Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the growth hormone gene of Oreochromis niloticus and their association with growth performance

Polymorphisms in the growth hormone (GH) gene that is associated with the growth rate of farmed fish have been the target of many breeding programmes. The present study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GH gene regions to evaluate the association of SNP variations with the growth rate of two Nile tilapia: Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) strains. The targeted regions were amplified, sequenced, aligned and screened for the presence of SNPs; thereafter, performance tests were used to check for the association between SNPs and weight. Allele and genotype frequencies were estimated for each SNP and genotype. Genotype blocks or sets of SNP genotypes and frequencies were also estimated. Association between SNPs and growth rate was statistically evaluated using a univariate linear mixed model that included both fixed and random effects. A total of 10 SNPs were identified, nine in the proximal promoter and one located in the 5′ UTR, forming 10 genotype blocks. In all weight recordings, five genotype blocks were significantly associated with the highest weights. Single nucleotide polymorphisms 6‐10 were also found to be significantly associated with growth (p‐value < .05). Genotypes with higher additive genetic values for weight were identified in the Chitralada strain, suggesting a possible impact of these additive effects of the GH SNP genotype on the growth rate of Nile tilapia. These findings may be used as part of marker‐assisted selection in tilapia breeding programmes.     

Identification,characterization and full-length sequence analysis of a novel endornavirus in common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

To identify the possible quarantine viruses in seven common sunflower varieties imported from the United States of America and the Netherlands, we tested total RNAs extracted from the leaf tissues using next-generation sequencing of small RNAs. After analysis of small RNA sequencing data, no any quarantine virus was found, but a double-stranded RNA(dsRNA) molecule showing typical genomic features of endornavirus was detected in two varieties, X3939 and SH1108. Full-length sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that it is a novel endornavirus, temporarily named as Helianthus annuus alphaendornavirus(HaEV). Its full genome corresponds to a 14 662-bp dsRNA segment, including a 21-nt 5′ untranslated region(UTR), 3' UTR ending with the unique sequence CCCCCCCC and lacking a poly(A) tail. An open reading frame(ORF) that encodes a deduced 4 867 amino acids(aa) polyprotein with three domains: RdRP, Hel and UGT(UDP-glycosyltransferase). HaEV mainly distributed in the cytoplasm but less in the nucleus of leaf cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) experiment. This virus has a high seed infection rate in the five varieties, X3907, X3939, A231, SH1108 and SR1320. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the virus of the family Endornaviridae in the common sunflower.     

利用酵母双杂交膜系统筛选与小麦蓝矮植原体免疫膜蛋白互作的异沙叶蝉蛋白

正小麦蓝矮病(Wheat blue dwarf,WBD)是我国西北麦区一种重要植原体病害,在我国西部地区危害严重。该病害由异沙叶蝉(Psammotettix alienus L.)专化性传播,介体传毒成为病害流行的重要中心环节[1]。本实验室前期通过免疫荧光标记研究发现WBD植原体免疫膜蛋白(immunodominant membrane protein, IMP)与介体异沙叶蝉肌动蛋白互作,说明IMP在植原体传播和致病过程中起关键作用。     

利用重组自交系高密度遗传图谱定位水稻芽期耐冷QTL

为定位水稻芽期耐冷QTL,本实验以双季超级稻品种‘五丰优T025’的双亲‘五丰B’和‘昌恢T025’杂交衍生的重组自交系(recombinant inbred lines, RILs)群体为材料,对10℃低温处理的水稻幼芽的存活率、根数、根长和芽长进行了测定。利用QTL Icimapping v4.2软件,共检测到3个控制芽期耐冷性QTL：qRL1、qRL2和qBL6,分别位于第1、2、6染色体上,LOD值分别为2.98,2.51和5.26,分别解释表型变异的10.54%,8.67%和14.04%,其增效等位基因均来自于亲本‘昌恢T025’。这些QTL定位在6.75k~40.05 kb染色体区间,为后续利用这些QTL进行分子标记辅助,选育芽期耐冷籼稻新品种奠定了基础。此外,检测到13对影响水稻芽期耐冷上位性互作QTL,分布在所有12条染色体,其中第3染色体与第8染色体之间互作位点可解释的表型变异率达到21.77%,表明上位性互作QTL在调控水稻芽期耐冷过程中也发挥了重要作用。     

