Chromosomal constitution of the three Trititrigia octoploids
The root tip chromosome analysis showed that chromosome number of TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1 was 2n = 56. Observation of meiotic chromosomes in PMCs revealed that most chromosomes in the observed cells formed 28 bivalents at meiotic metaphase I, 14 alien chromosomes formed 7 bivalents were observed in GISH analysis, indicating high cytological stability (Supplemental Fig. 1, Supplemental Table 1).
GISH, FISH and McGISH were used to identify the chromosomal constitution of TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1. The GISH (Fig. 1-A1) and FISH (Fig. 1-A2) results indicated that TE261-1 contained 42 wheat chromosomes and 14 Th. intermedium chromosomes (Fig. 2), including one pair of St-genome chromosomes that were completely labeled with probe signals, one pair of J-genome chromosomes labeled only in the telomeres, three pairs of JS-genome chromosomes with obvious labeling in centromere areas, one pair of acrocentric chromosomes from the JS genome, and one pair of J-St translocated chromosomes. The JS acrocentric chromosomes (Fig. 2), were first discovered in the TE series of Trititrigia octoploids.
The results revealed that TE266-1 also contained 42 wheat chromosomes and 14 Th. intermedium chromosomes (Fig. 1-B1, B2, B3 and Fig. 2), including two pairs of St-genome chromosomes, one pair of J-genome chromosomes, three pairs of JS-genome chromosomes, and one pair of J-St translocated chromosomes. As shown in Fig. 1-C1, C2, C3 and Fig. 2, TE346-1 also contained 42 wheat chromosomes and 14 Th. intermedium chromosomes, including one pair of St-genome chromosomes, one pair of J-genome chromosomes, four pairs of JS-genome chromosomes and one pair of J-St translocated chromosomes.
Variation in the wheat chromosomes in the three Trititrigia octoploids
The wheat chromosome variations in the three Trititrigia octoploids were detected based on FISH and McGISH patterns and were compared with their common wheat parent YN15. For the A-genome chromosomes, the hybridization signals of pAs1 are not visible on 1A in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1 (Fig. 3D). An absence of (GAA)8 signals on 6AL and additional pAs1 signals at the 6AS subtelomeric position were observed in TE261-1 and TE346-1, while only the absence of (GAA)8 signals on 6AL was observed in TE266-1 (Fig. 3D).
Compared with YN15, the signals on the 6B chromosome in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1 also changed (Fig. 3A-D). Interspersed green signals for the pAs1 probe were detected on 6BS of TE261-1 and TE266-1, and the length of the 6BS chromosomes appeared to be extended in TE266-1 and TE346-1. Faint red (GAA)8 signals were also observed on the 6BL chromosomes in the three Trititrigia octoploids.
The signals of the D-genome chromosomes in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1 appeared to vary significantly. FISH and McGISH results indicated that in TE266-1, the 2D chromosomes were replaced with one pair of A-D translocated chromosomes; the main body of the A-D translocated chromosomes was derived from 2A chromosomes according to the pAs1 signals, while part of the long arm was replaced with a 2D chromosome segment (Fig. 3-B, 3-D).
The FISH results showed that the original strong pAs1 signals on 7DS or 7DL in YN15 were replaced with faint (GAA)8 and pAs1 signals in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1. The McGISH results indicated that the partial long arm of the 7D chromosome in TE261-1 was replaced with the chromosome segment of the A-genome chromosome (Fig. 1-A3, Fig. 3-D). However, the translocated A-genome chromosome segment was located on the short arm in TE266-1 and TE346-1, not the long arm as in TE261-1. The source of the A-genome chromosome segment was uncertain due to the lack of a specific FISH signal in this A-genome chromosome segment.
Specific molecular markers of the wheat chromosomes were employed to verify the chromosomal variation and detect the variation type in the three Trititrigia octoploids. The specific band (~ 300 bp) of YN15 amplified with the specific marker Xmag3124, which was located on 1A, was not observed in the three Trititrigia octoploids (Fig. 4). The specific band (~ 150 bp) of YN15 detected by marker GPW4344, which was located on 6A (Supplemental Fig. 4), were also absent in the three Trititrigia octoploids, and a 6A specific band (~ 300 bp) absent in TE346-1 were detected by GPW7465. The 6B specific band (~ 200 bp) detected by the marker Xgwm219 showed a 10 bp insertion in three Trititrigia octoploids (Supplemental Fig. 4). Two specific bands (240, 200 bp) absent in three Trititrigia octoploids were detected by Barc053 and Barc172 located on the 7D chromosomes, (Fig. 4 and Supplemental Fig. 4), respectively. The results for several specific markers, such as Xwmc245, Xgdm35, Xgdm77, Xgdm107, Barc095, Barc168 and Ppd-D1, located on the 2D chromosomes (Fig. 4 and Supplemental Fig. 4) demonstrated great variation, i.e., the absent of specific bands in the 2D chromosomes in TE266-1, but the 2D chromosomes of TE261-1 and TE346-1 remained unchanged.
