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Wheat Information Service
Number 72: 98 (1991)


Somatic genome analysis: Cloning of a C-genome specific sequence

H. Tsujimoto, T. Sasakuma and Y. Ogihara

Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 3-122-20 Mutsukawa, Minami-ku, Yokohama 232


Triticum-Aegilops complex is a good model for studying "polyploid evolution" because the genome constitutions of all the species are already kown. To characterize the genomes at a molecular level, we have been trying to isolate repetitive sequences which are present only in special genomes. In this symposium, we report our new clone, pAcH6, that is present repeatedly in the C genome of the diploid and tetraploid species.

We have isolated DNA from the seedlings of Ae. caudata (2n = 2x = 14, gemome CC) and digested with a restriction endonuclease HindIII. The DNA fragments obtained were inserted in the HindIII site of a plasmid vector pUC 18 and the genomic library of C genome was established. Using total DNAs of Ae. caudata and common wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring) as probes of dot-blot and Southern hybridization analyses, we selected a clone, pAcH6, that showed a strong signal only with the labeled Ae. caudata DNA.

The pAcH6 was labeled with digoxygenized dUTP (Boehringer Non-radioactive DNA hybridization kit), and hybridized to HindIII-digested DNAs of 20 Triticum and Aegilops species with genome(s) of A, B, C, D, G, M, N, S or U. Clear and uniform hybridization patterns appeared in the lanes of Ae. caudata, Ae.
cylindrica (2n = 4x = 28, genome CCDD) and Ae. triuncialis (2n = 4x = 28, CCUU). Next, this clone was labeled by biotinyl dCTP (Enzo), and hybridized in situ to the chromosomes of Ae. caucata. Hybridization signals were observed on all seven chromosomes of this species.

The fact that the AcH6 sequence is present only in the species carrying the C genome indicates that it was amplified to a detectable level after the differentiation of the C genome. Additionally, the fact that the sequence is dispersed on all seven chromosomes of the C genome may indicate that the AcH6 sequence had a transposable nature. However, it must have been stabilized before the tetraploid species was established, because the Southern hybridization patterns of the three species were the same. The present clone will be useful to identify the C-genome chromosomes in the tetraploid species and also in the addition lines.

Hitherto, genomes in the polyploid species have been analyzed mainly by observation of chromosome pairing of the F1 hybrids. Now, we can identify a specific genome at the somatic cell level by the above described molecular biological technique using genome specific sequences such as AcH6, which we have named "somatic genome analysis".

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