Monosomic lines are widely used to investigate in detail the
genetic control of quantitative traits in wheat. In these experiments
significant differences were found between monosomic lines and the
euploid control in the expression of a large number of quantitative
traits. In general, the absence of a critical chromosome accounts for
these differences (Larson 1966; Maystrenko and Aliev 1986; Rigin and
Barashkova, 1984). Near-isogenic lines are used for revealing the
effect of conventional markers on other traits (Koval and Koval 1997)
and the linkage to other markers including molecular markers
(Muehlbauer et al. 1988). However, the incorporation of some genes
into the genome or a longtime absence of any chromosome, may in a way
lead to a decreased plant viability. In this case, the formation of
the so- called compensatory complex of genes (CCG) can be expected in
these lines after some generations of maintaining. The CCG was
described in silkworm as a result of selection. for increased
vitality in the inbred lines carrying semilethal genes (Strunnikov
1983). In these experiments, the individuals were selected with an
increasing amount of minor alleles that compensated the harmful
effect of the semilethal gene. These minor alleles acting additively
form the CCG. In plants, the existence of CCG was shown in the
experiments with diploid species Pisum sativum L., mutant
chlorina. The CCG was transferred from the mutant line to the initial
variety by several backcrosses. As a result, the line displaying the
effect of stable heterosis was obtained (Sokolov 1990; Gostimsky et
al. 1992). Thus, the CCG formation may bring about the variability in
a number of traits including quantitative traits. This investigation
reports the variability in genetic stocks of hexaploid wheat provoked
by the aneuploid state of the genome. The results will be discussed
in the light of possibility of CCG formation.