Chromosome and cytoplasm analyses of somatic hybrids between onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (A. sativum L.)

Chromosomes and cytoplasms were analyzed in two lines of a somatic hybrid between onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (A. sativum L.). One line of the somatic hybrid had 40 chromosomes and the other 41chromosomes. Genomic in situhybridization successfully revealed the chromosome constitution of the two lines. One line had 20 chromosomes from onion and17 chromosomes from garlic, and the other had 21 chromosomes from onion and 17chromosomes from garlic. Interestingly, both lines had three chimeric chromosomes. PCR-RFLP analyses of chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs of both lines showed that these were identical to the onion parent.