Tetrasomic inheritance and chromosome pairing behaviour in the naturally occurring autotetraploid Heuchera grossulariifolia (Saxifragaceae)

Inheritance patterns at four allozyme loci and chromosome pairing behaviour at diakinesis were examined in the naturally occurring autotetraploid Heuchera grossulariifolia. Segregation patterns for Tpi, Pgi, Pgm-2, and Lap deviated significantly from all possible disomic models. All patterns were consistent with tetrasomic inheritance of these marker loci. No chromatid segregation was detected electrophoretically. Meiotic chromosome configurations at diakinesis in 45 cells were compared with a previously published model to test for autopolyploid-like chromosome pairing. Using the observed chiasma frequencies, the frequency of quadrivalents was consistent with the expectations for an autotetraploid. We suggest that the low frequency of quadrivalents at diakinesis in Heuchera grossulariifolia is due to small chromosome size, which results in a low chiasma frequency.Key words: autopolyploidy, tetrasomic inheritance, chromosome pairing, isozyme genetics, Heuchera.