Rapid mapping of candidate genes for cold tolerance in Oryza rufipogon Griff. by QTL-seq of seedlings

Cold stress is a major problem in rice production. To rapidly identify genes for cold tolerance in Dongxiang wild rice(DWR, Oryza rufipogon Griff.), sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis of QTL-seq method was used to resequence the extremely resistant(R) and susceptible(S) bulks of a backcross inbred lines(BILs) population(derived from Oryza sativa×O. rufipogon) and their parents. Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)-index graphs and corresponding Δ(SNPindex) graphs(at 99 and 95% confidence levels) for R-and S-bulks detected a total of 2 609 candidate SNPs, including 58 candidate cold-tolerance genes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that 5 out of the 58 candidate genes had significant differences in expression between O. sativa and O. rufipogon. Structural variation and functional annotations of the 5 candidate genes were also analyzed, and allowed us to identify 2 insertion-deletion(InDel) markers(12-7 and 12-16) that were linked with candidate genes on chromosome 12 in DWR. These results are helpful for cloning and using cold tolerance genes from common wild rice in cultivated rice.     

Silicon-mediated genotoxic alterations in Brassica juncea under arsenic stress: A comparative study of biochemical and molecular markers

Arsenic (As), one of the most harmful toxicant at the global level, severely affects plant metabolism when taken up. Interestingly, the presence of silicon (Si) as a fertilizer in As-contaminated soil is an effective strategy to decrease As accumulation in plants. Brassica juncea (var. Varuna) were grown hydroponically to investigate the role of Si at biochemical and molecular levels under arsenite (As³⁺) stress. Seedlings of B. juncea were exposed to As³⁺, Si, and a combination of both elements. Our data demonstrated that seedlings exposed to As³⁺ showed an inhibition in shoot length, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and protein, while co-application of Si improved these growth parameters. Silicon supplementation reduced As accumulation in shoot. Increase/decrease was observed in stress-related parameters (cysteine and proline), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase), and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde and H₂O₂), which were improved upon co-application of Si as compared to As³⁺ alone treatment. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is a suitable biomarker assay for plants for assessing the genotoxicity. Seven RAPD primers produced a total of 39 and 48 bands in the leaves of the untreated and treated seedlings, respectively. The RAPD band-profiles and genomic template stability were consistent with other growth and physiological parameters. In conclusion, the genotoxic alterations along with the biochemical parameters indicate that the exposure to Si mitigates As³⁺-induced oxidative stress by improving the stress-related parameters and antioxidant system in B. juncea.     

绵羊Izumo1基因多态性及其与产羔数关联分析

为研究Izumo1基因多态性及与产羔数关系,本研究利用PCR和直接测序法对小尾寒羊和苏尼特羊的Izumo1基因DNA序列进行扩增、测序和BLAST分析,并和本课题组前期绵羊重测序数据进行比对,筛选出Izumo1基因SNP位点。同时,采用Sequenom MassARRAY~?技术进行基因分型,并对其SNP位点的基因型和等位基因频率在各群体中的分布进行研究。结果表明:小尾寒羊Izumo1基因DNA全长序列3 385 bp,苏尼特羊Izumo1基因DNA全长序列3 382 bp;筛选出8个Izumo1基因SNP位点,经过初步筛选,将在小尾寒羊、苏尼特羊、滩羊、萨福克羊、杜泊羊、草原藏羊这6个绵羊品种中位点分布没有差异的SNP位点排除,最终筛选获得的g.54412135AG和g.54412107CA 2个位点。Izumo1基因g.54412135AG位点在多羔和单羔绵羊品种中存在GG、GA和AA 3种基因型,G基因为优势等位基因;g.54412107CA在多羔品种中存在CC和CA 2种基因型,而在单羔品种中存在CC、CA和AA 3种基因型,C基因为优势等位基因,其基因型频率和基因频率在单、多羔绵羊群体间的分布差异均极显著(P0.01);群体遗传学分析得出g.54412135AG多态位点在6个品种中的多态信息含量(PIC)都属于低度多态(PIC0.25);g.54412107CA多态位点在杜泊羊中属于中度多态(0.25PIC0.5),在其他5个品种中都属于低度多态(PIC0.25),然而,关联分析发现Izumo1基因g.54412135AG和g.54412107CA位点的不同基因型与小尾寒羊不同胎次产羔数之间不存在显著关联(P0.05)。     

Implementation of an easily reconfigurable dynamic simulator for recirculating aquaculture systems

Methodology of Programmable Process Structures has been implemented and applied for the flexible automatic generation and simulation of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems. First, we implemented and validated the model for a pilot unit, based on short time experiments with Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), utilizing data and functionalities from the literature. Afterwards, starting from this model we generated a hypothetical single tank model of simulated increasing volume, to demonstrate how it supports the simplified, preliminary analysis, design and control of the possible multi-stage systems. We showed that the simulation of a single tank with an appropriately increasing volume makes possible to study the various control strategies, as well as to design the structure and the grading strategy of the multi-stage systems, without an increased combinatorial complexity. In the knowledge of the simulated increasing volume, we determined the volumes of subsequent stages by equidistant partitioning of the rearing time, algorithmically. Considering the available (or planned) tank volumes, this method makes possible to design a multi-stage system that approximately corresponds to the previously optimized single tank model. This conclusion was illustrated by the generation and simulation of the model for the respective multi-stage system.     

