Notes on the Origin of 4BL-5RL Rye Translocations in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

In order to investigate the origin of two 4B-5R wheat-rye translocations a number of microsatellite markers were considered, (a) which were specific for the rye chromosome arm 5RL and (b) which should enable precise characterisation for the gene pool of a ‘Cornell’ wheat derivative. Seven out of eight markers revealed amplification fragments with the rye control, while the marker WMS0186 amplified only a PCR product with the appropriate chromosome arm of the wheat control. The heterogeneity of the DNA fragment patterns among five wheat-rye translocation lines confirms different wheat backgrounds of the American, Danish/UK, Hungarian, and Swedish sources of the 4B-5R translocations. The homogeneous DNA marker patterns of ‘Viking-hairy neck’ and ‘Cornell Sel. 82a1-2-4-7’ are particularly clear. The corresponding molecular markers together with the cytological data, genomic in situ hybridisation, the physiological investigations, and the historical review support the hypothesis of a common origin of ‘Viking-hairy neck’ and ‘Cornell Sel. 82a1-2-4-7’. The importance of the results for practical breeding and for introgression experiments is discussed.