Isozyme and cytological markers of some Psathyrostachys juncea accessions.

Psathyrostachys juncea (synonymous to Elymus junceus; 2n=2x=14, NN) has unique biotic and abiotic attributes that could contribute towards wheat improvement. The effectiveness of such an intergeneric hybridization program depends greatly on being able to establish diagnostic markers of the alien chromosomes. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) analyses of six enzyme systems have identified five biochemical markers - malate dehydrogenase (MDH), esterase (EST), shikimate dehydrogenase (SKDH), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), and β-amylase (β-AMY) - to be of positive diagnostic value; glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI) banding profiles were of no definite value in the background of Triticum aestivum cvs 'Chinese Spring' and 'Seri-82', the potential recipients of Ps. juncea chromosomes. The Giemsa C-banding karyotype distinctively separates the Ps. Juncea chromosomes from each other and from those of T. aestivum with little banding site polymorphisms prevalent among its accessions analyzed, indicating the usefulness of C-bands as cytological markers.