Cytological observation of chromosome breakage in wheat male gametophytes caused by gametocidal action of Aegilops triuncialis-derived chromosome 3C t .

In this study, we investigated the chromosome breakage caused by gametocidal (Gc) chromosome 3C(t) and its interaction with the suppressor gene Igc1 (inhibitor of gametocidal gene 1) on wheat chromosome 3B. We demonstrated cytologically that patterns of 3C(t)-induced chromosomal fragmentation in microspores differed from patterns observed for other Gc genes. Uninuclear microspores of the monosomic 3Ct addition line had high frequencies of micronuclei, possibly explaining its low fertility. Chromosome fragmentation was observed in prometaphase and metaphase of the first pollen mitosis in the monosomic 3Ct addition line. Patterns of chromosome fragmentation were different from those previously reported for Gc chromosomes 2S of Aegilops speltoides, 4S(sh) of Ae. sharonensis and 2C(ey) of Ae. cylindrica; many chromosome fragments were observed in prometaphase of the first pollen mitosis in the monosomic 3Ct addition plants. In anthers at the binuclear stage, many microspores at the uninuclear stage coexisted with normally developed microspores.