茶树花青素形成分子机理的研究进展

花青素是由类黄酮合成途径产生的次生代谢产物,含量高时会使茶树新梢呈现红色或紫色。同时,花青素相比儿茶素等具有更明显的抗氧化、预防肿瘤等药理保健作用。文章就茶树花青素合成途径、转录及转录后调控等方面进行综述,以期更好地为高花青素茶树的育种研究提供理论依据。     

转基因甘蔗BtG-2的T-DNA侧翼序列分析及其转化事件特异性检测

转基因甘蔗BtG-2是利用农杆菌介导法把Cry1Ac-2A-gna融合抗虫基因导入‘新台糖22号’的转基因甘蔗株系,具有良好的抗虫特性和农艺性状。为了明确转基因甘蔗BtG-2的分子特征及其检测方法,推进其生物安全性评价工作,以BtG-2的T2代为研究材料,利用Southern杂交检测外源基因在转基因甘蔗基因组内的拷贝数;利用染色体步移技术分离外源基因在甘蔗基因组中插入位点的侧翼序列,并建立了该转化体高效灵敏的特异性PCR检测方法。结果表明：Southern杂交检测证明外源T-DNA以单拷贝方式插入BtG-2株系;经过3次的热不对称巢式PCR扩增,获得外源基因T-DNA左边侧翼序列984 bp和右边侧翼序列705 bp;以这2个序列和相应的T-DNA的左右端序列分别设计3对检测引物对,建立了BtG-2株系的转化事件特异性PCR检测方法,扩增效率最高的引物对LS011/LA451和RS160/RA588分别扩增到440 bp和428 bp的特异片段。其中T-DNA左侧设计的LS011/LA451检测引物对扩增的灵敏度高、特异性强,能够在甘蔗BtG-2基因组DNA相对含量为0.1%的模板中检测出转基因目的成分,相当于9个单倍体基因组拷贝数。本研究完成了转基因株系BtG-2的分子特征及其转化事件特异性检测,为该转基因甘蔗及其衍生产品的检测和身份识别提供技术依据。     

Comparison of flagellin and an oil-emulsion adjuvant in inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine in stimulation of immunogenic parameters

The present study was designed to investigate the potential application of native (N) and recombinant (truncated modified [tmFliC] and full-length [flFliC]) flagellin proteins along with inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Fifty six SPF chickens were immunized twice with PBS (control), inactivated NDV (Ag), inactivated NDV/flFliC (AgF), inactivated NDV/tmFliC (AgT), inactivated NDV/N (AgN), commercial vaccine containing Montanide (Vac) and Vac/N (VacN), with a two-week interval. Blood was collected weekly and spleens were harvested after chickens were sacrificed. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed by Real-Time PCR. Antibody response was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Cellular activity was quantified by MTT assay. Results showed that the most IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression was observed in AgF group (P < 0.01). The lowest gene expression among vaccinated groups was observed in Ag group for IL-6 and Ag and Vac group for TNF-α. The highest HI titer was observed in Vac, VacN, AgF and AgT groups. The AgF group showed the highest cellular activity (P < 0.01). In conclusion, flagellin-adjuvanted groups showed a pro-inflammatory effect and acted similarly to or better than the Vac group. Hence, flagellin can be proposed as a potential adjuvant for ND vaccine.     

延迟收获对长江中游春玉米农艺性状及机收质量的影响

为探明长江中游玉米籽粒机械直收适宜品种与配套农艺措施，2018—2019年选用不同玉米品种，测定不同机收时间下玉米关键农艺性状、产量及机收质量指标。结果表明，收获时间对春玉米机收产量与机收质量均有显著影响。延迟1周收获后籽粒容重显著增加，机收产量显著提高，2年平均提高9.72%；而延迟2周收获则有降低机收产量的趋势。2年收获时杂质率总体≤3%，而机收籽粒破碎率与损失率均>5%，是该区域春玉米籽粒机收面临的主要问题。籽粒厚度、籽粒含水率和百粒重是影响机收籽粒破碎率的关键性状，三者与机收籽粒破碎率均呈显著的倒二次曲线关系；玉米的倒伏率、穗位高和重心高度是影响机收损失率的关键性状，倒伏率与机收损失率呈显著正相关，而穗位高和重心高度与机收损失率均呈显著的二次曲线关系。延迟收获能显著降低籽粒含水量，从而降低籽粒破碎率，但继续延迟收获有增加倒伏的风险。综上，长江中游春玉米成熟后适时延迟7~10 d收获，可有效降低籽粒含水量与机收籽粒破碎率，提高玉米籽粒机收产量。     

Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) of element contents in grain with a special focus on zinc and iron in a world collection of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) were carried out to map Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) associated with element contents in the grain using 336 spring barley. Of the elements analyzed, Fe content ranged from 21.9 to 91.0 mg kg⁻¹, Zn from 10.4 to 54.5 mg kg⁻¹, Ba from 0.2 to 8.9, Ca from 186.4 to 977.5, Cu from 1.5 to 9.8, K from 353.2 to 7721.5, Mg from 1049.8 to 2024.2, Mn from 8.1 to 22.9, Na from 55.9 to 627.9, P from 2272.9 to 5428.8, S from 880.7 to 1898.0, Si from 19.1 to 663.2, and Sr from 0.35 to 2.62 mg kg⁻¹. GWAS were carried out using 6519 SNP markers and multiple elements in MLM:PCA + K model in TASSEL software. Population analyses showed two sub-populations, primarily based on row types. GWAS for row types showed association with INTERMEDIUM-C, a modifier gene for lateral spikelet fertility in the 4H chromosome, validating current GWAS approach. GWAS also showed that 2 QTL for Ba, 2 for Ca, 4 for Cu, 11 for Fe, 2 for K, 3 for Mg, 6 for Mn, 4 for Na, 3 for S, 5 for Si, and 3 for Zn were mapped in barley chromosomes. The QTL identified in the current study are valuable for breeding nutrient dense barley cultivars in the future, especially Zn and Fe.     

Prediction of baking results from farinograph measurements by using stepwise linear regression and artificial neuronal networks

In an effort to extract additional data from farinograph experiments a model was developed to simulate the measurements and correlate the parameters of the model with results from baking tests. This additional information can be used in bakeries to predict the baking properties of the flours and adjust the recipes to maintain a constant product quality. For this eight different flours were characterized with a farinograph and 13 different results from baking experiments. An approach with five nonlinear differential equations was able to model the farinograph measurements very well (average R² = 0.995 ± 0.005). While a stepwise multilinear regression only showed weak correlations in cross validation between a single parameter of the model and the baking volume (R² = 0.745) and the volume yield (R² = 0.796) respectively, the artificial neuronal network was more successful. For the baking weight (R² = 0.926), the dough yield gross (R² = 0.909) and net (R² = 0.913) strong correlations were found. A good correlation for the baking volume (R² = 0.853) was also determined, while the volume yield showed comparable results to the linear regression (R² = 0.792).     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Utilizing a DUALEM‐421 and inversion modelling to map baseline soil salinity along toposequences in the Hunter Valley Wine district

In the oldest commercial wine district of Australia, the Hunter Valley, there is the threat of soil salinization because marine sediments underlie the area. To understand the risk requires information about the spatial distribution of soil properties. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have been used to identify and map the spatial variation of average soil salinity to a certain depth. However, soils vary with depth dependent on soil forming factors. We collected data from a single‐frequency and multiple‐coil DUALEM‐421 along a toposequence. We inverted this data using EM4Soil software and evaluated the resultant 2‐dimensional model of true electrical conductivity (σ – mS/m) with depth against electrical conductivity of saturated soil pastes (EC_p – dS/m). Using a fitted linear regression (LR) model calibration approach and by varying the forward model (cumulative function‐CF and full solution‐FS), inversion algorithm (S1 and S2), damping factor (λ) and number of arrays, we determined a suitable electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI), which was optimal (R² = 0.82) when using the full solution, S2, λ = 3.6 and all six coil arrays. We conducted an uncertainty analysis of the LR model used to estimate the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil‐paste extract (EC_e – dS/m). Our interpretation based on estimates of EC_e suggests the approach can identify differences in salinity, how these vary with parent material and how topography influences salt distribution. The results provide information leading to insights into how soil forming factors and agricultural practices influence salinity down a toposequence and how this can guide soil management practices.