12种杀虫剂对日本通草蛉不同虫态的毒力及安全性评价

为明确常见杀虫剂对日本通草蛉各虫态的影响,在室内分别采用浸渍法和喷雾法测定了12种(8类)杀虫剂对日本通草蛉卵、幼虫、蛹和成虫的毒性,并评价了杀虫剂对日本通草蛉的毒性风险。结果表明,高效氯氰菊酯对日本通草蛉为极高风险,毒死蜱、吡虫啉、烯啶虫胺和阿维菌素为高风险,溴氰虫酰胺、啶虫脒和氯虫苯甲酰胺为中等风险,噻嗪酮、吡蚜酮、螺虫乙酯和甲氧虫酰肼为低风险;与其他虫态相比,12种杀虫剂对日本通草蛉蛹的毒性均为最低。在害虫生物防治及综合治理中应尽量选用对日本通草蛉毒性低的杀虫剂,以起到保护天敌的作用。     

同源四倍体及其原二倍体黑皮冬瓜光合光响应模型筛选

为了筛选出最适合黑皮冬瓜Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.的光合光响应模型,为其育种提供理论依据,以同源四倍体及其原二倍体黑皮冬瓜为试验材料,对8种经典的光合光响应模型适用性进行了比较分析。结果表明：二次多项式能够表现出光抑制情况,但在拟合过程中出现暗呼吸速率为正值、光补偿点为负值及无法解释当光强达到饱和后光合速率快速下降的问题;直角双曲线、非直角双曲线及指数函数Ⅰ、指数函数Ⅱ无法直接求取光饱和点、光补偿点,结合常用的光饱和点的计算方法得到的光饱和点与实测值均存在较大的偏差,且指数函数Ⅱ在计算光饱和点时表现出明显的人为性,也无法拟合光抑制情况,但4种模型拟合得到的光补偿点均与实测值相差不大;指数修正模型因系数β为负值,无法求取四倍体黑皮冬瓜材料的光饱和点和最大净光合速率,且拟合得到的四倍体黑皮冬瓜的光补偿点明显低于实测值;直角双曲线修正模型计算得到的暗呼吸速率及二倍体黑皮冬瓜的光饱和点明显低于实测值,但获得的四倍体及其二倍体的最大净光合速率与实测值最接近,说明其在拟合最大净光合速率上有优势;整体上分段函数计算得到的黑皮冬瓜的各光合参数与实测值最为接近,与实测值的平均相对误差最小,也能很好的拟合发生光抑制部分的光响应曲线。分段函数拟合同源四倍体及其原二倍体黑皮冬瓜光合光响应曲线效果较其他模型效果好,分段函数模型为黑皮冬瓜最适合的光合光响应模型。     

利用荧光观测明确载球孢白僵菌松毛虫赤眼蜂对亚洲玉米螟的防控增效作用

载球孢白僵菌松毛虫赤眼蜂能够显著提高对亚洲玉米螟的防控效果，为了明确其对亚洲玉米螟卵期及幼虫期可持续防控的作用机理，采用松毛虫赤眼蜂吸附绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）标记的球孢白僵菌分生孢子，进行赤眼蜂载菌情况，以及亚洲玉米螟卵和幼虫的寄生、侵染过程观察。结果表明，赤眼蜂羽化后能够吸附柞蚕卵表面粘附的白僵菌分生孢子，并将其携带至亚洲玉米螟卵块表面，并吸附于未被赤眼蜂寄生的亚洲玉米螟卵孵化的幼虫体表，实现侵染并致死，幼虫带菌率达60.00%，网室内杀虫生物测定僵虫率达27.00%。本研究表明，载菌赤眼蜂在提高杀虫效率的同时实现害虫可持续防控，该方法为其他载菌天敌的应用提供了依据。     

Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Genome-wide detection of selective signatures in a Jinhua pig population

The aim of this study was to detect evidence for signatures of recent selection in the Jinhua pig genome. These results can be useful to better understand the regions under selection in Jinhua pigs and might shed some lights on groups of genes that control production traits. In the present study, we performed extended haplotype homozygosity(EHH) tests to identify significant core regions in 202 Jinhua pigs. A total of 26 161 core regions spanning 636.42 Mb were identified, which occupied approximately 28% of the genome across all autosomes, and 1 158 significant(P0.01) core haplotypes were selected. Genes in these regions were related to several economically important traits, including meat quality, reproduction, immune responses and exterior traits. A panel of genes including ssc-mir-365-2, KDM8, RABEP2, GSG1L, RHEB, RPH3AL and a signal pathway of PI3K-Akt were detected with the most extreme P-values. The findings in our study could draw a comparatively genome-wide map of selection signature in the pig genome, and also help to detect functional candidate genes under positive selection for further genetic and breeding research in Jinhua and other pigs.