The sequences of the primers used for these 16 chromosome-specific markers were employed to run local BLAST searches against the database of the T. aestivum (CS) whole-genome sequence. Eleven markers were screened according to screening criteria including the appropriate chromosomes, initial position, terminal position and degree of strict matching (Table 1). For example, the chromosomes mapped by BLAST should be matched the specific chromosomes detected by PCR; the higher matching degree means the better option, and the 3’ of primer must be matched; the absolute value of margin between forward primer initial position and reverse primer terminal, should match the size of specific bands; and last, the appropriate position mapped by the makers were picked out. Compared BLAST with PCR results after screening, the size of specific bands amplified with majority makers were similar, but the 7D specific band (~ 240 bp) detected by Barc053 was different from BLAST result (295 bp), and difference exist in Ppd-D1 (R1) result of PCR (250 bp) and BLAST (413 bp). The difference could be attributed to the errors occurring during Triticum aestivum (CS) whole genome sequencing. The screened markers were then labeled at the specific location of the corresponding chromosomes using MapGene2Chromosomes v2, according to their physical position on the chromosomes (Fig. 5). The positions of the variations detected with markers were consistent with the FISH signals on the 6A, 6BL, 2D and 7D chromosomes, while the variation at the 1AL telomere was detected with markers, rather than FISH signals.
Table 1
Sequence alignment results for the screened wheat chromosome-specific molecular markers
Molecular marker | Forward/reverse | Sequence (5'-3') | Chromosome | Initial position | Terminal position | Degree of matching |
Xmag3124 | F | ACCTAGCCAGCACATCATCC | chr1A | 593287178 | 593287161 | 94.444 |
R | CGAGAAAGTGAGGAGGTCCA | chr1A | 593286873 | 593286855 | 94.737 |
GPW4344 | F | CCTGCAAGGTTTCAATTCGT | chr6A | 389958799 | 389958780 | 100 |
R | TGAGGACCGTTGGTGTCAT | chr6A | 389958694 | 389958676 | 100 |
GPW7465 | F | GAGAAGCCATTAAAGCCGC | chr6A | 489511748 | 489511730 | 100 |
R | CAGCTTGGAGACGATCAGC | chr6A | 489511527 | 489511509 | 100 |
Xgwm219 | F | GATGAGCGACACCTAGCCTC | chr6B | 674843297 | 674843316 | 100 |
R | GGGGTCCGAGTCCACAAC | chr6B | 674843460 | 674843497 | 100 |
wmc245 | F | GCTCAGATCATCCACCAACTTC | chr2D | 186776793 | 186776772 | 100 |
R | AGATGCTCTGGGAGAGTCCTTA | chr2D | 186776665 | 186776644 | 100 |
Xgdm35 | F | CCTGCTCTGCCCTAGATACG | chr2D | 13754194 | 13754175 | 100 |
R | ATGTGAATGTGATGCATGCA | chr2D | 13753556 | 13753537 | 100 |
Xgdm77 | F | GACACACAATAGCCAAAGCA | chr2D | 11582137 | 11582118 | 100 |
R | TGATGTCGGCACTATTTTGG | chr2D | 11582020 | 11582001 | 100 |
BARC095 | F | GGGGTGTGGTTGTTTGTAAGG | chr2D | 14032404 | 14032424 | 100 |
R | TGCGAATTCTATATACGATCTTGAGC | chr2D | 14032568 | 14032593 | 100 |
Ppd-D1 | F | ACGCCTCCCACTACACTG | chr2D | 33957798 | 33957781 | 100 |
R1 | GTTGGTTCAAACAGAGAGC | chr2D | 33957403 | 33957385 | 100 |
| R2 | CACTGGTGGTAGCTGAGATT | chr2D | 33955441 | 33955422 | 100 |
BARC053 | F | GCGTCGTTCCTTTGCTTGTACCAGTA | chr7D | 613146874 | 613146852 | 100 |
R | GCGCGTCCTTCCAATGCAGAGTAGA | chr7D | 613146600 | 613146579 | 100 |
BARC172 | F | GCGAAATGTGATGGGGTTTATCTA | chr7D | 511064337 | 511064317 | 100 |
R | GCGATTTGATTTAACTTTAGCAGTGAG | chr7D | 511064181 | 511064158 | 100 |
Phenotypic evaluation of the three Trititrigia octoploids
The reactions to stripe rust, powdery mildew and aphids in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1 were evaluated at the seedling and adult plant stages using the wheat parents YN15 and Th. intermedium as controls (Table 2). At the seedling stage, TE261-1, TE266-1, and TE346-1 were immune to the stripe rust race CYR32 and resistant to the powdery mildew race E09. At the adult stage, all three Trititrigia octoploids showed good resistance to stripe rust and powdery mildew in the field. TE261-1 and TE346-1 also showed moderate resistance to aphids at the adult stage, while TE266-1 and YN15 were susceptible. As the common wheat parent YN15 is susceptible to stripe rust, powdery mildew and aphids, whereas Th. intermedium is immune to all three, we deduce that the resistance of Trititrigia is derived from Th. intermedium.
Table 2
Evaluation of stripe rust, powdery mildew and aphid resistances in TE261-1, TE266-1 and TE346-1
Materials | Seedling stage | | Adult plant stage |
Stripe rust CYR32 | Powdery mildew E09 | | Stripe rust | Powdery mildew | Aphid |
Th. intermedium | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0; |
YN15 | 4 | 4 | | 4 | 4 | 5 |
TE261-1 | 0 | 2 | | 0; | 0; | 2 |
TE266-1 | 0 | 1 | | 0; | 0; | 4 |
TE346-1 | 0 | 1 | | 0; | 0; | 3 |