Relative rate of development of aneuploid and euploid microspores in a tertiary trisomic of rye, Secale cereale L.
Meiotic configurations were studied in pollen mother cells of a tertiary trisomic of rye. Chains of five and chains of three, in alternate orientation, were the most frequent configurations. Assuming loss of univalents in anaphase I or single chromatids in anaphase II, a total of 58.1% of the viable gametes resulting after meiosis were expected to contain the normal haploid complement, whereas 41.9% were expected to have the translocated chromosome in addition. The percentages of uninucleate and binucleate microspores in anthers containing dividing microspores provided a time scale for the development of euploid and aneuploid spores during first pollen mitosis. Microspores containing the extra translocated chromosome tended to divide at a later stage than euploid microspores. The slower development was also illustrated by the course of the mitotic index of both types. It was found that 58.1% of all microspores passing through pollen mitosis contained seven chromosomes and 41.9% contained eight chromosomes, which means that up to the end of first pollen mitosis aneuploid spores were not lost significantly more than euploid spores. It is likely that the delay in development already starts immediately after meiosis.Key words: rye, tertiary trisomic, euploid microspores, aneuploid microspores, rate of development.