Meiotic Behavior of Wild, Synthetic and Cultivated Wheats

Wild relatives of bread wheat are potential sources of valuable genetic materials for wheat improvement. Genomic relationship and cross-ability between plant species can be deduced from chromosomal structure, size and behavior during meiotic division. In this study, the meiotic behavior of 21 wheat genotypes possessing the 3 ploidy levels of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid and belonging to 3 wild, cultivated and synthetic growing statuses was investigated. The results indicated that the average number of ring bivalents at metaphase I ranged from 60 to 100% in the studied genotypes with the lowest rate belonging to the diploid wild relative wheat species. Four meiotic abnormalities including (I) precocious chromosome migration to the poles at metaphase 1, (2) laggard chromosomes at anaphase 1 and telophase I, (3) chromosome stickiness and chromosome bridge at anaphase I and (4) formation of micronuclei at telophase I and in the tetrad cells were found in the studied genotypes. The highest meiotic abnormalities were found in synthetic wheat accessions. The average value of the meiotic index for the studied wheat genotypes was above 99%, revealing their normal meiotic behavior.