Isolation and characterization of lipopolysaccharides from different rhizobial isolates

Formation of nodules on roots or in stems (in some cases) of leguminous plants is the unique ability of gram-negative bacteria, Rhizobia, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms by the host plant. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the outer membrane component of the gram-negative bacteria, known to be an essential factor in host recognition, specificity, and initial infection processes. In the present study, we extracted lipopolysaccharides from different rhizobial isolates by a modified phenol-water method and partially characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with silver staining. The results showed two separate banding regions, LPS-I and LPS-II. The high molecular weight and electrophoretic mobility of LPS-I region resembles that of lysozyme, used as a standard marker. The LPS-II region has a low molecular weight and electrophoretic mobility greater than that of lysozyme. The LPS-II region was due to incomplete LPS, which either lacks the entire O-antigen repeating unit or contains only one or two repeating units. The banding patterns of LPS vary among the different rhizobial isolates. Results revealed that the type of LPS structure and banding regions greatly facilitate the further characterization of the LPS modifications required for symbiosis.     

Assessment of glutenin and phenotypic diversity of Syrian durum wheat landraces in relation to their geographical origin

Summary Glutenin and phenotypic diversity within Syrian landraces composed of Triticum turgidu var. durum and T. aestivum was compared and related to some geographical and climatological characteristics.Glutenin diversity was determined on the basis of the composition of the glutenin fraction in kernels using Gregorius' level of population differentiation (209-1) — being a modified Nei's measure of gene diversity (H)- and the Shannon-Weaver variation index (I). These two indices were highly correlated. A total of five Glu-A1 and nine Glu-B1 alleles that were not yet described were found. The phenotypic diversity was determined on the basis of the coefficients of variation of ten phenological and morphological traits.A highly significant positive correlation coefficient between the glutenin and phenotypic diversity indices was found. Both diversity indices were positively correlated with annual precipitation, minimum January temperature and altitude of the collection site. There was a negative correlation between genetic diversity and the maximum August temperature. Correlation of site characteristics was stronger with the glutenin diversity indices than with the phenotypic diversity index.Further could be concluded that all common glutenin alleles can be found in the landraces from the western coastal and mountainous part of Syria.     

Assessment of genetic diversity of cultivated chickpea using microsatellite-derived RFLP markers: Implications for origin

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed on 30 accessions of cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) collected from 11 different countries representing the Near East, Central Asian and Hindustani regions. A synthetic digoxygenated oligonucleotide (GATA)₄ complementary to a microsatellite DNA sequence was used as a probe. The results revealed that simple repetitive sequences are abundant and polymorphic in the chickpea genome. The fragments detected were used lo estimate the genetic diversity within accessions and a similarity index between the genotypes of the accessions. The genetic distance data were used to construct a dendrogram depicting genetic relationships among the different accessions. The results indicate that the greatest genetic diversity occurs in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, south-east Russia, Turkey and Lebanon. Lower genetic diversity was found in Iran, India, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, Based on DNA markers, it is concluded that there are three centres of diversity for chickpea: Pakistan-Afghanistan. Iraq Turkey and Lebanon. India, which was previously considered as a secondary center of diversity for chickpea, showed lower diversity than the above regions.     

Assessment of genetic diversity in cabbage cultivars using RAPD and SSR markers

Genetic relationship and diversity among seven cabbage cultivars were analyzed using RAPD and SSR markers. These cultivars are of great commercial value in India and are confirmed for their reaction to black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. However, so far the extent of genetic diversity and relatedness has not been studied in these cultivars. A total of 17 selected RAPD primers generated 90 bands, 76 of which were polymorphic (84.44%). In addition, 27 selected SSR primers generated 67 amplified bands with 59 of which were polymorphic (87.6%). Though both the marker techniques were able to discriminate the cultivars effectively, analysis of combined data of markers (RAPD and SSR) resulted in better distinction of cultivars. By combining both the markers, a total of 157 bands were detected of which 135 bands (85.98%) were polymorphic, i.e. an average of 5.95 bands per primer. High level of polymorphism (> 85%) recorded with two different marker systems indicated a high level of genetic variation existing among the cultivars. Genetic relationship estimated using similarity co-efficient (Jaccard’s) values between different pairs of cultivars varied from 0.21 to 0.77 in RAPD, 0.42 to 0.82 in SSR, and 0.43 to 0.89 with combined markers. A high correspondence had been recorded between the values of genetic variations generated by UPGMA, clustering, and scatter plot diagrams. The cultivars ‘January King Sel. Improved’ and ‘Golden Acre’ are highly divergent cultivars as demonstrated by both the marker systems.     

