POSITION EFFECTS OF RIBOSOMAL-RNA MULTIGENE LOCI ON MEIOTIC RECOMBINATION IN WHEAT

Homeologous wheat chromosome arms that differ by the presence or absen ce of a Nor locus or greatly differ in the numbers of copies of rRNA g enes per Nor locus show conspicuous differences in the distribution of recombination. To assess directly the position effects of Nor loci on recombination across chromosome arms, a Triticum monococcum Nor9 hapl otype was substituted for Triticum aestivum Nor9 haplotypes on two T. aestivum 1A chromosomes in the isogenic background of cv Chinese Sprin g. The numbers of rRNA genes in the 1A Nor9 haplotypes are greatly red uced relative to the T. monococcum haplotype. The substitution resulte d in reduced recombination rate in the vicinity of the Nor9 locus. An intra-arm compensatory increase was observed in the proximal region of the arm so that the genetic length of the chromosome arm was unchange d. These findings suggest that Nor loci suppress recombination in thei r vicinity and change recombination patterns in Nor-bearing chromosome arms.