In vitro polyploidisation of Helleborus species

Helleborus species are members of the family of the Ranunculaceae. These popular perennials are all diploids (2n = 2x = 32). This study investigates polyploidy induction by different antimitotic agents. Colchicine, oryzalin and trifluralin were tested in vitro on shoots of Helleborus niger, H. orientalis and H. 9 nigercors. Furthermore the effect of the antimitotic agents on the viability and the multiplication rate of cultured plantlets were analyzed. Flow cytometry demonstrated that polyploidisation was genotype dependent: using H. niger, tetraploids were obtained using either oryzalin (3 mu M) or trifluralin (3 or 10 lM), whereas for H. 9 nigercors only trifluralin (3 or 10 mu M) induced polyploidisation. For H. orientalis neither treatment was effective to produce tetraploids or mixoploids. For these three species, colchicine (100 mu M) was ineffective. The polyploidisation events in H. niger and H. 9 nigercors were confirmed by chromosome counts of mounted nuclei derived from root tips (2n = 4x = 64)

Meiotic aberrations during 2n pollen formation in Begonia

Unreduced gametes are the driving force for the polyploidization of plants in nature, and are also an important tool for ploidy breeding. The final heterozygosity of a 2n pollen grain depends on the cytological mechanism behind 2n pollen formation. In this study, chromosome pairing and chromosome segregation during the microsporogenesis of seven Begonia genotypes were analysed using fluorescent chromosome staining on (squashed) pollen mother cells. Among the seven genotypes, five genotypes produce 2n pollen (B. 'Bubbles', B. 'Florence Rita', B. 'Orococo', B. 'Tamo' and B276) and two genotypes produce only normal n pollen (B. fischeri and B243). All 2n pollen producers showed a mechanism equivalent to first division restitution (FDR), in which chromosomes did not segregate during meiosis I but only during meiosis II. This FDR was the result of (a) an irregular chromosome pairing in B. 'Tamo', (b) stickiness of chromosomes associated with numerous chromosome bridges in B. 'Florence Rita' and B276, and (c) a combination of irregular chromosome pairing and stickiness of chromosomes in B. 'Bubbles'. The exact mechanism of the nuclear restitution in B. 'Orococo' could not be determined. Other mechanisms, such as early asymmetric cytokinesis, omission of meiosis II, parallel or tripolar spindle formation, were rather uncommon. Unpaired chromosomes (univalents) were observed in all genotypes, but they had moved to one of the poles by the end of anaphase I or II. Only B. 'Tamo' formed a high number of micronuclei. Consequently, this genotype formed a large number of malformed pollen. Obviously, chromosome behaviour during meiosis in Begonia is very dynamic, which may have important consequences for chromosome evolution and biodiversity within the genus. Heredity (2010) 104, 215-223; doi:10.1038/hdy.2009.111; published online 26 August 200