利用EST-SSR标记评价羽扇豆属(Lupinus L.)遗传多样性

利用基于窄叶羽扇豆转录组开发并筛选出的95对多态性EST-SSR标记,对羽扇豆属的22个种133份资源进行全基因组扫描,初步探究羽扇豆属下种间的进化关系,分析来源于"旧世界"羽扇豆种间的遗传多样性,为羽扇豆优异资源的挖掘和创新利用提供理论依据。结果表明,用95对SSR标记共检测出1318个等位变异,每对标记平均检测出3～37个等位变异,平均为13.87个;多态性信息量(PIC)变化范围0.39～0.91,平均为0.75;基因多样性变化范围0.41～0.92,平均为0.78。基于邻接法(NJ)的系统发育初步探究了羽扇豆种间的进化关系,22个羽扇豆种分别来源于"旧世界"和"新世界",与之前研究结果相对一致。聚类分析、群体结构分析和主成分分析结果均表明,来源于"旧世界"的7个羽扇豆种被划分为4个组群,各组群所包含的参试资源没有种间交叉重叠。     

Assessment of the spatial genotypic and phenotypic diversity present in the various winter wheat breeding programs in Southeast Europe

The genetic diversity present in the breeding programs of southeast Europe was assessed in a set of 114 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars using AFLP and SSR markers. The average genetic diversity characterised with the Jaccard’s distance coefficient was 0.605 with an interval of 0.053 and 0.889. The wheat cultivars originating from the four countries differed from each other in their clustering patterns, including the numbers of clusters and the most prevalent cluster, which was breeding program-specific. Hungarian and Romanian cultivars showed closer relationships, and Serbian and Macedonian cultivars grouped together more frequently. The phenotypic variability of the same cultivars was assessed under diverse ecological conditions of the four growing sites, measuring the disease resistance against two foliar diseases, and several agronomic traits. Of the phenotypic traits, powdery mildew and leaf rust responses showed significant associations with genetic diversity, whereas heading date, plant height and yield components did not. Through parallel assessment of genotypic and phenotypic diversity it was possible to separate winter wheat cultivars with similar genotype but diverse phenotype from those with similar phenotype but diverse genotype. This information will allow breeders to make informed decisions in selecting parents for new crosses.     

论发展种子产业在保障我国粮食安全中的地位和作用

保障我国粮食安全的根本出路在于提高土地利用效率,必须以主攻单产为核心,加强新品种选育和推广,提高新品种在农业生产中的贡献率。应加强种子产业在国家粮食安全中的战略地位,充分发挥良种的主导作用,促进粮食生产稳定发展和农民持续增收。     

不同演替阶段沙地植物群落物种多样性研究

本文采用空间换时间的研究方法,对毛乌素沙地南缘流动沙地、半固定沙地、半固定沙地与固定沙地过渡带和固定沙地内的植物群落物种多样性进行了研究。结果表明：不同演替阶段沙地内植物群落多样性呈不断增加的变化趋势,各演替阶段均有不同的植物群落和优势物种。豆科和藜科植物作为流动沙地的先锋物种,表现出较强的适应能力;禾本科和菊科植物由流动沙地到固定沙地,其种类变化较大,表明其在沙地恢复中发挥着巨大的作用;萝摩科植物可作为区分流动沙地和其它沙地类型的指示性植物;马齿苋科和紫薇科植物仅在固定沙地中出现,已成为判断固定沙地的标志性植物。除沙地恢复过程中人为播种的柠条和沙蒿外,流动沙地阶段的优势物种是沙米,半固定阶段是沙生冰草,半固定沙地与固定沙地过渡地带是老瓜头和地梢瓜,而固定沙地则为花棒和地梢瓜。因此,在沙漠化治理中应根据不同的沙地类型选择不同的植物种类。     

抽样方式对评价小麦种质资源遗传多样性统计数的影响

摘要：以中国、澳大利亚、墨西哥、俄罗斯、荷兰和智利6个国家的733份小麦种质资源为总体,以每个国家为一个亚区,设置19种抽样方式,研究了不同抽样方式对性状平均值、变异系数和多样性指数的影响。结果表明,在均衡抽样条件下,当样本容量小于60时,样本容量大小对性状的平均值和变异系数无显著影响,但对多样性指数值具有显著影响;当样本容量大于120时,样本容量大小对性状的平均值、变异系数和多样性指数均无显著影响。在非均衡抽样条件下,当样本容量大于150时,增加样本容量可有效减少非均衡抽样对变异系数和多样性指数的影响;当样本容量在90-150之间时,缩小各亚区材料数量差异比例可有效减少非均衡抽样对变异系数和多样性指数的影响;当各亚区所取材料最小数量多于20时,可有效降低非均衡抽样对平均值、变异系数和多样性指数的影响。增加性状变异较大亚区内的资源取样数量可提高统计数的准确度。     

