In BGN 20:66-68, Penny von Wettstein-Knowles reported that gs2d, (glossy sheath/spike) located on chromosome 3, is most likely allelic to the Swedish eceriferum locus cer-b. At Svalöf two alleles of the cer-b locus were crossed with the genetic stock gs2 (BGS 352), received from the Main Stock Center at Fort Collins. During the summer of 1991, all the plants in the F₁ generation showed glossy sheath/spike or waxless phenotype. The F₁'s of corresponding crosses with representatives of all the other loci of glossy sheath/spike phenotype had normal wax layer. Thus, it can be verified that the eceriferum locus cer-b is allelic to the gene gs2.

Another glossy sheath/spike gene, gs4 (BGS 354), located on chromosome 6 and also received from the Main Stock Center at Fort Collins, was tested against the Swedish eceriferum loci with the same phenotype. In the F₁ generation in 1991, all plants of two alleles at the eceriferum locus cer-x in combination with gs4 were glossy sheath/spike or waxless, while the F₁ plants of crosses to representatives of all the other lociwith the same glossy sheath/spike phenotype had normal wax layer. Thus, it can be setded that gs4 is allelic to the Swedish eceriferum locus cer-x. It should be observed that the Swedish alleles of the cer-x locus are in two-row barley and the gene gs4 is in six-row barley, and that the F₁ plants were of six-row heterozygous character.

According to several reports (Fester and Søgaard, 1969; Søgaard, 1971; 1973, Søgaard et al., 1984; Søgaard and von Wettstein-Knowles, 1987), the loci cer-b and cer-x are located on chromosome 7. But as gs2, located on chromosome 3 (Konishi, 1973; Konishi et al., 1984), is allelic to cer-b and gs4, located on chromosome 6 (Walker et al., 1963), is allelic to cer-x. Both cer genes, cer-b and cer-x, are likely to be removed from chromosome 7 (von Wettstein-Knowles, 1992a, 1992b).

In the same BGN 20, Penny von Wettstein-Knowles further reports that the Swedish eceriferum locus Cer-yy is allelic to Glel. She also mentions that two varieties 'Gula' and 'Rosie' have glossy spikes. Thus, it is also suggested that Cer-yy might be involved in these varieties. In the coordinator's report for eceriferum genes in the same issue, it is also reported that the Swedish dominant eceriferum spike gene Cer-yy is allelic to "glossy spike" (Glel located on chromosome 5), a line from Wolfe's Multiple Dominant Marker Stock.

In addition to these reports, the following information should be added. During 1982-1984 I made crosses between alleles of the eceriferium locus Cer-yy and the varieties 'Gula', 'Rosie', 'Dragon', and 'Rapid'. All these varieties have glossy or waxless spikes with supposed dominant inheritance.

The following combinations for the test were carried out: 14, 15, 16, and 12 Cer-yy alleles were combined with the varieties 'Gula', 'Rosie', 'Dragon', and 'Rapid', respectively. All the tested F₁ plants and approximately 90 tested F2 plants of each combination had the glossy spike or waxless phenotype. Thus, all these reported results prove definitely that the genes Gl el and Cer-yy are identical.

Another glossy sheath/spike gene, gs9, is an EMS induced mutant isolated by the Japanese group and located on chromosome 2 (Hayashi et al., 1984). The Japanese stock (OUM 29) became crossed into the American variety 'Bowman' background by J. D. Franckowiak (personal communication), and in turn this gene was tested to alleles of the Swedish eceriferum loci with the same phenotype, namely cer-a, -b, -c, -n, -q, -s, -u, -x, and zu.

In the summer 1992, all the plants from the cross between gs9 and cer-n, which is also located on chromosome 2 (Fester and Søgaard, 1969), showed glossy sheathtspike or waxless phenotype. The F₁'s of crosses with alleles of the other loci mentioned above, with glossy sheath/spike phenotype, had normal wax layer. The allele of cer-n which was used in the cross, has a translocation, and subsequently the F₁ spikes showed semisterility. Thus, it can be concluded that gs9 is allelic to the Swedish eceriferum locus cer-n on chromosome 2.

References:

Fester, T., and B. Søgaard. 1969. The localization of eceriferum loci in barley. Hereditas 61 :327-337.

Hayashi, J., T. Konishi, I. Moriya, and R. Takahashi. 1984. Inheritance and linkage studies in barley. VI. Ten mutant genes located on chromosomes 1 to 7, except 3. Ber. Ohara Inst. landw. Biol., Okayama Univ., 18:227-250.

Konishi, T. 1973. Genetic analyses of EMS-induced mutants in barley. BGN 3:28-31.

Konishi, T., J. Hayashi, I. Moriya, and R. Tabahashi. 1984. Inheritance and linkage studies in barley. VII. Location of six new mutant genes on chromosome 3. Ber. Ohara Inst. landw. Biol., Okayama Univ., 18:251-264.

Lundqvist, U. 1991. Coordinator's report: Eceriferum genes. BGN 20:84.

Søgaard, B. 1971. Linkage studies on eceriferum mutants in barley. BGN 1:41-47.

Søgaard, B. 1973. Continued linkage studies on eceriferum mutants in barley. BGN 3:57-61.

Søgaard, B., R. A. Nilan, and D. von Wettstein. 1984. Master list of barley genes. BGN 14- 14()-1 X2

Søgaard, B., and P. von Wettstein-Knowles. 1987. Barley: genes and chromosomes. Carlsberg Res. Commun. 52:123-196.

Walker, G. W. R., J. Dietrich, R. Miller, and K. Kasha. 1963. Recent barley mutants and their linkage. II. Genetic data for further mutants. Can. J. Genet. Cyt. 5:200-219.

Wettstein-Knowles, P. von. 1991. New alleles of Cer-yy and cer-b. BGN 20:66-68.

Wettstein-Knowles, P. von. 1992a. Cloned and mapped genes: current status. In: Barley: Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. (Ed. P. R. Shewry). CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK. p. 73-98.

Wettstein-Knowles, P. von. 1992b. Molecular genetics of lipid synthesis in barley. Barley Genetics VI, Vol. II:753-771. Munck, L., K. Kirkegaard, and B. Jensen, eds. Proc. 6th Int. Barley Genet. Symp. Helsingborg 1991. Munksgaard International Publishers Ltd., Copenhagen.