Chromosome Botany (2011) 6: 53-60 © Copyright 2011 by the International Society of Chromosome Botany Chromosome studies in seven species of Allium (Alliaceae sensu stricto) in Mongolian and Russian Altai Tatsuo Konishi1, Tsuneo Funamoto2,5, Sergey V. Smirnov3 and Oyunchimeg Damdinsuren4 1Laboratory of Museum Information Sciences, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan; 2Biological Institute, Fundamental of Education and Research Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida City, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan; 3Department of Plant Systematics and South-Siberian Botanical Garden, Altai State University, Barnaul 656099, Russia; 4Biology Division, Hovd State University, Hovd, Hovd Province 213500, Mongolia 5Author for correspondence: ([email protected]) Received March 6, 2011; accepted June 14, 2011 ABSTRACT. During the course of Botanical expedition to the Mongolian and Russian Altai in 2007 and 2008, seven species of Allium were collected in eight sites and studied cytologically. Allium altaicum, A. austrosibilicum, A. senescens and A. vodopjanovae had the common chromosome number of 2n=16 (diploid), while A. nutans had that of 2n=32 (tetraploid), A. eduardii had that of 2n=16 (diploid), 17 and 32 (tetraploid) and A. rubens had 2n=16 (diploid) and 17. The common chromosome number of 2n=17 in A. eduardii and A. rubens could be aneuploidy due to karyomorphological behaviors of chromatins at the stages of resting, mitotic prophase and prometaphase. These fi ndings of aneuploid were new to Allium. Moreover, the karyotypes of the above six diploid species were characterized by: (1) The largest chromosomes of 12.2 to 14.4 μm, and the smallest chromosomes of 5.9 to 7.4 μm; (2) Very less differences in relative lengths of the chromosomes and chromosome constitutions with respect to arm ratio not seen much differences among those chromosomes; (3) The karyotype formulas of 2n=16=12m+2sm+2st for A. altaicum; 2n=16=14m+2sm for A. austrosibilicum, A. rubens, and A. senescens; 2n=17=14m+2sm+1st for A. rubens aneuploid form; 2n=16=14m+2st for A. eduardii; 2n=17=14m+3st for A. eduardii aneuploid form; 2n=16=9m+5sm+2t for A. vodopjanovae. KEYWORDS: Alliaceae sensu stricto, Allium, Chromosome, Karyotype, Mongolian and Russian Altai The genus Allium L., the only important food plant genus Table 1), and were brought to Japan, and cultivated in in Alliaceae (sensu stricto): Lilliaceae (pro parte), consists Tokyo University of Agriculture. of 700 species and over which are mostly bulbous Taxonomical treatment followed Czerepanov (1995) perennial herbaceous plants, and distributed mainly in the and Grubov (1982). The voucher specimens were deposited temperate region of the Northern Hemisphere, of which in Tokyo University of Agriculture. 332 species are recognized in Russia (Czerepanov 1995) and 30 species are recognized in Mongolia (Grubov Methods. Chromosome observations were made in fl esh 1982). growing root-tip meristematic cells. Root-tips were cut off Chromosome studies have been made in about 670 5-10 mm long and pretreated in 2mM 8-hydorxyquinoline species in the genus by numerous researchers and for 4h at about 20°C, and then fi xed in 45% acetic acid for documented various different chromosome numbers from 10 min at about 2°C. They were macerated in a mixture of 2n=14 to 2n=80. These variability in chromosome numbers 45% acetic acid and 1N hydrochloric acid (1:1) for 18-20 is mostly made by polyploid series and these aneuloid sec at ca 60°C, and then stained in 2% aceto-orcein for with base number of x=7 and 8, and rarely that of x=9 and about 30 min at room temperature in a moist chamber 11 (Fedrov 1974; Ornduff (ed.) 1967, 1968; Moore (ed.) with 45% acetic acid. Slide preparation was made by the 1973, 1974, 1977; Goldblatt (ed.) 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988; conventional aceto-orcein squash method. Goldblatt and Johnson (eds.) 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, Classifi cation of chromosome types by centromeric 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006). positions followed Levan et al. (1964), and Tanaka (1977, This paper reports on somatic chromosome numbers 1980). and detail karyotypes of seven Allium species collected in the fi eld trips to the Mongolian and Russian Altai. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Seven species of Allium listed and studied cytologically MATERIALS AND METHODS as follows: Plant materials. During the Botanical expedition to the Allium altaicum Pall. was collected in two localities in Mongolian and Russian Altai in 2007 and 2008, seven Altai Republic, Russia and Hovd Province in Mongolia species of Allium were collected in eight localities (Fig. 1; (Fig. 1; Table 1), and observed commonly chromosome 54 KONISHI ET AL. Fig. 1. Map of collection sites in seven species of Allium in Mongolian and Russian Alitai. 