Expression and inheritance of isozymes in Brassica species and in their interspecific hybrids

Abstract Gene expression was analysed by means of isozyme electrophoresis for three diploid species Brassica rapa (genome AA), B. nigra (BB), and B. oleracea/ B. oleracea var. alboglabra (CC), three amphidiploids B. juncea (AABB), B. napus (AACC) and B. carinata (BBCC), and in 15 interspecific hybrids from crosses within and between the diploids and the amphidiploids. Five enzyme systems were assessed: glucosephosphate isomerase, leucine aminopeptidase, phosphoglucomutase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase. Alleles descending from the diploid species were found both in natural and artificially produced amphidiploids. No effect of reciprocal crosses was observed. i.e., the Brassica isozymes were under nuclear gene control. Mendelian segregation in the F2 generation from crossing two resynthesized B. napus was observed for the loci glucosephosphate isomerase-2 and phosphoglucomutase-3. Genome-specific alleles were identified for several loci. No alteration in the allelic expression o...