Allelic variation at the dwarfing gene Rht8 locus and its significance in international breeding programmes

A microsatellite marker WMS261 developed at I.P.K., Gatersleben,Germany, co-segregates with the semi-dwarfing gene Rht8. Screens ofover 800 wheat varieties from 20 countries show 90% carry WMS-261alleles with 165, 174 or 192 base pairs (bp). The 192bp allele diagnosticof Rht8 occurs in most screened Southern European varieties. Anallele with 165 bp occurs in the majority of CIMMYT Mexican varieties andin most varieties bred in countries that utilize CIMMYT germplasm.Agronomic studies of single chromosome recombinant line mappingpopulations segregating for WMS 261 alleles with 165, 174 or 192 bp,show compared to the 174bp allele the 192bp allele reduces height byaround 8 cm and the 165 bp allele increases height by around 3cm. Theresults indicate the importance and widespread utilization of Rht8 asa dwarfing gene in southern Europe and suggest an adaptative significanceto the height promoting 165 bp allele in CIMMYT material.     

Estimating the genetic relationship of hybrid bromegrass to smooth bromegrass and meadow bromegrass using RAPD markers

The two most widely grown bromegrass species in North America are smooth bromegrass, a hay type grass, and meadow bromegrass, a pasture type grass. Hybrid populations between these two species have been developed through hybridization and recurrent selection. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relatedness of the hybrid bromegrass population S‐9073M to its parental populations using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and to determine genetic variation within and between populations. Individuals from each of the three populations were genotyped at 43 polymorphic RAPD loci. One of the RAPD fragments was meadow bromegrass‐specific. Cluster analysis showed three groups representing the two parental populations and the hybrid population. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), showed that the hybrid population had the highest within‐population variation, followed by meadow bromegrass and smooth bromegrass. The interpopulation genetic distance (phi‐statistic =Φ_st) was highest between meadow and smooth bromegrass and lowest between smooth and hybrid bromegrass. The hybrid population was genetically intermediate to smooth bromegrass and meadow bromegrass, but closer to smooth bromegrass, possibly reflecting the selection criteria used in the development of this hybrid.     

RAPD analysis of interspecific relationships in presumably apomictic Cotoneaster species

A few of the approximately 300 Cotoneaster species described are diploid but the majority appear to be polyploid. The occurrence of apomixis inpolyploid Cotoneaster species has been reported but never proven with genetic markers. We have used 76 polymorphic RAPD markers to investigate the breeding system and phenetic grouping of some critical taxa, including a total of 19 plant accessions representing 13 mostly European species in the series Cotoneaster. Three to four individual plants, raised from seed from the same original plant, were analyzed for each of three accessions to investigate the possible occurrence of apomictic seed set. Absolutely congruent RAPD profiles were encountered among seedlings from one accession, whereas we found one or two marker differences among seedlings from the other two accessions. Genetic similarities among the different accessions were analyzed with a UPGMA-derived dendrogram. The most deviant taxon was the Chinese C. albokermesinus. A group withC. soczavianus and C. tomentosus was rather isolated from the remainder, as was also C. kullensis. Among the remaining taxa, two well supported clusters were found: (1) C. antoninae and C. uralensis, and (2) C. integerrimus and C. raboutensis, whereas the other five species (C. canescens, C. niger, C. scandinavicus, C. juranus, C. cambricus) formed a poorly supported cluster with no clear substructuring. A principal coordinate analysis yielded results that were in good correspondence with the dendrogram. Again C. albokermesinus appears to be totally isolated from the other species. In addition, two well-defined and rather isolated groups were found: (1) C. tomentosus and C. soczavianus, and (2) C. antoninae and C. uralensis, with the remainder comprising a loosely defined group. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pyramiding genes for resistance to bean common mosaic virus

Summary Gene pyramiding in Phaseolus vulgaris is being utilized to develop more effective resistance to the temperature-insensitive-necrosis-inducing (TINI) strains of Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) present in the USA. Our data indicate that contrary to previous work, the bc-3 gene is effective against these strains in the absence of the strain unspecific bc-u gene in genotypes possessing the I gene. The epistatic bc-3 gene interferes with traditional efforts to pyramid the other recessive resistance genes by masking their activity. Indirect selection based on markers linked to the other recessive resistance genes would likewise be ineffective without the ability to also select for the bc-u gene which is required for expression of the bc-2 ² gene in germplasm carrying the I gene. Because the most resistant genotype (I, bc-u, bc-I ², bc-2², bc-3) can only be introduced into a wide range of germplasm through the use of molecular markers linked to the different resistance genes, the search for a marker linked to the strain unspecific bc-u gene should also be given priority.     

新疆8个棉花品种（系）的指纹图谱分析

利用ISSR对8个新疆品种（系）进行指纹图谱构建。通过基因组多态性分析，从60条引物中筛选到11条扩增效果好的引物，用其中2条引物UBC809，UBC841建立8个品种的指纹图谱，统计品种鉴定的置信概率达到1／8388608。结果显示，ISSR分子标记技术对棉花品种的指纹图谱构建具有高效性和准确性。     

