78 



BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS 



I W 



« '% 



(a) 



(b) 



Fig. 5-2. Immunoelectrophoretic patterns: (a) unadsorbed anti- 

 rye-wheat serum (in trough) against rye (right), rye-wheat hybrid 

 (center), and wheat (left); (b) adsorbed antirye-wheat serum 

 against rye (right), rye-wheat hybrid (center), and wheat (left) 

 (Hall, 1959). By permission of Hereditas. 



been placed by some systematists into the Berberidaceae. Alkaloid 

 chemistry presents another line of biochemical evidence relevant to 

 the placement of Hydrastis, but in this case the biochemical affinities 

 are with the Berberidaceae. This question will be considered further 

 in a subsequent chapter devoted to the alkaloids. 



The immunogenetic studies of M. R. Irwin and his colleagues 

 and students at Wisconsin are well-known, and these have been 

 alluded to briefly in the preceding chapter. Further consideration of 

 this significant work is included in the later chapter on biochemical 

 studies of hybrids. 



A serological method which, in contrast to the straight pre- 

 cipitin reaction, is qualitative in nature has been utilized to advantage 

 in animal systematic investigations and to some extent in plant 

 studies. In principle this technique, known as Immunoelectrophoresis, 

 is similar to the other serological methods. Extracts of seeds or other 

 plant material are prepared and then subjected to agar-gel electro- 

 phoresis. As described by Hall (1959), in one modification, parallel 



