Combining ability of yield and yield components among Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae-compatible and Striga-resistant sorghum genotypes

ABSTRACT

Use of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] cultivars with partial resistance to Striga spp. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae (FOS) represents a novel strategy to control Striga. This study aimed to identify the nature of gene action controlling grain yield and yield components and to select promising sorghum crosses possessing both FOS compatibility and Striga resistance, along with good combining ability effects. One-hundred hybrids, developed from pairwise matings among 10 FOS compatible, high-yielding female lines and 10 Striga-resistant male lines, were evaluated with and without FOS inoculation. The F₁s were field evaluated at three locations in Tanzania known for their severe Striga infestation, using an alpha lattice design with two replications. General (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variances were significant for grain yield per plant, hundred-seed weight, plant height, flowering time and the number of Striga plants. The study demonstrated FOS inoculation to be an effective means of controlling Striga. Families 675?×?672, AS435?×?3993 and 4643?×?AS436 displaying large SCA effects for grain yield, and 4567?×?AS429, 3424?×?AS430 and 3424?×?AS436 with small SCA effects for Striga counts should be useful genetic resources for breeding and integrated Striga management.     

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the CrDAT gene and selection of transgenic periwinkle lines with a high vincristine accumulation

Catharanthus roseus contains vincristine and vinblastine, which are outstanding drugs for cancer. In the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) in C. roseus, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT) is a key enzyme that catalyses the last reaction of vindoline biosynthesis to form vinblastine and vincristine. In this study, the CrDAT transgene was transferred into the periwinkle by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and generated transgenic periwinkle lines with an increase in vincristine accumulation. The C. roseus DAT gene was introduced into C. roseus plants and it was confirmed that CrDAT was successfully transferred into the genome of periwinkle plants and efficiently translated to synthesise recombinant DAT protein. Four transgenic periwinkle lines in T1 generation, T1-1, T1-3, T1-6, and T1-7, expressed recombinant DAT protein with the total protein content in the range of 2.86 μg.mg^?1 to 5.12 μg.mg^?1. Moreover, the vincristine contents of four transgenic lines increased by 1.63?2.48-fold compared to non-transgenic plants, ranging from 6.91 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight) to 10.53 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight). The T1-1 line had the highest vincristine content. Hence, the overexpression of the recombinant DAT protein can improve the vincristine accumulation of transgenic C. roseus plants.

Abbreviation: CrDAT - Catharanthus roseus Deacetylvindoline-4-O-Acetyl Transferase; D4H - Deacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase; ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Monoterpene indole alkaloid; T0, T1 - Generations of transgenic plants; TIAs - Terpenoid indole alkaloids; WT- The wild-type tobacco plants (non transgenic plant); 35S - Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter     

Tree-ring response of Larix chinensis on regional climate and sea-surface temperature variations in alpine timberline in the Qinling Mountains

Tree-ring width chronologies of Larix chinensis were developed from the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province,and climatic factors affecting the tree-ring widths of L.chinensis were examined.Correlation analysis showed that similar correlations between tree-ring width chronologies and climatic factors demonstrated that radial growth responded to climate change on both slopes.The radial growth of L.chinensis was mainly limited by temperature,especially the growing season.In contrast,both chronologies were negatively correlated with precipitation in May of the previous year and April of the current year.Spatial climate-correlation analyses with gridded land-surface climate data revealed that our tree-ring width chronologies contained a strong regional temperature signal over much of northcentral and eastern China.Spatial correlation with seasurface temperature fields highlights the influence of the Pacific Ocean,Indian Ocean,and North Atlantic Ocean.Wavelet coherence analysis indicated the existence of some decadal and interannual cycles in the two tree-ring width chronologies.This may suggest the influences of El Nin˜o-Southern Oscillation and solar activity on tree growth in the Qinling Mountains.These findings will help us understand the growth response of L.chinensis to climate change in the Qinling region,and they provide critical information for future climate reconstructions based on this species in semi-humid regions.     

甜玉米(Zea mays L.saccharata Sturt)含糖量与主要农艺性状的相关及通径分析

为选育含糖量高的甜玉米品种,本试验对甜玉米含糖量与主要农艺性状进行相关性分析。结果表明,含糖量与穗长、株高、穗位呈正相关,与单穗重、秃尖长、穗粗、穗行数、行粒数、轴重、轴粗、百粒重、茎粗呈负相关。在实际选择中可以参考这些性状来选择含糖量高的甜玉米。为了更加清楚地了解各主要农艺性状和含糖量之间的直接效应和间接效应,对此进行通径分析,结果表明,各农艺性状对含糖量的通径系数顺序为穗长>株高>轴重>穗位>单穗重>穗粗>茎粗>行粒数>穗行数>百粒重>轴粗>秃尖长>皮渣率。本研究为今后选育含糖量高的甜玉米品种提供了重要的参考依据。     

贝莱斯芽孢杆菌XC1的筛选、鉴定及其对苹果连作障碍的影响

从连作苹果园健康苹果树根际土壤中筛选出1株对苹果连作障碍镰孢属病原菌具有较强拮抗作用的细菌XC1,该菌对尖孢镰孢菌的抑菌率最高,达到79.83%。根据其形态、生理生化特征和基于16S rDNA、gyrA基因的系统发育分析,鉴定该菌为贝莱斯芽孢杆菌(Bacillus velezensis)。目前菌株XC1已保藏于中国微生物菌种保藏管理委员会普通微生物中心,保藏号为CGMCC No.20057。苹果连作土盆栽试验表明,XC1菌肥处理能显著促进平邑甜茶(Malus hupehensis Rehd.)幼苗的生长,其株高、地径、鲜质量和干质量分别比对照提高了54.8%、34.8%、121.1%和96.0%;显著提高连作土壤中的蔗糖酶、脲酶、过氧化氢酶和中性磷酸酶的活性,分别为对照的1.57倍、2.71倍、1.21倍和1.79倍;显著减少连作土壤中真菌的数量,提高细菌和放线菌的数量,且对尖孢镰孢菌(Fusarium oxysporum)有很好的抑制作用,尖孢镰孢菌的基因拷贝数比对照降低了76.4%。这说明贝莱斯芽孢杆菌抑制连作障碍病原菌的效果明显,可改善土壤环境,促进平邑甜茶幼苗的生长,能在一定程度上减轻苹果连作障碍。     

陆地棉和野生斯特提棉种间异源六倍体的合成与性状鉴定

陆地棉(Gossypiumhirsutum)是世界上重要的栽培棉种,野生斯特提棉(G.sturtianum)含有陆地棉所缺乏的许多优质基因。本研究通过陆地棉和斯特提棉的远缘杂交和染色体加倍,获得了自交可育的后代植株,对其进行流式细胞倍性检测和花粉母细胞减数分裂观察,筛选出2株染色体组完整的异源六倍体植株。统计鉴定表明,六倍体和亲本及三倍体比较,叶形介于双亲之间,叶面积增大,保卫细胞中叶绿体数明显增多;远缘杂种与亲本在花的表型性状方面差异明显,六倍体的花粉粒直径大于亲本和三倍体;六倍体棉纤维为白色,长度小于母本陆地棉,父本斯特提棉的种子腺体延缓发育性状在异源六倍体中得到表达。这些结果证明通过远缘杂交和加倍成功获得了陆地棉与斯特提棉间可育的异源六倍体新种质,为棉花遗传育种研究提供了有价值的材料。     

油梨嫁接苗分级标准探讨

通过逐步聚类分析方法，初步探讨了油梨嫁接苗的分级标准。分析得出以苗高和茎粗为油梨嫁接苗的分级质量指标，将油梨嫁接苗分为三级，即Ⅰ级苗：苗高≥74cm，茎粗≥1.13cm；Ⅱ级苗：74cm＞苗高≥66 cm，1.13cm＞茎粗≥0.93cm；Ⅲ级苗：苗高＜66cm，茎粗＜0.93cm。     

樱桃番茄抗青枯病砧木新品种海茄砧1 号的选育

海茄砧1 号是以野生茄子自交系HZ09-5 为母本，以从越南引进的茄子品种自交系HZ10-2 为父本育成的高抗青枯 病樱桃番茄砧木品种。植株生长势较强，第1 雌花节位约为第7 节，花为紫色，果实卵圆形，青熟果淡绿紫色或淡绿色，果 萼绿色，果长7～9 cm，果宽4～6 cm，单果质量为50～60 g，种子千粒重为3.2 g 左右，种皮浅黄色，高抗青枯病。海茄砧 1 号与樱桃番茄的嫁接亲和性好，共生性强，嫁接苗成活率高。嫁接后的樱桃番茄果萼开展，果面有光泽，可明显改善果实 VC、可溶性固形物和可滴定酸含量等品质，提高产量。适宜华南地区樱桃番茄的嫁接栽培。     

Occurrence of prophage and historical perspectives associated with the dissemination of huanglongbing in mainland China

Huanglongbing (HLB), associated with a non-culturable bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), is a highly destructive citrus disease with a long but poorly documented history in China. No effective treatment for HLB is available. The identification of new prophages in abundant CLas genomic sequence data provides new insights into both the diversity of CLas strains and HLB management. In this study, CLas populations from nine provinces were surveyed for the presence of prophage. Two major prophage typing groups (PTGs) were discovered to be associated with two different altitude regions: strains of CLas in PTG1 from high altitude regions (HAR) mainly contained prophage Type 1 only or Types 1 and 3, whereas strains of CLas in PTG2 from low altitude regions (LAR) mainly contained prophage Type 2. The discovery of these CLas population patterns provides evidence for independent origins of HLB in HAR and LAR. Guangdong province is the generally recognized domestic region of origin for HLB and is primarily responsible for the dissemination of HLB in LAR through transport of seedlings. Both Yunnan and Sichuan provinces are the probable regions of origin for HLB in HAR. PTG2 was further divided into two subgroups: PTG2-1, found in Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi and PTG2-2, found in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Hunan. These regions and prophage types are correlated with early and late introductions of HLB in LAR. These molecular analyses were supported by studying the history of the dissemination of HLB in historical documents.