鱼类组蛋白核苷酸的多态性及其在杀鱼爱德华氏菌感染中的作用

组蛋白是染色体核小体的重要组分,在调控染色质结构、基因转录、个体发育等不同生物学过程中起着重要作用。为了研究鱼类组蛋白基因是否存在核苷酸的多态性以及组蛋白核苷酸多态性是否会影响鱼类的抗病力,本实验以斑马鱼和草鱼为研究对象,通过PCR扩增克隆了组蛋白H2A的全长开放阅读框;利用过表达技术、菌落平板计数、感染存活分析以及荧光定量PCR技术,研究了斑马鱼和草鱼组蛋白H2A核苷酸多态性不同变异体在杀鱼爱德华氏菌感染中的作用。在本研究中,实验发现鱼类组蛋白H2A存在着丰富的核苷酸多态性。序列分析结果显示斑马鱼和草鱼组蛋白H2A核苷酸多态性的变异体核苷酸序列相似性为90%～100%;而两两H2A核苷酸多态性变异体氨基酸序列之间最多只有3个位点存在差异。通过体内和体外抗菌实验可知,斑马鱼和草鱼组蛋白H2A核苷酸的多态性显著影响H2A的抗菌活性。此外,筛选出的抗菌组蛋白H2A核苷酸多态性的变异体在斑马鱼体内的过表达,不仅具有免疫增强的作用,还能显著增强斑马鱼对杀鱼爱德华氏菌感染的抗病力。本研究为筛选具有抗病作用的组蛋白H2A免疫保护原奠定了重要基础。     

Three SNPs within exons of INHA and ACVR2B genes are significantly associated with litter size in Dazu black goats

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms within INHA and ACVR2B and litter size in Dazu black goats. In total, twenty-two SNPs were genotyped in 190 individuals by SNaPshot and resequencing. The results showed that three SNPs (SNP_1, SNP_12 and SNP_13 in this study) were detected to have significant additive genetic effect on the recorded goat litter size (p < .05). The SNP_1 (NC_030809.1), a non-synonymous substitution of G for T at chr2-g. 28314990 in the exon 2 of INHA gene (NM_001285606.1), resulted in homozygote 2 (HOM2) contributed 0.25 and heterozygote (HET) contributed 0.12 larger litter than homozygote 1 (HOM1). Meanwhile, SNP_12 (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T) and SNP_13 (Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) (NC_030829.1) simultaneously mutated at the first and third position of a triplet AAA (lysine, K) in the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene (XM_018066623.1) had estimated genetic effects of HOM1 (0.00) and HOM2 (0.03) larger than HET (−0.12). In conclusion, one SNPs (chr2-g. 28314990 T > G) within the exon 2 of INHA and two SNPs (Chr22-g. 11721225 A > T and Chr22-g. 11721227 A > C) i n the exon 4 of ACVR2B gene were highly recommended as candidate markers of litter size in Dazu black goats. A large-scale association study to assess the impact of these variants on litter size is still necessary.     

北京水系中腐霉和疫腐霉种类调查

为研究北京地区水系中腐霉和疫腐霉种类分布,采用叶饵法从北京水系中诱集菌株,共分离到腐霉、疫腐霉182株,利用Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)进行分析,筛选出不同基因型的代表菌株,并依据形态学特征及ITS序列对这些菌株进行种类鉴定。结果共发现6个已知种和3个可能的新种,其中:湖滨疫腐霉Phytopythium litorale和果胶裂解腐霉Pythium pectinolyticum为国内新记录种;旋柄疫腐霉Pp.helicoides、异丝腐霉P.diclinum、簇囊腐霉P.torulosum和袋囊腐霉P.marsipium为北京地区新记录种。研究结果可为未来监测北京地区水系中病原菌的分布情况提供基础数据。     

