Isozyme systems as markers of genetic deterioration in stored seeds of Brassicaceae species

The main objective of this study was to determine if isozyme systems can be used as markers of genetic deterioration in Brassicaceae seed accessions under different storage conditions. Seed samples of Brassica oleracea, Cardaria draba, Erysimum cheiri, Iberis sempervirens and Rapistrum rugosum were stored for periods of 9 to 30 years at -10°C and 3-4% seed moisture content (long-term or LT conditions) and at 5°C and uncontrolled relative humidity (RH) (short-term or ST conditions). Starch Gel Electrophoresis (SGE) was used to analyse six enzyme systems oriented to determine the genetic deterioration of the accessions studied. The results obtained show that long-term storage conditions (LT) were extremely effective in maintaining the viability of seeds of the five Brassicaceae species studied. The final germination percentages reached by seeds from LT samples ranged from 75 to 100%, while the germination percentages of ST samples (except for B. oleracea) were very low (from 0 to 10%). Similar conclusions were obtained studying the integrity of electrophoretic bands for several isozymes. Two enzyme systems were of special interest: malate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase.

Cromosomal location of four genes encoding Class III peroxidases in wheat

In a previous work, deduced amino acid sequences from twenty wheat peroxidase genes were assigned to seven groups designated as TaPrx108 to TaPrx114. Some of these apoplastic peroxidases have previously shown to play different roles in the plant defense responses to infection by the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae. In the present study, PCR marker analysis using Sears’s aneuploid wheat lines cv. ‘Chinese Spring’ was used to locate four genes encoding peroxidase isozymes. The TaPrx111-A, TaPrx112-D and TaPrx113-F genes were located on the short arm of chromosome 2B and the TaPrx109-C on the long arm of chromosome 1B. These results would agree with the synteny between wheat and rice chromosomes previously established in other studies.