Assessment of EST- and genomic microsatellite markers for variety discrimination and genetic diversity studies in wheat

It is likely that in the near future sequence information from sequencing programmes and EST libraries will generate an abundance of genic microsatellite markers. This study is focused on the assessment of their likely impact and performance vis-à-vis their genomic counterparts. Microsatellites from two sources were used to assess the genetic diversity in 56 old and new varieties of bread wheat on the UK Recommended List. A set of 12 microsatellite markers generated from genomic libraries and 20 expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived microsatellites were used in the study, and the performance of both marker sets assessed. The EST-derived or genic microsatellites delivered fingerprints of superior quality, amplifying clear products with few stutter bands. Diversity levels as revealed bygenic microsatellites are similar to the few published results. The PIC values for the genic markers were generally lower than those calculated for the genomic microsatellites, though advantages of both marker classes for variety identification applications are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

乙烯利在不同温度下对香蕉叶片褪绿的作用不同

香蕉是我国南亚热带地区重要的经济作物。由于它起源于热带,不耐寒,所以寒害给香蕉生产带来重大损失。乙烯利和低温胁迫是两个诱导香蕉叶片褪绿的因素。本研究通过实践不同温度、不同浓度下乙烯利对香蕉叶片褪绿的作用,发现非胁迫温度下,乙烯利促进香蕉叶片褪绿,而低温胁迫下,乙烯利抑制香蕉叶片褪绿。     

不同磷钙元素水平番茄营养液中细菌多样性

采用从营养液中直接提取微生物总DNA,并用细菌16S rDNA 特异性引物进行PCR 扩增、变性梯度凝胶电泳（DGGE）、克隆和测序等一系列分子生物学手段,对不同磷钙元素水平番茄营养液中细菌多样性进行了研究。结果表明,各种元素水平的番茄营养液,均有相似的条带,只是亮度上有些差异。与对照相比,各处理元素水平营养液中的细菌DGGE条带均有变化。对照DGGE的条带分布相对均匀,而其它样品的DGGE条带分布多不均匀。测序结果表明,番茄营养液中的细菌类群主要包括：Proteobacteria（Alpha,Beta,Gamma和Unclassified）,Bacteroidetes和Gram Positive Bacteria。     

Assessment of genetic diversity in bread wheat genotypes for tolerance to drought using AFLPs and agronomic traits

Moisture stress greatly limits the productivity of wheat in many wheat-growing regions of the world. Knowledge of the degree of genetic diversity among parental materials for key selection traits will facilitate the development of high yielding, stress tolerant wheat cultivars. The objectives of this study were to: (i) use amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to assess genetic diversity among bread wheat lines and cultivars with different responses to drought stress in two distinct environments and, (ii) compare genetic diversity estimated by AFLPs with diversity evaluated on agronomic performance under drought stress. Twenty-eight genotypes, 14 from Iran and 14 developed or obtained by CIMMYT, were evaluated in the study. Phenotypic data on the 14 Iranian lines were obtained in Iran, and data on the 14 CIMMYT lines were collected in Mexico. Ten AFLP primer pairs detected 335 polymorphic bands among the 28 cultivars. At the 5th fusion level of the resulting dendrogram, 6 genotype clusters were identified. Thirteen of the 14 CIMMYT genotypes grouped into one cluster while 4 of the remaining groups were comprised only of Iranian genotypes. When the agronomic performance of the Iranian materials was compared with the AFLP diversity analysis, 5 of the 6 drought susceptible genotypes clustered together in the agronomic dendrogram, and were located in the same cluster in the AFLP dendrogram. However, the drought tolerant Iranian materials did not show the same degree of relationship. The CIMMYT materials did not demonstrate a significant association between agronomic performance and genetic diversity determined using AFLPs. Clearly these data show that there are genotypes with similar agronomic performance and different genetic constitutions in this study that can be combined in a breeding program to potentially improve tolerance to drought stress.     

