Real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect sequences in the Piscine orthoreovirus-1 genome segment S1 associated with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in Atlantic salmon

During the last decade, Piscine orthoreovirus was identified as the main causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Atlantic Salmon, Norway. A recent study showed that PRV-1 sequences from salmonid collected in North Atlantic Pacific Coast (NAPC) grouped separately from the Norwegian sequences found in Atlantic Salmon diagnosed with HSMI. Currently, the routine assay used to screen for PRV-1 in NAPC water and worldwide cannot differentiate between the two groups of PRV-1. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay to target the PRV-1 genome segments specific for variants associated with HSMI. The assay was optimized and tested against 71 tissue samples collected from different regions including Norway, Chile and both coast of Canada and different hosts farmed Atlantic Salmon, wild Coho Salmon and escaped Atlantic Salmon collected in British Columbia, West Coast of Canada. This assay has the potential to be used for screening salmonids and non-salmonids that may carry PRV-1 potentially causing HSMI.     

鸽新城疫的流行与防控

鸽新城疫是由新城疫病毒感染鸽群引起的传染病, 在世界各国鸽场均有流行。介绍了鸽新城疫流行情况及特点, 流行毒株的基因型、病毒的毒力、病毒的抗原特性, 提出在做好鸽场内生物安全控制和精细化管理基础上, 使用市售新城疫疫苗进行合理免疫是鸽新城疫防控的关键。     

Cf-2/Rcr3pim番茄品系对南方根结线虫的抗性测定

Cf-2/Rcr3~(pim)基因型番茄不仅能够抵御番茄叶霉菌的侵染,而且对马铃薯金线虫的寄生也有一定的抑制效果。为挖掘根结线虫的新抗性资源,本研究采用室内人工接种法测定了Cf-0/Rcr3~(pim)、Cf-2/Rcr3-3和Cf-2/Rcr3~(pim)基因型番茄品系对南方根结线虫的抗感性。抗性评价结果显示,Cf-0/Rcr3~(pim)品系对南方根结线虫表现高感,Cf-2/Rcr3-3品系为中感,而Cf-2/Rcr3~(pim)品系则为感病。与Cf-0/Rcr3~(pim)和Cf-2/Rcr3-3基因型相比,Cf-2/Rcr3~(pim)基因型番茄品系虽然对南方根结线虫侵染的敏感性略低,但是不能阻止线虫在根系上的大量繁殖,不适于根结线虫的防控应用。     

Screening of diverse cassava genotypes based on nitrogen uptake efficiency and yield

As one of the top three tuber crops of the world, cassava is a staple food and feed crop for tropical and subtropical regions. Because of its high drought resistance and tolerance to nutrient deficiency, cassava is usually cultivated on hilly areas that are nutrient-poor. Nitrogen(N) is one of the significant factors affecting cassava yield. A double factorial(N level×genotypes) split-plot field experiment was conducted to analyze differences in yield and N accumulation of 25 cassava genotypes under low-N conditions to screen for cassava genotypes with high-N efficiency. The two-year field experiment showed that cassava yield and N accumulation are determined by specific genotypes, soil N levels, and year. Among these factors, soil N levels are the main factors that are responsible for differences in cassava yield. When yield and relative N accumulation under low-N conditions were used as screening markers, we identified an efficient and responsive genotype(SC10), and two inefficient and non-responsive genotypes(SC205 and GR5). The efficient and responsive genotype and the inefficient and non-responsive genotype can be used as study materials to further reveal the mechanisms for high-N efficiency in cassava.     

