Cytogenetic stability of aneuploid maize tissue cultures

Abstract

Monosomic maize tissue cultures might be used to select recessive mutations of cellular traits. This strategy would avoid some of the problems encountered with haploid cultures such as lack of vigor, sterility of regenerated plants, and uncontrolled diploidization. Monosomic and other aneuploid plants were selected among progeny of W22 R/r-x1 crossed with genetic stocks containing recessive markers. The r-x1 allele induces aneuploidy at a frequency of about 15%. Immature tassels of selected plants were used to initiate totipotent tissue cultures. Plants were regenerated from the cultures over a period of 3 to 17 months after culture initiation. Meiotic karyotypes of microsporocytes and pollen sterility were analyzed in regenerated plants. At least 40% of the 161 plants regenerated from aneuploid cultures had altered karyotypes. This frequency was not related to culture age. Most alterations involved chromosome breakage rather than changes in chromosome number. Types of alterations included heteromorphic p...