Abstract
There are significant differences in nuclear DNA amount between both diploid and amphidiploid species of Nicotiana. Owing to the higher DNA density in the interphase nuclei of the amphidiploids DNA amounts tend to be underestimated by microdensitometry. After applying necessary corrections to amphidiploid readings it was found that: (1) The nuclear DNA amount in the tetraploid N. rustica is not significantly different from the sum of nuclear DNA amounts in reputed diploid parents, N. undulata and N. paniculata. (2) It is well established that N. sylvestris is one of the diploid progenitors of N. tabacum. The sum of the nuclear DNA amounts in N. sylvestris and N. tomentosiformis is not significantly different from that of the amphidiploid N. tabacum. In contrast the sum of the DNA amounts in N. sylvestris and N. otophora is significantly higher than that in N. tabacum. Observations and measurements of the amount and distribution of heterochromatin in interphase nuclei of the diploid and tetraploid species give further support to the conclusion that N. tomentosiformis rather than N. otophora is the second diploid progenitor of N. tabacum.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ar-Rushdi, A. H.: Inheritance in N. tabacum XXVI. Sterility genes from tomentosae species. J. Genet. 54, 9–22 (1956)
Bullen, M. R., Rees, H.: Nuclear variation in Avena. Chromosoma (Berl.) 39, 93–100 (1972)
Burns, J. A.: The heterochromatin of two species of Nicotiana. J. Hered. 57, 43–47 (1966)
Gerstel, D. U.: Segregation in new allopolyploids of Nicotiana. I. Comparison of 6x(N. tabacumxN. tomentosiformis) and 6x(N. tabacumxN. otophora). Genetics 45, 1723–1734 (1960)
Gerstel, D. U.: Evolutionary problems in some polyploid crop plants. Hereditas (Lund), Suppl. 2, 481–604 (1966)
Goodspeed, T. H.: A preliminary note on the cytology of Nicotiana species and hybrids. Svenske Bot. Tidskr. 17, 472–478 (1923)
Goodspeed, T. H.: The genus Nicotiana. Chronica Botanica. 536 pp. Waltham, Massachusetts 1954
Goodspeed, T. H., Clausen, R. E.: Interspecific hybridisation in Nicotiana. VIII. The sylvestris-tomentosa-tabacum hybrid triangle and its bearings on the origin of tabacum. Univ. Calif. Pub. Bot. 11, 245–256 (1928)
Greenleaf, W. H.: Genic sterility in Tabacum-like amphidiploids in Nicotiana. J. Genet. 43, 69–96 (1942)
Mittwoch, U.: Scope and limitations of Feulgen microdensitometry. Chromosomes today 2, 90–98. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd 1969
Rees, H., Walters, M. R.: Nuclear DNA and the evolution of wheat. Heredity 20, 73–82 (1965)
Verma, S. C., Rees, H.: Nuclear DNA and the evolution of allotetraploid Brassicae. (In press, 1973)
Walker, P. M. B., Richards, B. M.: Quantitative microscopical techniques for single cells. In: The cell, vol. 1. New York: Academic Press Inc. 1959
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Narayan, R.K.J., Rees, H. Nuclear DNA, heterochromatin and phylogeny of Nicotiana amphidiploids. Chromosoma 47, 75–83 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326273
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326273