SELECTIVE SOMATIC ELIMINATION OF NICOTIANA GLUTINOSA CHROMOSOMES IN THE F1 HYBRIDS OF N. SUAVEOLENS AND N. GLUTINOSA

The F, hybrids of Nicotiana suaveolen (subgenus Petunioides, 2n = 32) and N. glutinosa (subgenus Tabacum, 2n = 24), were examined during their development, from seedlings to mature plants. It was observed that in the hybrids, there was a progressive change of dominant N. glutinosa morphological characteristics towards those of N. suaveolens, in leaf shape, stem, flower color and branching pattern. A study of mitotic chromosomes in the root-tips and in very young anthers of the mature plants indicated a significantly high average frequency of aberrant mitotic anaphases (bridges and fragments, 12% and 11 % respectively). As a consequence of this phenomenon, variability in the number and size of chromosomes was observed in the PMC's and in mitotic metaphases (29-24 chromosomes). In order to establish whether the N. glufinosa chromosomes were preferentially last, a karyological study of the parents and their F, hybrids was carried out and it was established that the F, hybrids were losing N. glutinosa chromosomes preferentially. A mechanism was suggested for the loss of these chromosomes by means of a chromatid type of breakage-fusion-bridge cycle (b-f-b cycle) and initiation of the b-f-b cycle in the hybrid due to an interaction of the regulatory mechanism of DNA replication in the haploid genomes of the parental species. However, loss of these chromosomes owing to interaction of certain genes from the two parental species cannot be ruled out.