Structural organization of an alien Thinopyrum intermedium group 7 chromosome in U.S. soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance in soft red winter wheat (SRWW) cultivars has been achieved by substituting a group 7 chromosome from Thinopyrum intermedium for chromosome 7D. To localize BYDV resistance, a detailed molecular genetic analysis was done on the alien group 7 Th. intermedium chromosome to determine its structural organization. Triticeae group 7 RFLP markers and rye specific repetitive sequences used in the analysis showed that the alien chromosome in the P29 substitution line has distinguishing features. The 350-480 bp rye telomeric sequence family was present on the long arm as determined by Southern and fluorescence in situ hybridization. However, further analysis using a rye dispersed repetitive sequence indicated that this alien chromosome does not contain introgressed segments from the rye genome. The alien chromosome is homoeologous to wheat chromosomes 7A and 7D as determined by RFLP analysis. Presence of the waxy gene on chromosomes 7A, 7B, and 7D but its absence on the alien chromosome in P29 suggests some internal structural differences on the short arm between Th. intermedium and wheat group 7 chromosomes. The identification of rye telomeric sequences on the alien Thinopyrum chromosome and the homoeology to wheat chromosomes 7A and 7D provide the necessary information and tools to analyze smaller segments of the Thinopyrum chromosome and to localize BYDV resistance in SRWW cultivars.