RT Journal Article T1 The parasitic effects of rye B chromosomes might be beneficial in the long term A1 González Sánchez, Mónica A1 Chiavarino, Mauricio A1 Jiménez, G A1 Manzanero, SIlvia A1 Rosato, Carmen Luisa Marcela A1 Puertas Gallego, María Jesús AB Rye B chromosomes (Bs) have strong parasitic effects on fertility. B carrying plants are less fertile than 0B ones, whereas the Bs have no significant effects on plant vigour. On the other hand, it has been reported that B transmission is under genetic control in such a way that H line plants transmit the Bs at high frequency, whereas the Bs in the low B transmission rate line (L) fail to pair at metaphase I and are frequently lost. In the present work we analyse variables affecting vigour and fertility considering not only the number of Bs of each plant, but also its H or L status and the B number of its maternal parent. Our results show that the Bs not only decrease female fertility of the B carrier, but the fertility of its progeny, with the exception of 0B plants coming from a 4B mother, which are the most fertile. In this way B chromosomes can be considered as a selective factor. Pollen abortion was higher in B carriers, in the progeny of B carriers and in H plants, but 4B plants coming from B carrying mothers produce less aborted pollen, indicating that a high B number is more deleterious if it is transmitted in the pollen grains. A similar result was obtained for endosperm quality estimated as grain weight, because it is negatively influenced by the Bs in 4B plants coming from a 0B mother. H plants were always less fertile than L ones, indicating that alleles increasing the loss of Bs in the L line will be probably selected as a defence of the A genome against the invasive Bs of the H line. Flower number is not affected by the Bs. PB Karger Publishers SN 1424-8581 YR 2004 FD 2004 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/100378 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/100378 LA eng NO M. González-Sánchez, M. Chiavarino, G. Jiménez, S. Manzanero, M. Rosato, M.J. Puertas; The parasitic effects of rye B chromosomes might be beneficial in the long term. Cytogenet Genome Res 1 August 2004; 106 (2-4): 386–393. https://doi.org/10.1159/000079316 NO Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España) DS Docta Complutense RD 6 abr 2025