Biochemical and molecular diagnostics of Thinopyrum bessarabicum chromosomes in Triticum aestivum germ plasm.

Thinopyrum bessarabicum (2n=2x=14, JJ) is a self-fertile salt-tolerant grass species, and its hybridization with Triticum aestivum to achieve the transfer of this attributes has been promoted. For the detection of alien introgression, development of diagnostic markers of Th. bessarabicum chromosomes in the wheat background has emerged as an important aspect in our intergeneric hybridization program. Six proteins/isozymes-high-molecular-weight glutenins, superoxide dismutase, grain esterase, β-amylase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and α-amylase -were identified as positive markers for detecting the presence of Th. bessarabicum chromosomes in the advanced backcross derivatives of T. aestivum/Th. bessarabicum//n(*) T. aestivum. Fluorescent in situ hybridization further enabled the detection of complete and translocated arms of Th. bessarabicum chromosomes in the T. aestivum background. These diagnostic markers served for tentatively characterizing a distinct set of Th. bessarabicum disomic additions to wheat (2n=44) and have facilitated establishing the homoeology of these added chromosomes.