水稻F1花粉不育基因的精细定位及其遗传分化研究

水稻籼粳亚种间杂种的不育性限制了亚种间的遗传交流和杂种优势利用。本研究通过发展位置特异性的微卫星标记将F1花粉不育基因S-6座位进行了精细定位；通过分析近等基因系中代换片段的遗传效应，鉴定出了F1花粉不育基因S-d座位，利用位置特异性的微卫星标记将S-d进行了定位；根据基因组的序列资料和利用较大的作图群体对S-6和S-d两个座位进行了物理作图；通过分子标记辅助选择培育了一批复等位基因近等基因系，对育性基因的遗传分化进行了研究。取得了如下主要结果：1、根据S-6座位初步定位的结果发展位置特异性的微卫星标记，将F1花粉不育基因座S-6进行了精细定位。结果表明多态性标记均与S-6座位紧密连锁，其中R830STS、PSM7、PSM8、PSM9、．PSM59和PSM60位于S-6座位一端，与S-6座位遗传距离分别为1．5cM、1．2cM、0．9cM、0．9cM、0．9cM和0．9cM，而PSM202、PSM206、PSM208、RMl3、R2213SSTS和RM413位于S-6座位的另一端，与S-6座位的遗传距离分别为0．9cM、2．1cM、3．8cM、4．1cM、4．4cM和5．3cM。2、根据S-6座位精细定位的结果，从IRGSP下载了S-6座位所在区域克隆的序列，将克隆的序列进行了拼接，同时将与S-6座位紧密连锁的分子标记与序列拼接图进行了电子整合。根据整合的结果发展位置特异性的微卫星标记和STS标记，利用500株的作图群体，最终将S-6座位界定在PSM8与PSM215之间182．2kb的范围，其中PSM214、T17、T18和T19与S-6座位完全连锁。3、通过对近等基因系E11-5中代换片段遗传效应的分析，在第1染色体的代换片段上鉴定出一个新的F1花粉不育基因座S-d。根据基因组的序列发展位置特异性的微卫星标记将S-d座位进行了定位。结果表明多态性标记均与S-d座位紧密连锁，其中PSM27、PSM24、．PSM26、PSM23、PSM31、PSM25、PSM37、PSM41、PSM42、PSM43、．PSM44、．PSMl2和PSMl3位于S-d座位的一端，与S-d座位的遗传距离分别为10．6cM、7．2cM、7．2cM、6．8cM、6．8cM、6．4cM、6．4cM、4．8cM、4．8cM、3．2cM、1．6cM、0．4cM和0．4cM，而RM84、RM86、RM323、RMl和RM283位于S-d座位的另一端，与S-d座位的遗传距离分别为3．8cM、4．6cM、6．7cM、7．5cM和8．7cM。4、根据S—d座位定位的结果，从IRGSP下载了S-d座位所在区域克隆的序列，将克隆的序列进行了拼接，同时将与S-d紧密连锁的分子标记与序列拼接图进行了电子整合。根据整合的结果发展位置特异性的微卫星标记和STS标记，利用2160株的作图群体，最终将S-d座位界定在67．8kb的范围内，其中PSM93和PSM74位于S-d座位的两侧且各与S-d仅有一个重组，而PSM95、PSM96、T1和T2与S-d座位完全连锁。RiceGAAS注释分析表明在此区段有17个ORF。，其中3个ORF可能与杂种不育性有关。BLAST分析表明此段序列籼粳之间的同源性较低，这也可能是杂种不育的一个原因。5、通过分子标记辅助选择，在F1花粉不育基因s-n、s-6、s-c和s-d座位各培育了一批复等位基因近等基因系，测交分析表明各不育基因座位上的不育基因不仅分化为相对的S^i和S^j，而且基因型类型相同的复等位基因的遗传分化也达到了显著差异的水平。携带有多个复等位基因的近等基因系的测交分析表明，复等位基因近等基因系的遗传效应为各基因座位遗传效应的累加，各基因的遗传效应相互独立，彼此间无相互作用。     

Identification of quantitative trait loci underlying milling quality of rice (Oryza sativa) grains

Milling quality of rice grains is important to both producers and consumers. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling brown rice rate (BR), milled rice recovery (MR) and head rice recovery (HR) were analysed by composite interval mapping over 2 years using 98 backcross inbred lines (BILs). A total of 12 QTLs for the three traits were detected, of which five were for BR, four for MR and three for HR. The proportion of phenotypic variation explained by individual QTLs ranged from 7.5 to 19.9%, and additive effects contributed by a single QTL accounted for 0.46 to 2.34% of the variation. QTL‐by‐environment interactions were observed by comparing QTL mapping of the same population grown in two consecutive years. Three of five QTLs for BR and two of four QTLs for MR were detected in 2 years, and all three QTLs for HR were detected in 1 year only. BR was significantly correlated with MR, and all four QTLs of MR were located in the same regions as those of BR. This indicated that QTLs for highly correlated traits could often be detected in the same interval.     

