A case of spontaneous translocation between two autosomes of Rumex acetosa

Abstract

Rumex acetosa is a dioecious perennial and has sex chromosomes of XX in plants with pistillate flowers (female plants) and XYY in those with staminate flowers (male plants).

Normally, this species has six pairs of autosomes along with sex chromosomes. I collected one female plant with two heteromorphic chromosomes in somatic cells. The form of the two abnormal chromosomes suggested that translocation had occurred between them. To explore the chromosomal mutation of this plant, I examined the karyotype and meiotic chromosome behavior of heterozygote male offspring of this female plant. The translocation found in this study is considered as that from the long arm of the A5 autosome to the short arm of the A2 autosome and is considered a simple translocation (nonreciprocal translocation).