Transgenic sorghum with suppressed synthesis of kafirin subclasses: Effects on flour and dough rheological characteristics

Arising from work showing that conventionally bred high protein digestibility sorghum types have improved flour and dough functionality, the flour and dough properties of transgenic biofortified sorghum lines with increased protein digestibility and high lysine content (TG-HD) resulting from suppressed synthesis of several kafirin subclasses, especially the cysteine-rich γ-kafirin, were studied. TG-HD sorghums had higher flour water solubility at 30 °C (p < 0.05) and much higher paste viscosity (41% higher) than their null controls (NC). TG-HD doughs were twice as strong as their NC and dynamic rheological analysis indicated that the TG doughs were somewhat more elastic up to 90 °C. CLSM of doughs and pastes indicated that TG-HD had a less compact endosperm protein matrix surround the starch compared to their NC. The improved flour and dough functional properties of the TG-HD sorghums seem to be caused by reduced endosperm compactness resulting from suppression of synthesis of several kafirin subclasses which modifies protein body and protein matrix structure, and to improved protein-starch interaction through hydrogen bonding specifically caused by reduction in the level of the hydrophobic γ-kafirin. The improved flour functionality of these transgenic biofortified sorghums can increase their commercial utility by complementing their improved nutritional quality.     

Marker‐assisted backcrossing of a null allele of the α‐subunit of Soybean (Glycine max) β‐conglycinin with a Chinese soybean cultivar (a). The development of improved lines

The development of soybean varieties that lack the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit is an attractive goal because the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit negatively influences the nutrition and gelation of tofu and is a major allergen. To remove this undesirable allergen and simultaneously improve the seed nutritional value and food‐processing quality, marker‐assisted background selection (MABS) was used in backcross breeding to incorporate cgy‐2, a null phenotype version of the gene encoding the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit, from the donor line ‘RiB’ into the genetic background of the Chinese cultivar ‘Dongnong47’ (DN47), a popular high‐oil superfine seed soybean cultivar from Heilongjiang Province, China. In each F₂ (F₂, BC_nF₂) generation of the breeding programme, the offspring that carried the introgressed cgy‐2 were identified by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and rescreened by MABS using simple sequence repeat markers to accelerate recurrent parent genome recovery. Of the 49 advanced backcrossing breeding lines (ABLs), the three best lines, ABL1, ABL2 and ABL3, were selected from the BC₁, BC₂ and BC₃ populations, respectively. The ABLs were evaluated for desirable agronomic characteristics, yield‐related traits, amino acid composition, free amino acid composition and tofu‐processing quality in the mature seeds. All of the ABLs lacked the α‐subunit but grew and reproduced normally without deleterious effects on physiological processes such as seed development and germination. The free amino acid content of ABL1 was significantly higher than that of ‘DN47’, with arginine (Arg) being particularly enriched. Compared to the recurrent parent ‘DN47’, the total protein content of the three ABLs was higher, the amino acid composition of the seed proteins was markedly modified and the yield and hardness of the tofu that was made from the ABLs were significantly increased. MABS combined with stringent phenotypic selection in a backcross breeding programme is a feasible strategy for the genetic engineering of seed protein components to produce allergenic subunit‐deficient variant alleles.     

Evaluation of a recombinant measles virus expressing hepatitis C virus envelope proteins by infection of human PBL-NOD/Scid/Jak3null mouse

In this study, we infected NOD/Scid/Jak3null mice engrafted human peripheral blood leukocytes (hu-PBL-NOJ) with measles virus Edmonston B strain (MV-Edm) expressing hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope proteins (rMV-E1E2) to evaluate the immunogenicity as a vaccine candidate. Although human leukocytes could be isolated from the spleen of mock-infected mice during the 2-weeks experiment, the proportion of engrafted human leukocytes in mice infected with MV (10³–10⁵ pfu) or rMV-E1E2 (10⁴ pfu) was decreased. Viral infection of the splenocytes was confirmed by the development of cytopathic effects (CPEs) in co-cultures of splenocytes and B95a cells and verified using RT-PCR. Finally, human antibodies against MV were more frequently observed than E2-specific antibodies in serum from mice infected with a low dose of virus (MV, 10⁰–10¹ pfu, and rMV-E1E2, 10¹–10² pfu). These results showed the possibility of hu-PBL-NOJ mice for the evaluation of the immunogenicity of viral proteins.     

