Molecular cytogenetic identification of wheat-Elymus tsukushiense introgression lines

Elymus tsukushiense Honda (syn. Roegneria kamoji C. Koch) (2n = 6x = 42, (SSHHYYts)-S-ts-H-ts-H-ts-Y-ts-Y-ts) is a hexaploid species, distantly related to bread wheat Triticum aestivum L. em Thell (2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD). Apart from the delineation of evolutionary relationships, this species is a potential source of resistance to scab, a devastating disease of wheat caused by Fusarium graminearum Schw. A standard C-banded karyotype was established identifying all 21 chromosome pairs of E. tsukushiense. By using C-banding and genomic in situ hybridization analyses, three wheat-E. tsukushiense chromosome addition lines, one ditelosomic addition line, and one disomic substitution line were identified in BC2 progenies from wheat x E. tsukushiense hybrids. Twenty DNA markers specific for the seven homoeologous groups of the Triticeae were used to determine the homoeology of the added E. tsukushiense chromosomes. The E. tsukushiense chromosomes in the addition lines NAU702, NAU703, and NAU701 were identified as belonging to homoeologous groups 1, 3, and 5, and thus, were designated as 1Ets#1, 3Ets#1, and 5Ets#1, respectively. NAU751 was identified as a disomic substitution line with chromosome 3A of wheat replaced by chromosome 3Ets#1. Line NAU702 has a high level of resistance to scab and will be used in chromosomal engineering and development of improved wheat germplasm for scab resistance breeding.