MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS IN U-GENOME WILD WHEATS

The theory of pivotal-differential evolution states that one genome of polyploid wheats remains stable (i.e., pivotal) during evolution, while the other genome or genomes may become modified (i.e., differential). A proposed mechanism for apparent modification of the differential genome is that different polyploid species with only one genome in common may exchange genetic material. In this study, we analyzed a set of sympatric and allopatric accessions of tetraploid wheats with the genomic constitutions UM and UC. The U genome of these species is from Triticum umbellulatum and is considered to be the pivotal genome. The M and C genomes, from T. comosum and T. dichasians, respectively, are considered to be the differential genomes. Low copy DNA was analyzed using ''sequence tagged site'' primer sets in the polymerase chain reaction, followed by digestion with restriction enzymes. Genetic similarity matrices based on shared restriction fragments showed that sympatric accessions of different U genome tetraploid species did not tend to share more restriction fragments than did allopatric accessions. Thus, no evidence for introgression was found. Analysis of the diploid progenitor species showed that the U genome was less variable than the M and C genomes. Additionally, comparison of diploid and polyploid species using genome-specific primer sets suggests a possible polyphyletic origin for T. triunciale and T. machrochaetum. Thus, our results suggest that the differential nature of the M and C genomes may be the result of variability introduced by the diploid progenitors and not the result of frequent introgression events after formation of the polyploid.