Morphological and RAPD markers show a highly skewed distribution in a pair of reciprocal crosses between hemisexual dogrose species, Rosa sect. Caninae

• Published in: Theoretical and applied genetics 1999-03, Vol.98 (3/4), p.557-563
• Main Authors: Werlemark, G, Uggla, M, Nybom, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biological markers; calyx; Chromosomes; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; crossing; Discriminant analysis; dominance; flowering date; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; gynoecium; hybrids; Identification and classification; inheritance (genetics); interspecific hybridization; leaves; length; markers; matroclinal inheritance; Morphology; Plant genetics; plant morphology; pollen markers; Pteridophyta, spermatophyta; random amplified polymorphic DNA technique; Reproductive system; Rosa; Rosa dumalis; Rosa rubiginosa; Rosaceae; Seeds; segregation distortion; Vegetals; width
• ISSN: 0040-5752; 1432-2242
• DOI: 10.1007/s001220051104

The dogroses, Rosa sect. Caninae, are polyploid and characterized by their unique meiosis with an unequal number of chromosomes in the male and female gametes. The pollen cells have 7 chromosomes and the egg cells 21, 28 or 35 depending on the ploidy level of the species. The resulting matroclinal inheritance was studied with both morphological and molecular markers in a pair of reciprocal crosses between R. dumalis and R. rubiginosa (2n = 35). A canonical discriminant analysis based on seven morphological characters showed only a minor overlapping between the two progeny groups. In addition, the R. dumalis X R. rubiginosa offspring were more heterogeneous than the offspring from the reciprocal cross in each of the characters analysed. Eleven RAPD markers specific for the R. dumalis parent and 10 RAPD markers specific for the R. rubiginosa parent were scored in the offspring. Each of the offspring exhibited either all, or all-but-one, of the seed parent markers. The average number of pollen donor markers found in the offspring was 3.2 (R. dumalis X R. rubiginosa) and 2.7 (R. rubiginosa X R. dumalis). About half of the pollen donor markers were never transmitted to the progeny. This is, to our knowledge, the first time the highly skewed chromosome distribution in Rosa sect. Caninae has been demonstrated with statistically evaluated morphological data and with molecular markers.