绵羊心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白基因单核苷酸多态性分析

试验旨在探讨心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白（heart fatty acid-binding protein，H-FABP）基因在绵羊中的遗传多态性，并寻找可用于辅助选择的分子标记。本研究以滩羊（250只）及滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代（174只）为试验动物，利用SNaPshot分型技术对H-FABP基因（GenBank登录号：AY157617）的多态位点进行单核苷酸多态性（SNP）分析，统计基因频率和基因型频率，进行Hardy-Weinberg平衡性检测，计算期望杂合度（He）、多态信息含量（PIC）和有效等位基因数（Ne）等遗传多态指标，分析候选基因不同基因型与体重、体长、体高、胸围、胸深、胸宽和管围等生长性状的关联性。结果显示：①检测到9个多态位点：939[A/G]、980[G/A]、1018[T/C]、2878[C/T]、2956[C/T]、3017[G/A]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]、1056[-/G]，其中有6处转换、2处颠换、1处单碱基插入。②939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]和1018[T/C]的He为0.3200~0.4666，PIC为0.2688~0.3577；2878[C/T]、3017[G/A]位点的He为0.0283~0.1272，PIC为0.0279~0.1191，为低度多态；1056[-/G]位点的He在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中分别为0.0120和0，PIC在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中分别为0.0119和0；9个多态位点在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡定律。③5个多态位点：939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]处于紧密连锁（D'>0.99），将H-FABP基因分为3个单倍型：AA、AB和BB。④在41只滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代羊中，BB单倍型在各生产性状上具有最大值，但各单倍型间差异不显著（P>0.05）。结果表明，绵羊H-FABP基因具有丰富的遗传多态性，939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]5个位点紧密连锁，BB单倍型可能是与绵羊生产性状相关的优势单倍型。     

中国地方绵羊群体TYRP1基因遗传变异研究

本研究旨在了解酪氨酸酶相关蛋白1（tyrosinase related protein 1，TYRP1）基因在中国地方绵羊群体内的遗传变异，以及TYRP1基因突变与不同毛色表型绵羊群体的相关性。通过直接测序法和PCR-RFLP技术对10个中国地方绵羊群体进行单核苷酸多态性（SNP）检测，利用Beagle、PLINK和POPGENE等软件对突变位点数据进行单倍型构建、连锁不平衡分析和遗传变异研究。突变位点检测结果表明，在绵羊TYRP1基因内识别了13个SNPs，其中位于TYRP1基因外显子上的10个SNPs位点，除个别位点在大尾寒羊、中国美利奴羊和岷县黑裘皮羊中没有发生突变外，其他突变位点在所有绵羊品种中均出现不同程度变异，说明中国地方绵羊群体具有较高的遗传多样性。单倍型分析结果表明，所有样本中共有42个单倍型，优势单倍型0000000000（245/918）、0100000001（91/918）在所有绵羊群体中均存在，除单倍型0101100000（93/918）在中国美利奴羊中没有出现，单倍型0001000001（69/918）在岷县黑裘皮羊、哈萨克羊群体中没有出现外，在其他群体中均存在。连锁分析结果表明，10个SNPs在所有样本中均存在2个连锁模块。群体遗传变异分析表明，中国地方绵羊群体具有较高水平的群体内遗传变异，各绵羊品种间存在明显的遗传分化模式，且各品种遗传关系与其品种传统分类结果基本一致。本研究为进一步研究TYRP1基因对绵羊毛色遗传性状的影响提供了参考依据。     

Functional polymorphism among members of abscisic acid receptor family(ZmPYL) in maize

Pyrabactin resistance 1-like proteins(PYLs) are direct receptors of abscisic acid(ABA). For the redundant and polymorphic functions, some members of the PYL family interact with components of other signaling pathways. Here, 253 positive colonies from a maize cDNA library were screened as interacting proteins with the members of ZmPYL family. After sequencing and function annotation, 17 of 28 interaction combinations were verified by yeast two-hybrid(Y2 H). The germination potential, taproot length and proline content of a quartet mutant of Arabidopsis PYL genes were significantly deceased comparing to the wild type(WT) under alkaline stress(pH 8.5) and 100 μmol L–1 methyl jasmonate(MeJA) induction. The malondialdehyde(MDA) content was significantly increased. After germinating in darkness, the characteristics of dark morphogenesis of the quartet mutant seedlings were more obvious than those of the WT. The differential expression of the related genes of photomorphogenesis in the mutant was much more than that in the WT. Three light and two JA responsive cis-affecting elements were identified during the promoter sequences of the AtPYL1 and AtPYL2 genes. These results suggested that functional polymorphism has evolved among the members of ZmPYL family. In response to developmental and environmental stimuli, they not only function as direct ABA receptors but also interact with components of other signaling pathways mediated JA, brassinosteroid(BR), auxin, etc., and even directly regulate downstream stress-related proteins. These signaling pathways can interact at various crosstalk points and different levels of gene expression within a sophisticated network.