1. Uvdugiin gol; 2. Vicinity of Balyktuyui Village; 3. Vicinity of Czulgshman River; 4. Vicinity of Suhodol River; 5. 20 km from Aktash Village; 6. 10 km N from Aktash Village; 7. Joins Chuya and Katun River; 8. Manjerok Village. Table 1. Localities and chromosome numbers of seven species of Allium observed in this study Chromosome Species Locality number (2n) A. altaicum Pall. Mongolia, Hovd Province, Erdenebuen sum, Tsambagarav Mountain, Northeast of Uvdugiin 16 gol on the east exposition, 48°38’17”N, 091°12’12”E, alt. 1,820 m Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Ulagan Dist., about 10 km north from Aktash Village, 50°20’72”N, 087°24’77”E, alt. 1,400 m 16 A. austrosibiricum Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Ulagan Dist., vicinity of Czulgshman River, 50°56’76”N, 16 Friesen 088°09’41”E, alt. 710 m A. eduardii Stearn Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Onguday Dist., The place, where the Chuya River joins the Katun rive, 50°23’77”N, 086°40’41”E, alt. 780 m 16 Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Ulagan Dist., about 20 km from Aktash Village, 50°13’98”N, 087°45’93”E, alt. 1,470 m 16, 17, 32 A. nutans L. Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Ulagan Dist., about 18 km from Balyktuyul Village, 50°51’96”N, 088°10’80”E, alt. 1,830 m 32 A. rubens Schrad. Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Kosh-Agacz Dist., vicinity of Suhodol River, 50°08’29”N, ex Willd. 088°19’24”E, alt. 1,710 m 16 Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Mayminsky Dist., Manjerok Village, 51°50’57”N, 085°43’52”E, alt. 290 m 16, 17 A. senescens L. Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Onguday Dist., The place, where the Chuya Rive joins the Katun River, 50°23’77”N, 086°40’41”E, alt. 780 m 16 A. vodopjanovae Russia, Altai Terr., Altai Rep., Ulagan Dist., Vicinity of Czulgshman Rive, 50°56’76”N, Friesen 088°09’41”E, alt. 710 m 16 numbers 2n=16 (Fig. 2A; Table 1). This species could be 9.8 μm long. The chromosome complements consisted of diploid if the basic chromosome number x=8 was 12 median-, two sub-median- and two subterminal- accepted. This chromosome numbers verifi ed with previous centromeric chromosomes (Fig. 3A; Tables 2 and 3). Small reports (e.g., Rostovtseva 1977; Friesen 1985, 1986, dot shaped satellites were observed in short arms of 1991; Krasnikov 1985; Měsíčk and Soják 1992; Inada and subterminal-centromeric chromosomes. Endo 1994), and gamete chromosome numbers n=8 was Allium austrosibiricum Friesen was collected in a reported by Krasnoborov et al. (1980). Chromosome sizes locality in Altai Republic, Russia (Fig. 1; Table 1), and of this species ranged from 12.4-7.4 μm long with observed commonly chromosome number of 2n=16 (Fig. gradually decrease in length from the longest to the 2B; Table 1). This species could be diploid if the basic shortest chromosome, and had total 156.8 μm and average chromosome number x=8 was accepted. This chromosome ALLIUM IN MONGOLIAN AND RUSSIAN ALTAI 55 Fig. 2. Somatic metaphase chromosomes in seven species of Allium observed in this study. A: A. altaicum (2n=16); B: A. austrosibiricum (2n=16); C to E: A. eduardii (C. 2n=16; D. 2n=17; E. 2n=32); F: A. nutans (2n=32); G and H: A. rubens (G. 2n=16; H. 2n=17); I: A. senescens (2n=16); J: A. vodopjanovae (2n=16). Arrow represents satellites. Bar=10 μm. numbers verifi ed the previous report (Friesen 1991). number x=8 was accepted, and that of 2n=17 was Chromosome sizes of this species ranged from 12.2-7.2 aneuploid. The hromosome numbers of 2n=16 and 32 μm long with gradual decrease in length from the longest were verifi ed the previous reports (e.g., Friesen 1985, to the shortest chromosome, and had total 153.5 μm long 1991; Yan et al. 1989, 1999; Sha et al. 1995), and 2n=17 and average 9.59 μm long. The chromosome complement was reported here for the fi rst time. Chromosome sizes of consisted of 14 median- and two submedian-centromeric plants 2n=16 ranged from 14.1-6.5 μm long with gradual chromosomes (Fig. 3B; Tables 2 and 3). Small seta shaped decrease in length from the longest to the shortest satellite was observed in the short arm of the submedian- chromosome, and had total 175.2 μm long and average centromeric chromosome. 10.95 μm long, and chromosomes sizes of plants 2n=17 Allium eduardii Stern was collected in two localities in ranged from 14.0-6.1 μm long with gradual decrease in Altai Republic, Russia (Fig. 1; Table 1), and observed length from the longest to the shortest chromosome, and 2n=16, 17 and 32 (Fig.