Phenological and physiological evaluation of first and second cropping periods of sorghum and maize crops

Environmental conditions influence phenology and physiological processes of plants. It is common for maize and sorghum to be sown at two different periods: the first cropping (spring/summer) and the second cropping (autumn/winter). The phenological cycle of these crops varies greatly according to the planting season, and it is necessary to characterize the growth and development to facilitate the selection of the species best adapted to the environment. The aim of this study was to characterize phenological phases and physiological parameters in sorghum and maize plants as a function of environmental conditions from the first cropping and second cropping periods. Two parallel experiments were conducted with both crops. The phenological characterization was based on growth analyses (plant height, leaf area and photoassimilate partitioning) and gas exchange evaluations (net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water-use efficiency). It was found that the vegetative stage (VS) for sorghum and maize plants was 7 and 21 days, respectively, longer when cultivated during the second cropping. In the first cropping, the plants were taller than in the second cropping, regardless of the crop. The stomatal conductance of sorghum plants fluctuated in the second cropping during the development period, while maize plants showed decreasing linear behaviour. Water-use efficiency in sorghum plants was higher during the second cropping compared with the first cropping. In maize plants, in the second cropping, the water-use efficiency showed a slight variation in relation to the first cropping. It was concluded that the environmental conditions as degree-days, temperature, photoperiod and pluvial precipitation influence the phenology and physiology of both crops during the first and the second cropping periods, specifically cycle duration, plant height, leaf area, net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency, indicating that both crops respond differentially to environmental changes during the growing season.     

The effect of feeding a novel multistrain yeast fraction on European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) intestinal health and growth performance

Fish were fed a single‐strain yeast fraction (SsYF; 2 g/kg) or a multistrain yeast fraction (MsYF; 0.8 g/kg) for 10 weeks. The results demonstrated significant (p ≤ 0.03) elevations in weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and feed conversion ratio in fish fed the yeast fraction‐supplemented diets. In the distal intestine, a significant elevation in microvilli density was observed after 5 and 10 weeks of dietary supplementation with MsYF and SsYF, respectively, compared to control fed fish (p < 0.001). A significant elevation (p = 0.02) in the perimeter ratio was observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. After 10 weeks of feeding on the experimental diets, Rt‐qPCR demonstrated a significant downregulation (p < 0.05) in the stress response genes, heat‐shock protein 70 (hsp70) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna), in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. Significant (p < 0.05) elevations in interleukin 1‐beta (il1β) and interleukin‐10 (il10) gene expression were observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the MsYF compared to the other dietary groups. These findings suggest that feeding an MsYF specifically at a lower incorporation rate < 1 g/kg, compared to a commercial SsYF at 2 g/kg, is effective in improving the intestinal health status and growth performance of European seabass.     

养殖密度对硝化型生物絮团系统中凡纳滨对虾生长和水质的影响

利用硝化型生物絮团系统进行凡纳滨对虾的养殖,并通过设置不同的养殖密度探究不同养殖密度下硝化型生物絮团系统对凡纳滨对虾生长性能和水质情况的影响。实验选择同一批标粗到一定规格的健康凡纳滨对虾[体长(4.80±0.25) cm,体质量(0.98±0.16)g],分成5个密度梯度组放养到养殖池中,进行为期45 d的养殖。结果表明:80～610尾/m~3范围内,硝化型生物絮团系统对非离子氨和亚硝酸盐氮可以控制在警戒浓度(0.2 mg/L)附近波动,为凡纳滨对虾健康生长提供了良好的环境,保证养殖存活率,另外该系统下适当的排污可以避免高密度养殖下硝酸盐氮积累太快;80～610尾/m~3时存活率随密度升高而下降,但产量随密度升高而增加。     

New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.     

大白菜TPS基因家族鉴定及其在高温胁迫下的表达分析

为明确大白菜TPS(BrTPS)家族成员信息及对高温胁迫信号的响应,本研究利用生物信息学方法,在大白菜基因组数据库中鉴定了BrTPS基因家族成员,并对其理化性质、进化特征、蛋白结构及在高温胁迫下的表达模式进行分析。结果表明,大白菜全基因组含有15个TPS基因家族成员,分布于8条染色体上。除BrTPS14和BrTPS15外,其余成员各含有1个TPS和1个TPP结构域,并且所含motif的排列顺序也完全一致。理化性质分析发现,15个成员的氨基酸长度介于129~1459 aa之间,分子量大小在14.73~165.83 kD之间,大部分BrTPS蛋白为酸性蛋白和亲水蛋白,以无规则卷曲作为二级结构主要构成元件。进化分析表明,大白菜TPS基因家族成员可分为2类,其中ClassⅠ包含5个成员,ClassⅡ包含10个成员。本研究对高温胁迫前后不同组织和持续高温胁迫下叶片中的表达分析,发现大部分的BrTPS基因可对高温胁迫产生响应,但在表达规律上存在差异。这些研究结果为后续研究大白菜TPS基因提供一定参考。     

Bamboo NiR gene is associated with regeneration capacity

It was reported that the activity of NiR (nitrite reductase) enzyme encoded by the NiR gene was correlated with the regeneration ability in rice. To testify the function of NiR gene in bamboo, seven bamboo species whose calli had different differentiation rate were chosen to analyse their NiR enzyme activity. The results showed that bamboo NiR enzymatic activity had a certain correlation with the regeneration capacity. A NiR gene named DhNiR from Dendrocalamus hamiltonii with high regeneration capacity was cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the ORF of DhNiR was 1779bp encoding 592 amino acids. Overexpression of DhNiR in rice reduced the time of shoot differentiation and increased the transformation rate, suggesting that DhNiR might play an important role in the regeneration ability of bamboo, and can be applied in regeneration and gene transformation of bamboo and other plant species.     

