Cell Culture of Alien Chromosome Addition Lines to Induce Somatic Recombination and Gene Introgression

Crop breeding relies on the continual assessment and utilisation of new genes. Very often genes of particular utility can be identified in species related to the crop. Frequently, sexual crosses can be made to such related species, albeit with the application of embryo rescue techniques. However upon examination of subsequent generations from the initial hybrid the useful gene often continues to assort with the intact alien chromosome. In other words no meiotic recombination is occurring between the chromosomes of the crop and alien genomes. Almost without exception it is agronomically unacceptable to release a new variety carrying one or more whole alien chromosome. Thus, despite the prospect of successful sexual crosses to the alien species, in such a case the nuclear genes cannot be deployed for the crop’s improvement.