Physical mapping of the blue-grained gene(s) from Thinopyrum ponticum by GISH and FISH in a set of translocation lines with different seed colors in wheat

The original blue-grained wheat, Blue 58, was a substitution line derived from hybridization between common wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42, ABD) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum Liu & Wang = Agropyron elongatum, 2n = 10x = 70, StStEeEbEx), in which one pair of 4D chromosomes was replaced by a pair of alien 4Ag chromosomes (unknown group 4 chromosome from A. ponticum). Blue aleurone might be a useful cytological marker in chromosome engineering and wheat breeding. Cytogenetic analysis showed that blue aleurone was controlled by chromosome 4Ag. GISH analysis proved that the 4Ag was a recombination chromosome; its centromeric and pericentromeric regions were from an E-genome chromosome, but the distal regions of its two arms were from an St-genome chromosome. On its short arm, there was a major pAs1 hybridization band, which was very close to the centromere. GISH and FISH analysis in a set of translocation lines with different seed colors revealed that the gene(s) controlling the blue pigment was located on the long arm of 4Ag. It was physically mapped to the 0.71–0.80 regions (distance measured from the centromere of 4Ag). The blue color is a consequence of dosage of this small chromosome region derived from the St genome. We speculate that the blue-grained gene(s) could activate the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway of wheat.