extent and position of homoeologous recombination in a distant hybrid of Alstroemeria: a molecular cytogenetic assessment of first generation backcross progenies

To estimate the extent and position of homoeologous recombination during meiosis in an interspecific hybrid between two distantly related Alstroemeria species, the chromosome constitution of six first generation backcross (BC1) plants was analysed using sequential fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) analysis. Four different probes were used for the FISH analysis: two species-specific and two rDNA probes. The six BC1 plants were obtained from crosses between the hybrid A. aurea X A. inodora with its parent A. inodora. GISH clearly identified all chromosomes of both parental genomes as well as recombinant chromosomes. The sequential GISH and FISH analysis enabled the accurate identification of all individual chromosomes in the BC1 plants, resulting in the construction of detailed karyotypes of the plants. The identification of the recombinant chromosomes provided evidence which chromosomes of the two species are homoeologous. Two of the BC1 plants were aneuploid (2n=2x+1=17) and four triploid (2n=3x=24) indicating that both n and 2n gametes were functional in the F1 hybrid. Using GISH, it was possible to estimate homeologous recombination in two different types of gametes in the F1 hybrid. The positions of the crossover points ranged from highly proximal to distal and the maximum number of crossover points per chromosome arm was three. Compared with the aneuploid plants, the triploid plants (which received 2n gametes) clearly possessed fewer crossovers per chromosome, indicating reduced chromosome pairing/recombination prior to the formation of the 2n gametes. Besides homeologous recombination, evidence was found for the presence of structural rearrangements (inversion and translocation) between the chromosomes of the parental species. The presence of the ancient translocation was confirmed through FISH analysis of mitotic and meiotic chromosomes.