Cereal Chem 47:351 - 362.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Beta-Amylase of an Alien Genome Combinant.

W. Y. Lee and A. M. Unrau. Copyright 1970 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The genome of tetraploid wheat, n=14, genome notation AABB, has been successfully combined with diploid rye, n=7, genome notation RR, to yield a viable synthetic species (alien genome combinant), n=21, AABBRR. A comparative study of the beta-amylase of this alien genome combinant was undertaken. With a few notable exceptions, the hybrid enzyme exhibited intermediate physical properties. In both parental species and the synthetic species, two polymorphic forms of the enzyme were detected by gel electrophoresis. The components of the hybrid species showed rather distinctly lower relative mobilities. The hybrid enzyme contained three free SH groups, whereas one parent (AABB) had four and the other (RR) had two. The sedimentation velocities and apparent molecular weights were identical. The differences in the amino acid composition of the hybrid enzyme strongly indicated the existence of a discrete protein.