实例分析单侧检验中无效假设设立的重要性

结合生物统计教材实例,对假设检验中单侧检验建立无效假设的的不同,而产生不同结果的原因进行了分析,以为单侧检验中无效假设的设立提供参考。     

一种有效的估计关系数据库中空值的方法

由于客观世界的复杂性,信息缺失、不确定信息是普遍存在的。数据库作为表达现实世界的一种工具,使用空值来表达信息缺失的问题。针对关系数据库中的空值问题,提出一种基于模糊聚类和线性回归的空值估计方法。该方法首先对数据表中的数据进行挖掘,找出与被估计属性相关联的属性集。该过程仅利用数据本身提供的信息,避免了由专家决定条件属性时由于主观性造成的误差。其次根据所得属性集进行模糊聚类得到对原始数据的一个划分,再基于所得分簇和线性回归给出一个估计关系表中空值的方法。最后利用平均绝对错误率来衡量算法估值的准确率。实验结果表明该方法估值的结果与其他方法相比具有较高的准确率。     

A Possible Association Between Heading Time and the GM-A2 Locus in Bread Wheat

A line without expression (null form) o: the α-gliadins controlled by the 6A chromosome was found when screening electrosboretically single seeds of the bread wheat ‘Raeder’. Differences in heading time were also observed between this null line and the normal one. A linkage between 6A gliadin genes and heading time gene(s) is hypothesized.     

杨谈旱地棉花稳产高产技术经验考察初报

山西省曲沃县杨谈大队,自1961年以来,全队棉田单位面积皮棉产量,一直稳定在100斤以上,最高会达到138斤。1964年灾害较重,全队棉田,平均亩产皮棉仍达110.3斤。     

Breeding of tetra null soybean (Glycine max) for lipoxygenase,kunitz trypsin inhibitor,lectin, and 7S α' subunit proteins

Soybean seed includes various bioactive substances. Also, they contain a variety of antinutritional factors including lipoxygenase, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), lectin, and 7S α' subunit proteins. The genetic removal of these proteins will improve the nutritional value of soybean seed. The objective of this research was to breed new soybean with tetra recessive alleles (lox1lox2lox3/lox1lox2lox3‐ti/ti‐le/le‐cgy1/cgy1) for lipoxygenase, KTI, lectin, and 7S α' subunit proteins. Seven parents were used to breed tetra null strain. SDS‐PAGE and Western blot analysis were used to determine the presence or absence of lipoxygenase, 7S α' subunit, KTI, and lectin proteins in mature seed. Tetra null soybean line has a purple flower, determinate growth habit, tan pod, and yellow seed coat colour. Stem height of the breeding line was 62.3 cm. The 100‐seed weight of the breeding line was 27.1 g and yield (t/ha) was 2.84. This is the first soybean strain with lox1lox2lox3/lox1lox2lox3‐ti/ti‐le/le‐cgy1/cgy1 genotype (absence of lipoxygenase, KTI, lectin, and 7S α' subunit proteins).     

Inheritance mode of microsatellite DNA markers and their use for kinship estimation in kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus

The allelic inheritance mode of microsatellite DNA markers was examined using seven copulated wild females and their offspring. Five microsatellite loci, CSPJ002 *, CSPJ010 *, CSPJ012 *, CSPJ014 *, and CSPJ015 *, were used in the study. At almost all family/locus combinations, one sire was determined and distributions of genotypes in offspring were consistent with the Mendelian segregation ratio. Distributions of genotypes were consistent with the ratio after assuming a null allele at some loci. Consequently, the alleles of CSPJ002 * and CSPJ012 * were inherited following the Mendelian inheritance mode in every family; however, the null allele was expected in CSPJ010 *, CSPJ014 *, and CSPJ015 * in some families. Thus, these loci should be used carefully in population genetic analysis, but siblings could be detected in the dendrograms based on unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPMGA).