genet 60:197–214
Larkin PJ, Ryan SA, Brettell RIS, Scowcroft WR (1984) Heritable somaclonal variation in wheat. Theor Appl Genet 67:443–455
Larkin PJ, Brettell RIS, Ryan SA, Davies PA, Pallotta MA, Scowcroft WR (1985) Somaclonal variation: impact on plant biology and breeding strategies. In: Day P, Zaitlin M, Hollaender A (eds) Biotechnology in plant science. Academic Press, New York, pp 83–100
Maliga P (1984) Isolation and characterization of mutants in plant cell culture. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35:519–542
McIntosh RA (1983) A catalogue of gene symbols for wheat. In: Sakamoto S (ed) Proc 6th Int. Wheat Genet Symp. Kyoto, Japan, pp 1197–1254
Ogihara Y (1981) Tissue culture in Haworthia. 4. Genetic characterization of plants regenerated from callus. Theor Appl Genet 60:353–363
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by K.Tsunewaki
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ryan, S.A., Scowcroft, W.R. A somaclonal variant of wheat with additional β-amylase isozymes. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 73, 459–464 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262516
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262516