Revisiting rice breeding methods – evaluating the use of rapid generation advance (RGA) for routine rice breeding

Rice production needs to increase in the future in order to meet increasing demands. The development of new improved and higher yielding varieties more quickly will be needed to meet this demand. However, most rice breeding programmes in the world have not changed in several decades. In this article, we revisit the evidence in favour of using rapid generation advance (RGA) as a routine breeding method. We describe preliminary activities at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to re-establish RGA on a large scale as the main breeding method for irrigated rice breeding. We also describe experiences from the early adoption at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Evaluation of RGA breeding lines at IRRI for yield, flowering time and plant height indicated transgressive segregation for all traits. Some RGA lines were also higher yielding than the check varieties. The cost advantages of using RGA compared to the pedigree method were also empirically determined by performing an economic analysis. This indicated that RGA is several times more cost effective and advantages will be realized after 1 year even if facilities need to be built. Based on our experience, and previous independent research empirically testing the RGA method in rice, we recommend that this method should be implemented for routine rice breeding in order to improve breeding efficiency.     

一个潜在催化莱鲍迪D苷合成的新型糖基转移酶

尿苷二磷酸糖基转移酶(uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases,UGTs)催化糖基转移反应,与植物次生代谢密切相关。本研究根据甜叶菊(Stevia rebaudiana)转录组数据库,克隆到一个催化莱鲍迪D苷(rebaudioside D,RD)合成的新型糖基转移酶候选基因,对其开展生物信息学分析。结果表明,该基因开放阅读框长1380 bp,编码459个氨基酸,等电点(pI)预测为5.54,理论分子量约49.66 kD,系统发育分析表明该基因与向日葵中的UGT89A2同源,故将其命名为SrUGT89A2。构建pET28a-SrUGT89A2原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌(BL21(DE3))中诱导表达得到重组蛋白,HPLC检测表明粗酶液能催化甜叶菊提取液形成一个新的色谱峰,该峰保留时间与莱鲍迪D苷一致。经进一步纯化UGT89A2蛋白,添加不同甜菊糖苷标准品为催化底物,但未鉴定出该蛋白催化的具体糖苷。该潜在催化甜菊糖RD苷合成的新型糖基转移酶基因SrUGT89A2的发现,为RD苷的生物合成和甜菊糖苷的生物途径研究提供新的理论依据。     

山羊肺淋巴系的研究

24例山羊肺经肺实质和肺胸膜下注射30％普鲁士蓝氯仿溶液，剖查其器官内淋巴管及淋巴流向。结果表明，山羊肺的器官内淋巴管有浅淋巴管和深淋巴管2种。左肺尖叶淋巴管注入左支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管左淋巴结，左肺心叶淋巴管注入左支气管肺淋巴结、气管支气管左淋巴结和气管支气管中淋巴结，左肺膈叶淋巴管注入气管支气管左淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结；右肺尖叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管前淋巴结，右肺心叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管右淋巴结，右肺膈叶淋巴管注入气管支气管右淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结，右肺副叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结。     

Staining pattern of the brush border and detection of cytoplasmic granules in the uriniferous tubules of female DBA/2Cr mouse kidney: comparison among various fixations and stains.

The proximal straight tubules of the female mouse kidney exhibit heavy periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining in their brush borders and numerous cytoplasmic granules. In the present study, the female DBA/2Cr mouse kidney was examined, using various fixatives (formalin, PFA, PLP, Zamboni's, Bouin, or Carnoy solution) and various staining methods (HE, PAS, alcian blue, periodic acid methenamine-silver (PAM), toluidine blue, azan, or Congo red). Under azan and PAM, the staining pattern of the brush border was similar to that of PAS, and few effects of the fixative were observed. Cytoplasmic granules were clearly detected with PAM as well as PAS. However, these granules were not detected with Carnoy solution. Furthermore, distribution of granules differed between PAS and PAM.     