苗期甘蔗氮高效基因型评价指标的筛选

本研究通过低氮压力选择,筛选出甘蔗氮高效种质,分析影响甘蔗氮高效的重要指标,为甘蔗氮高效育种及栽培提供理论依据。以58份甘蔗种质资源为材料,在苗期采用正常供氮（2 mmol/L N）和低氮（0.2 mmol/L N）处理,分析甘蔗植株形态、干重及氮素在各器官中累积分配的特征。通过主成分分析方法筛选影响甘蔗氮高效利用的重要指标,通过聚类分析对58份种质进行聚类。结果表明,低氮（0.2 mmol/L N）处理可以明显从植物形态区分不同种质的氮利用差异,58份种质低氮条件下的干重范围为0.64~14.75 g/株,氮累积量为5.53~63.00 mg/株,氮利用率范围为115.40~279.30 g/g。对低氮压力下甘蔗干重及氮累积等25个指标进行主成分分析后,提取出4个主要成分,总贡献率为92.35%。通过高、低氮条件下与氮利用效率有关的氮转移系数及基因潜力等19个指标分析后提取出5个主成分,总贡献率为82.21%。影响甘蔗氮高效的重要指标有甘蔗的干重（全株、叶、根）、氮累积量（全株、叶、茎）、氮利用率（全株、叶）、叶的相对氮利用率、茎的基因潜力、茎的相对干物质量和茎的相对氮累积量。经聚类分析后初步将58份甘蔗种质分为氮高效基因型、偏氮高效基因型、偏氮低效基因型和氮低效基因型。     

Individual polyphenolic profiles and antioxidant activity in sorghum grains are influenced by very low and high solar UV radiation and genotype

Sorghum is becoming more widely recognised around the world as a valuable crop for its polyphenol antioxidant health-promoting properties and adaptation to harsh environments. The antioxidant capacity of diverse polyphenols in sorghum grain can vary with climatic conditions and genotype. To explore this further, the potential role of UV radiation on the profile and concentration of polyphenols was investigated in six diverse sorghum genotypes in a controlled environment facility using natural UV and visible radiation under either UV-transmitting or UV-blocking treatments. The polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were significantly reduced under the UV-blocking treatment, with contents of individual polyphenols differing among the genotypes. This information is valuable for sorghum breeders enabling them to select genotypes and UV growth conditions to produce sorghum grain with target levels of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity for human foods to meet the nutritional and health needs of different consumers.     

Prevalence,geographic distribution and phenotypic differences of Piscirickettsia salmonis EM‐90‐like isolates

Early reports accounted for two main genotypes of Piscirickettsia salmonis, a fish pathogen and causative agent of piscirickettsiosis, placing the single isolate EM‐90 apart from the prototypic LF‐89 and related isolates. In this study, we provide evidence that, contrary to what has been supposed, the EM‐90‐like isolates are highly prevalent and disseminated across Chilean marine farms. Molecular analysis of 507 P. salmonis field isolates derived from main rearing areas, diverse hosts and collected over 6 years, revealed that nearly 50% of the entire collection were indeed typed as EM‐90‐like. Interestingly, these isolates showed a marked host preference, being recovered exclusively from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) samples. Although both strains produce undistinguishable pathological outcomes, differences regarding growth kinetics and susceptibility to the antibiotics and bactericidal action of serum could be identified. In sum, our results allow to conclude that the EM‐90‐like isolates represent an epidemiologically relevant group in the current situation of piscirickettsiosis. Based on the consistency between genotype and phenotype exhibited by this strain, we point out the need for genotypic studies that may be as important for the Chilean salmon industry as the continuous surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.     