Regional patterns of microsatellite diversity in Ethiopian tetraploid wheat accessions

This study was conducted to assess regional patterns of diversity of Ethiopian tetraploid wheat accessions and to identify areas of diversity that can be used as source of new germplasm for developing high yielding and stable varieties. A collection of 133 Ethiopian tetraploid wheat accessions and eight introduced cultivars was analysed using 29 wheat microsatellite markers. A total of 383 alleles were detected with an average value of 13.14 alleles per locus. Relatively more alleles were observed in the B genome than in the A genome. Gene diversity indices ranged from 0.08 to 0.95, with a mean value of 0.72. Accessions collected from the same region were pooled and the number of alleles and gene diversity were calculated over the 29 simple sequence repeats for each region. Higher numbers of alleles were detected in the Shewa region (8.72), followed by Tigray (5.86) and Hararghe (5.76). The highest average gene diversity value was found in Shewa (0.65), followed by Gondar (0.64). No significant correlation was observed between geographic distance and genetic distance. Out of 383 different alleles detected, 93 (24.4%) were observed to be region‐specific. Region‐specific alleles were found across all chromosomes except for Xgwm752, Xgwm155 and Xgwm148. Genetic similarity coefficients were estimated for all the possible 55 pairs of regional comparisons and they ranged from 0.16 to 0.52, with a mean value of 0.50. All provinces were differentiated in the UPGMA cluster diagram.     

Mutation Techniques for Gene Discovery and Crop Improvement

One of the most important breakthroughs in the history of genetics ）was the discovery that mutations can be artificially induced in organisms （van Harten, 1998）. Artificially induced mutations, by physical and chemical mutagens, have greatly advanced the understanding of genetics of higher organisms. Starting in the late 1960＇s, the International Atomic Energy Agency （IAEA） and the Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO） of the United Nations sponsored extensive research on mutation induction and their application to breeding of food and indnstrial crops that resulted in the introduction of new varieties of rice, wheat, barley, apples, citrus, sugar cane, banana, and others （more than 2 500 officially released new varieties are to be found in the FAO/IAEA Mutant Varieties Database） （hitp：//www-mvd.iaea.org/MVD/default.htm）. However, the usefulness of mutation techniques has been underappreciated in research communities, particularly during the last decade, when more and more researchers and breeders were rushing into molecular marker techniques and transgenic plants. In this paper, after a brief review of the past accomplishments of mutation induction and its application, we discuss the uniqueness of induced mutations in gene discovery and how to integrate induced mutants into functional genomics programs;     

Improving Drought Tolerance of Rice by Designed QTL Pyramiding

Drought is the most important factor limiting rice yields in the rainfed areas of Asia. To overcome the problem, we developed a new strategy ＇designed QTL pyramiding＇ to more efficiently develop drought tolerant （DT） rice cultivars. In the first phase of this strategy, we developed large numbers of introgression lines （ILs） in elite backgrounds using backcross （BC） breeding, each of which carries multiple genomic segments for improved DT from a known donor. Then, we genotyped all ILs with SSR markers to track the genomewide pattern of introgression in the DT ILs of 16 BC populations derived from crosses between 2 recipients （IR64 and Teqing） and four different donors. X^2 tests and linkage disequilibrium analyses of introgression in the DT ILs revealed significant frequency shifts at many loci across the genome and non-random associations at the multilocus level as a result of selection for DT in the ILs, which led us to the discovery of putative genetic networks underlying DT in the ILs. The networks each containing all DT loci detected in ILs from a BC population showed some interesting features.     

Chromosomal location of a gene (Rkn-mnl) for resistance to the root-knot nematode transferred into wheat from Aegilops variabilis

Root-knot nematode is a significant root-parasite of common wheat. A dominant gene Rkn-mnl for resistance was transferred into wheat from Acgilops variabilis. This gene was shown to be on chromosome 3B. Further analysis indicated that it is on the long arm of this chromosome and independent of the centromere.     

the effect of phosphate on the transformation of ferrihydrite into crystalline products in alkaline media

The presence of phosphate retards the transformation of ferrihydrite into crystalline products. Increasing phosphate from 0 to 1 mole % results in an order of magnitude decrease in the rate of transformation of ferrihydrite at pH 12. Levels of phosphate of ～1 mol % suppress the formation of goethite (α-FeO(OH)) and result in the formation of a product consisting ofη-Fe₂O₃. Higher levels of phosphate result in the ferrihydrite remaining amorphous, even after several hundred hours. Phosphate prevents formation of goethite by hindering the dissolution of ferrihydrite rather than by interfering with nucleation and growth of goethite in solution. The transformation rate of pure ferrihydrite is also strongly inhibited in the presence of dissolved phosphate. This is due to surface complexation. The transformation rate was measured at temperatures of 60 °C and 70 °C. The rate of transformation was found to be described by either (i) a solid-state reaction equation for powdered compacts or (ii) a zero-order reaction controlled by desorption. The transformation of the ferrihydrite matrix was accompanied by the loss of the phosphate trace component. X-ray diffraction indicates that no solid solution involving phosphate substitution intoη-Fe₂O₃ is formed. Transmission electron microphotographs of the original precipitates containing phosphate confirm the presence of the phosphate and demonstrate its involvement in linking together extremely small particles of ferrihydrite.     

不同行距对冬小麦麦田蒸发、蒸散和产量的影响

为了研究不同行距对冬小麦田棵间蒸发、蒸散和产量的影响，于2002～2003年在中国科学院栾城农业生态实验站进行了试验。结果表明：不同行距处理对棵间蒸发的影响在不同的冬小麦生育时期表现不同，在4月份呈现显著性差异，在12月-3月之间，处理之间没有明显差异，在其它时期7.5 cm的行距处理与30 cm行距的处理呈显著性差异，15cm的处理与它们均没有明显的差异；在整个生育期内，7.5 cm的行距处理比15 cm和30 cm的行距处理分别减少棵间蒸发13.26和29.04 mm，蒸散量减少22.76 mm和51.88 mm；7.5 cm的行距处理比15 cm和30 cm的行距处理分别提高产量水分利用效率0.11 kg/m³和0.23 kg/m³。     

Antioxidant properties of crocin from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and study of the reactions of crocin with linoleic acid and crocin with oxygen

Crocin-a water soluble carotenoid-is found in the fruits of gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) and in the stigmas of saffron (Crocus sativus Linne). For crocin purification, gardenia fruits are extracted with 50% acetone, followed by ether washing, ion exchange, and separation by preparative HPLC. Purified crocin with purity of >99.6% has an antioxidative activity at concentrations up to 40 ppm. At 20 ppm the antioxidative activity of crocin is comparable to that of BHA. The antioxidant property of crocin as evaluated by the thiocyanate method was better than with the thiobarbituric acid method. The adduct between the linoleic acid radical and crocin was detected by LC-MS. When crocin reacted with oxygen in the presence of FeSO(4), intermediates such as monohydroperoxides and dihydroperoxides of crocin were formed and detected by LC-MS.     

Reduced tillage in north-west Europe—A review

The main features of the climate and soils of the main crop production areas of different countries in north-west Europe are outlined, and the main crops grown are summarised. The need for tillage is considered; provided that suitable conditions exist for germination, root growth is most likely to be influenced by mechanical impedance and aeration. Traditional tillage may not always be necessary and may hinder timely sowing of crops. Shallow tillage can facilitate planting a larger area of crops closer to the optimum dates in autumn and in spring, which also saves energy and labour.Research experience with reduced tillage over the last 20–25 years is reviewed. Shallow tillage has been as good as mouldboard ploughing at the traditional depth in most countries on a wide range of soil types, if weed control was satisfactory. Direct drilling has often proved satisfactory in the absence of crop residues for autumn sown crops (wheat, barley, oil-seed rape and beans) where drainage (and therefore soil aeration) was not limiting. Direct drilling has not generally been successful for spring sown crops. Direct drilling is inappropriate for root crops, but strip tillage for sugar beet may become practicable. Some research on soil conditions associated with these experiments is considered.Crop residues are a major constraint to shallow tillage or direct drilling of autumn sown crops. The limitations of reduced tillage due to inadequate weed control, wheel-traffic damage and unsatisfactory drainage are reviewed. The need for occasional deep loosening is also discussed. Where the amount of residues is small, much tillage may be unnecessary, except to relieve compaction by wheels; bed systems or wide-span gantries to avoid wheel damage could become practical developments for some crops.