云南怒江傈僳族自治州古树名木资源现状调查

对怒江傈僳族自治州人为活动区域古树名木资源现状进行调查。结果表明:共记录到古树名木496株,涉及36科54属76种,其中有8种国家重点保护野生植物,分别为澜沧黄杉、秃杉、南方红豆杉、云南榧树、千果榄仁、红椿、光叶珙桐和香果树;怒江州古树名木主要分布在乡村街道及远郊野外,占总数的98.8%,63.6%的古树生长在海拔1500~1999 m;古树名木的生长环境及长势总体较好,但保护力度相对薄弱,应采取相关措施加强保护和管理。     

Dietary Lipid Levels Affect the Growth Performance,Lipid Deposition,and Antioxidative Capacity of Juvenile Scaleless Carp,Gymnocypris przewalskii,on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

A 56‐d growth trial was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, lipid deposition, and antioxidative capacity of juvenile scaleless carp, Gymnocypris przewalskii, on Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. One‐year‐old juveniles (initial weight: 15.99 ± 0.02 g) were fed practical diets with different lipid levels of 4, 5.5, 7, 8.5, and 10%, respectively. Results showed that the best specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion rate, and total antioxidative capacity (T‐AOC) in hepatopancreas were observed in fish fed the diet with 7% lipid level. Fish fed with high lipid diets (8.5 and 10%) had significantly higher condition factor and viscerosomatic index as well as lipid in muscle, intestine, mesenteric fat tissue, and whole body. Highest level of hepatopancreas lipase and lipoprotein lipases activities as well as malondialdehyde content and the lowest level of feed intake and T‐AOC content in hepatopancreas and intestine were also observed in fish fed with high lipid diets (8.5 and 10%) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, based on SGR and hepatopancreas T‐AOC content, dietary lipid requirement of juvenile G. przewalskii was estimated to be 7.35 and 7.39%, respectively.     

普通小麦主要农艺性状的全基因组关联分析

为解析小麦复杂农艺性状的遗传机制,本研究以150份小麦品种(系)为自然群体,在4个环境条件下测定了9个主要农艺性状,利用小麦35K SNP芯片,结合5种关联模型(Q、PCA、K、PCA+K、Q+K),进行全基因组关联分析。结果表明,全基因组多态性信息量PIC的范围为0.0950～0.5000,最小等位基因频率MAF值为0.0500～0.5000;群体结构分析和PCA分析均表明参试材料可分为两个亚群;连锁不平衡分析发现A基因组、B基因组、D基因组和全基因组的LD衰减距离分别为4.7、8、11和6 Mb。9个性状共检测到652个显著的关联位点(P≤0.001),其中21个SNP在2个或2个以上的环境中被重复检测到,分布在1A(1)、1B(4)、2A(3)、2D(2)、3A(1)、5A(1)、5B(5)、6A(1)、6B(2)和7D(3)染色体上; 1个SNP标记的物理位置未知, 3个SNP标记同时与2个性状显著关联;单个SNP的表型贡献率为7.67%～18.79%。8个优势等位变异在供试群体中所占比例较低,筛选出14个可能与小麦农艺性状相关的候选基因,其中TraesCS5B02G237200、TraesCS7D02G129700和TraesCS1B02G426300可能在植物抵御生物与非生物胁迫中起作用,TraesCS5B02G010800和TraesCS7D02G436800可能与植物激素的合成和响应有关,TraesCS2A02G092200可能与植物细胞壁的增强有关, TraesCS5A02G438800可能参与叶绿体发育,另外7个候选基因的功能未知。     

马疱疹病毒1型主要毒力基因分析及TK基因缺失载体的构建

为了解新疆马疱疹病毒1型（EHV-1）主要毒力基因遗传进化情况并构建TK基因缺失株，本研究以EHV-1 XJ2015株DNA为模板，对其主要毒力基因TK、gI和gE全长进行克隆、测序及生物信息学分析，并扩增TK基因左右重组臂TKL和TKR，构建质粒pUC-TKLR，将扩增后的增强绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP，含有CMV+polyA）插入pUC-TKLR质粒，构建TK基因缺失打靶质粒。TK、gI和gE基因同源性分析结果显示，XJ2015株与国外EHV-1分离株TK、gI和gE基因同源性均较高，分别为99.8%~100.0%、99.6%~100.0%和99.9%~100.0%；与EHV-3分离株同源性均最低，分别为72.9%、59.4%和62.1%；遗传进化分析显示，3个基因均与国外EHV-1同属于一个遗传进化分支，与EHV-9和EHV-4进化关系较近，但与EHV-3进化关系较远，表明XJ2015毒株与国外EHV-1毒株TK、gI、gE基因核苷酸上差异不明显，没有明显的地域性特征，功能基因保守且进化缓慢，同源基因功能相同或相近；经PCR扩增、酶切、测序及转染鉴定，本试验成功构建了用于TK基因缺失的打靶质粒pUC-TKLR-EGFP。通过对EHV-1主要毒力基因的分析及TK基因缺失打靶载体的构建，为新疆地区马鼻肺炎流行病学调查分析、TK基因缺失株的构建提供理论依据。