中国南海周边犬类贾第虫感染情况调查与基因序列分型

贾第虫是一种人兽共患肠道寄生原虫,在全世界范围内传播,其感染率与地区和环境有非常大的关系。为了解中国南海周边国家和地区犬类贾第虫感染情况,判断海洋隔离是否是影响贾第虫传播的重要因素,自2018年6月至2019年7月,从中国广州、越南胡志明市、马来西亚吉隆坡、新加坡和菲律宾马尼拉分别采集犬类粪便样本616份。提取每个地区犬类粪便样本的DNA,以贾第虫磷酸丙糖异构酶(triose phosphate isomerase)基因TPI和BG(genotyping at the beta giardin)基因制作巢式PCR引物。提取的犬粪基因组DNA为模板进行巢式PCR扩增,确定其阳性感染率,PCR阳性产物经测序并将结果与GenBank中的贾第虫序列比对,判断其分型。结果发现,616份样品中,有48份样品检验结果为贾第虫感染阳性,阳性率为7.79%(48/616)。不同地区感染率分别是:中国广州4.81%、越南胡志明市6.90%、马来西亚吉隆坡9.09%、新加坡2.86%和菲律宾马尼拉11.52%。其中48份样品在TPI和BG位点分别检测到条带,阳性率分别为7.63%和5.19%。阳性样品再经过对于BG及TPI基因位点的测序比对,得知BG位点有集聚体B型(3.33%)、集聚体C型(86.67%)、集聚体D型(10%),TPI位点有集聚体B型(2.12%)、集聚体C型(85.1%)和集聚体D型(12.76%)。综上,中国南海周边地区存在贾第虫感染,公共卫生相对较好地区感染率较低,犬源贾第虫基因分型分布未明显受到海洋地域隔离影响。     

基因型和环境对不同生育期花椰菜霜霉病的影响

花椰菜霜霉病是影响其生产和品质的主要真菌类病害之一,为探究基因型、环境,以及基因与环境互作效应对花椰菜霜霉病病情指数的影响,对4个花椰菜品种(厦美80天、雪园80天、830-F、黄80天)进行人工接种,调查了3个生长时期、4个不同田间温湿环境条件处理下花椰菜的发病情况,分析霜霉病病情指数与温度、湿度、昼夜温差、积温和日照时数5个气象因子的相关性。结果表明:对花椰菜霜霉病抗性的贡献率依次为基因型>环境>基因型与环境互作,变异幅度分别为77.52%~87.04%、12.33%~19.94%、0.63%~2.54%;黄80天具有较强的霜霉病抗性,可以作为抗性种质资源;花椰菜霜霉病与日均湿度、昼夜温差呈显著正相关,与日均温度、积温呈显著负相关,与日照时数无显著关系。综上,低温和高湿环境会加剧花椰菜霜霉病的发生,选用抗病品种、秋冬季注意保温、保持通风等措施可以有效降低霜霉病发生。     

Should only females of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii be selected in genetic improvement programmes?

Sexual dimorphism is widely observed in almost all farmed aquatic animal species but giant freshwater pawn (GFP) is unique, with males characterized by three main morphotypes (blue claw, orange claw and small males) and females by different reproduction status (ovary, berried egg and already‐spawned females). There has been reported evidence that the effect of male morphotype may have masked genetic variation in growth‐related traits, as a result the heritability for male body weight was lower than that estimated in female. A pending question has arisen whether selection should be made in female only. To answer this question, we used an 8‐year data set from a long‐term selection programme (2008–2015) for high growth in this species comprising 106,756 individuals that were offspring of 515 sires and 810 dams. The body weight data of female and male GFP or of each morphotype was treated as a separate trait and a multi‐trait approach was used to estimate genetic correlations for homologous traits between sexes and between morphotypes. Our analysis showed that there were little differences in the heritability estimates between female and male. In female, mature ovary individual displayed higher heritability than berried egg and already‐spawned females. For male, the heritability for blue claw, orange claw and small males were 0.11, 0.06 and 0.00 respectively. Between‐sex genetic correlation was moderate (0.55 ± 0.11) for body weight, suggesting that the trait expressions in female and male may be genetically different. In female, the genetic correlations for body weight among three female types were close to one (0.91–0.94). In contrast, the genetic correlations for body weight between male morphotypes especially between blue claw or orange claw and small males were low (0.15–0.25). Furthermore, we estimated genetic gain as the difference in least square means (LSM) or estimated breeding values (EBV) between the selection line and control group. The genetic gain in body weight was smaller in females than in males. It is concluded that there is no need to run separate breeding programme for female and male GFP. A combined selection using both female and male data can achieve selection response for body weight as demonstrated in the present study.