新疆小麦Psy-A1、Ppo-A1、Ppo-D1、TaLox-B1等位变异对面粉色泽的影响

利用已开发的面粉色泽相关性状基因的分子标记,检测了182份新疆小麦品种(系)的Psy-A1、Ppo-A1、Ppo-D1、Ta Lox-B1等位变异,并结合表型鉴定结果,分析不同等位变异对面粉色泽的影响。结果表明,单基因等位变异对面粉色泽的影响不同,其中4个基因等位变异L*值的差异均不显著;对a*值的效应,Psy-A1a高于Psy-A1b(P0.01),Ppo-A1b高于Ppo-A1a(P0.05),Ta Lox-B1a高于Ta Lox-B1b(P0.05);Psy-A1a基因型的b*值高于Psy-A1b基因型(P0.01);Psy-A1a基因型的Wht值低于Psy-A1b基因型(P0.01)。说明Psy-A1是影响面粉色泽(红度、黄度和白度)的重要基因,而Ppo-A1和Ta Lox-B1基因的等位变异只对面粉红度有显著影响。4个检测基因共有12种等位变异组合,对a*、b*和Wht值有显著效应(P0.01),但对L*值影响不显著(P0.05);Psy-A1b/Ppo-A1a/Ppo-D1b/Ta Lox-B1b组合具有最高的Wht值和最低的a*、b*值,Psy-A1a/Ppo-A1a/Ppo-D1b/Ta Lox-B1a组合具有最低的Wht值和最高的a*、b*值。182份品种的Wht值平均为86.86,其中审定品种平均为86.87,冬小麦品种为86.42,春小麦品种为87.32。青春5号具有优良的基因型和较高的面粉白度,应加强利用。总体来看,改良新疆小麦面粉的白度,应重点加强对Psy-A1基因的选择,提高Psy-A1b比例。     

Vine-1 retrotransposon-based sequence-specific amplified polymorphism for Vitis vinifera L. genotyping

The sequence‐specific amplification polymorphism (S‐SAP) method, derived from the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique, produces amplified fragments containing retrotransposon long terminal repeat ( LTR ) sequence at one end and a host restriction site at the other. The development and application of this procedure to the LTR of the Vine‐1 element from grapevine is reported. Two primers derived from one of the LTR sequences flanking the retrotransposon were used in combination with MseI degenerated primers on 15 grapevine accessions. S‐SAP results were compared with AFLP data. The heterozygosity and gene diversity values were higher for S‐SAP than for the AFLP procedure. Results show that S‐SAP amplification is effective in identifying polymorphisms and defining genetic distances among cultivars, and could be used for fingerprinting and for ‘Traminer’ clone identification. To the contrary Vine‐1 retrotransposon‐based S‐SAP was not able to distinguish ‘Pinot’ clones.     

A 192bp allele at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xgwm261</Emphasis> locus is not always associated with the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rht8</Emphasis> dwarfing gene in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

The height-reducing gene Rht8 was introduced into Italian wheats by breeder Nazareno Strampelli from the Japanese landrace Akakomugi, and has been widely used in wheats adapted to southern and eastern European conditions. Following identification of a close linkage to Rht8, microsatellite marker Gwm261 has been used extensively to screen large numbers of diverse international germplasm. A 192bp allele at this locus has been taken as “diagnostic” for Rht8 and used to infer the international distribution of Rht8. In this paper, we report several instances of cultivars and mapping populations that vary for the presence of the 192bp allele at the Xgwm261 locus (Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ), but with no associated reduction in height, suggesting a lack of association with Rht8. For instance, in the population derived from a cross between Sunco (Rht-B1b, Xgwm261 ₁₆₅ ) and Tasman (Rht-D1b, Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ), there were significant height differences associated with the segregation of Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, but no height differences between Xgwm261 genotypes. Similar results were obtained in a population derived from the cross between Molineux (Rht-B1b, Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ) and Trident (Rht-D1b Xgwm261 ₂₀₈ ). In contrast, the cross between Trident and Chuanmai 18 (Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ ) gave significant height effects at both the Rht-D1 and Xgwm261 loci, with no epistatic interaction between loci. Chuanmai 18 is closely related to the Strampelli wheat Mara (ancestrally derived from Akakomugi) and is therefore likely to carry Rht8. The old Japanese cultivar Norin 10, used by Norman Borlaug to introduce Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b into Mexican wheats, also has a 192bp allele at the Xgwm261 locus, and the sequence of the amplified product is identical to that of Akakomugi. We suggest that the widespread use of Norin 10-derived germplasm during and after the Green Revolution introduced a second haplotype into international germplasm, in which Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ has no association with Rht8. Therefore, the presence of Xgwm261 ₁₉₂ is only indicative of Rht8 in wheat cultivars that have inherited this allele from Akakomugi or a Strampelli wheat ancestor.     

藏系绵羊KAP3.2基因多态性及其对部分经济性状的影响

采用PCR-SSCP和DNA测序技术,对高原型、欧拉型和乔科型3个类型共254只藏绵羊KAP3.2基因的部分序列进行多态性分析,并利用最小二乘线性模型研究了其多态性与体质量、毛长和产毛量性状的关联性。结果,3个群体藏绵羊在KAP3.2基因座上均检测到AA、AB和BB 3种基因型,高原型以A等位基因为主,欧拉型和乔科型以B等位基因为主。3个群体基因型频率均处于Hardy-Weinberg非平衡状态,高原型和欧拉型达中度多态,乔科型为低度多态。测序表明KAP3.2基因271 bp处存在1个C→T的突变,属同义突变。体质量性状上,3类藏绵羊各基因型间均差异不显著;毛长性状上,3类藏绵羊AA基因型均显著高于BB型(P<0.05或P<0.01),而与AB型间无显著差异;产毛量性状上,3类藏绵羊AA基因型均显著高于BB和AB型(P<0.05)。结果表明,KAP3.2基因可作为影响藏系绵羊毛长和产毛量性状的分子标记。