The effect of porcine somatotropin supplementation in pigs on the lipid profile of subcutaneous and intermuscular adipose tissue and longissimus muscle.

The effect of porcine somatotropin (pST) on the lipid profiles of adipose tissue and muscle was investigated. Sixteen crossbred barrows were injected daily with either 3 mg of pST or a placebo. After slaughter, total lipid and fatty acid composition of raw subcutaneous (SC) adipose and intermuscular (IM) adipose tissue and longissimus muscle were determined. The SC adipose tissue from pST-treated pigs had a 7.5% decrease in total lipid content; specific fatty acids 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1(n-9)c decreased most. The IM fat from pST-treated pigs had lower levels of 16:0 and 20:0. There was no effect of pST treatment on the lipid profile of the longissimus muscle. The data suggest that pST treatment produces small but significant changes in the saturated fatty acid content of adipose tissue in pigs.     

Antitumor effect of adriamycin entrapped in liposomes conjugated with anti-bovine tumor antigen monoclonal antibody in leukemic cows

Monoclonal antibody c143 against tumor-associated antigen (TAA) expressed on bovine leukemia cells was conjugated to liposomes containing adriamycin (ADM), and therapeutic effects of conjugates were examined in leukemic or preleukemic cows to prevent the progression of the disease. Five cows with TAA-positive in their peripheral blood lymphocytes were divided into two groups. Each group of cows received 4 injections of ADM alone (0.4 mg/kg) or c143-conjugated liposomes containing the same dose of ADM (L-AMD-c143) through the jugular vein at about 4 day intervals. In three animals treated with L-ADM-c143, the TAA-positive cells gradually decreased with treatment and finally two animals became TAA-negative during a 6 week period and a 14 week period after treatment, respectively. In the control, two animals treated with ADM alone showed only a slight decrease of TAA-positive cells.     

Plasma digoxin concentration in dogs with mitral regurgitation.

Fifteen and eight mature beagles, without (normal group) and with experimental mitral regurgitation (MR group), respectively, were given 0.02 mg/kg/day digoxin powder for 10 days orally. The optimum time for sample collection after administration of digoxin was observed to be 8-18 hr and 10-22 hr in the normal and MR groups, respectively. In both groups, a stable concentration was reached after 3-5 days of treatment. No differences in plasma level were observed between sexes. The optimum concentration of digoxin was attained at an earlier stage than has been previously reported for both dogs and humans.     

Seasonal changes in serum total thyroxine, free thyroxine, and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone in clinically healthy beagles in Hokkaido.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate seasonal influences on thyroid hormone levels of healthy outdoor dogs in Hokkaido. We surveyed serum basal total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (cTSH) levels, and tT4 levels after administration of TSH for a year. Basal tT4 levels decreased in January, and increased in August and September. fT4 levels increased in January and November. No significant seasonal variation was found in cTSH. tT4 levels after administration of TSH in August and November increased. These results suggested that the thyroid gland may have been activated in November. We should take seasonal variation into consideration when thyroid function is tested.     

加速广义Laguerre多项式级数的Laplace变换的数值反演方法

本文利用Levin t-变换迭代法，对加速广义Laguerre多项式级数，提出了一种新的Laplace变换的数值反演方法，这种方法在精度上和数值稳定性上的效果都较好。     

MD病毒抗独特型抗体的研制

制备鸡马立克氏病病毒(MDV)抗独特型抗体(Ab2),探讨Ab2模拟抗原诱导免疫应答的能力.用MDV免疫SPF鸡,分离提纯鸡抗MD-IgG(Ab1),Ab1免疫BALB/C鼠,用鼠脾细胞与SP2/0细胞制备Ab2杂交瘤细胞株,间接ELISA筛选阳性杂交瘤细胞株,经克隆、纯化2×株抗MDV独特型抗体杂交瘤细胞株(6E5,7A12),其中6E5培养上清、腹水ELISA效价分别为4000×、10000×,免疫20 d攻毒,具有抗MDV感染保护.