Assessment of genetic diversity in clover species from Sardinia, Italy, using AFLP analysis

Two species, Trifolium glomeratum and T. nigrescens, from Sardinia, Italy, were analysed for genetic diversity using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Variation between and within populations was compared between the inbreeder, T. glomeratum, and the outbreeder, T. nigrescens. Four AFLP primer combinations resulted in a total of 292 loci, of which 75% were polymorphic in T. glomeratum and 85% in Trifolium nigrescens. Variation was highest between populations in both species, but the difference between populations was greater in T. glomeratum (Fst = 0.17), compared with T. nigrescens (Fst = 0.02). Cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis were used to verify the relationships found. The high level of genetic variation within populations in both species is attributed to the movement of sheep between paddocks, the existence of both species in Sardinia for thousands of years and the persistence of a long‐lived seedbank due to the production of large numbers of small seeds with high levels of hard seededness.     

Responses of carbon metabolism and antioxidant system of summer maize to waterlogging at different stages

A field experiment was performed to explore responses of carbon metabolism, antioxidant system and endogenous hormone content of summer maize hybrids DengHai605 (DH605) and ZhengDan958 (ZD958) to waterlogging at the third leaf stage (V3), the sixth leaf stage (V6) and the 10th day after the tasselling stage (10VT). Results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the contents of zeatin riboside (ZR), indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA), compared to those of CK. However, leaf abscisic acid (ABA) content was significantly increased by waterlogging at different stages, with the most significant increase was found in the treatment of waterlogging at V3 (V3‐W), with an increase of 30% and 29% for DH605 and ZD958, respectively. Waterlogging significantly decreased antioxidative enzyme activities, accelerating leaf senescence, resulted in the disorder of leaf gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. In addition, waterlogging decreased key enzyme activities of carbon metabolism (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase), with the most significant reduction in V3‐W, with a decrease of 46% and 49% for DH605, and 53% and 55% for ZD958, respectively. Visibly, waterlogging disturbed carbon metabolism, affected plant endogenous hormone content, accelerated leaf senescence and eventually resulted in a significant reduction in photosynthetic characteristic and grain yield. V3 was most susceptible to waterlogging, followed by V6 and 10VT.     

Antifungal protection and antioxidant enhancement of table grapes treated with emulsions,vapors, and coatings of cinnamon leaf oil

Table grapes have high market value in international markets due to their attractive taste and high antioxidant content. However, their market potential is limited by losses due to Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr. Cinnamon leaf oil (CLO) is a natural fungicidal and antioxidant agent that can be used to avoid postharvest losses due to B. cinerea Pers. Fr. and to increase the antioxidant levels of this produce. CLO was applied to grapes as water emulsions (0, 0.5, 2.5, and 5 g L⁻¹), as vapors (0, 0.196, 0.392, and 0.588 g L⁻¹), or as a chemical incorporated into pectin coatings (0 and 36.1 g L⁻¹). Afterwards, berries were stored at 10 °C for 15 d and were evaluated periodically for the fungal decay index, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant activity using the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical inhibition methods. The odor acceptability of the treated berries was evaluated after 10 d of storage. The CLO emulsion (5 g L⁻¹) significantly reduced the fungal decay without affecting the antioxidant properties of the berries. The application of CLO as a vapor was more effective according to the evaluated parameters than the emulsions; all tested concentrations inhibited fungal decay and increased the flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. When CLO was incorporated into the pectin, no fungal decay appeared, and the highest antioxidant activity was observed after 15 d of storage. Additionally, all treatments, except the emulsion treatment, increased the odor acceptability of the treated berries compared to the control berries. From this study, it can be concluded that CLO as vapors or coatings can be used to control decay and increase the antioxidant health benefits of grapes due to CLO's antifungal and antioxidant properties.     

Potential loss of unique genetic diversity in tomato landraces by genetic colonization of modern cultivars at a non-center of origin

We report the genetic diversity of tomato landraces from Myanmar, with reference to worldwide tomato accessions. Ten simple sequence repeat markers were screened and used to create diversity profiles of tomato germplasm. A total of 133 alleles were amplified from the germplasm investigated; alleles specific to landraces from Myanmar were also observed. Higher genetic diversity for the Myanmar landraces highlighted the broad genetic base of tomato germplasm. Principal component analysis showed that most of the Myanmar landraces were divergent from other accessions. The different approaches used to analyse landrace diversity documented the broader genetic base of germplasm from Myanmar, which is a non‐center of origin for tomato. Genetic diversity in the landraces may be attributable to diverse production systems used by different ethnic groups in Myanmar, ranging from natural hydroponics in eastern areas, to slash‐and‐burn fields in mountain areas and shifting cultivation in many parts of the country. The availability of uniform and high‐yielding cultivars/hybrids threatens the valuable landraces in Myanmar. We emphasize the need to evaluate tomato germplasm from Myanmar for different traits and sustainable use with simultaneous conservation.     

Comparison of bread wheat varieties with different breeding origin under organic and low input management

In recent years needs have increased to investigate the necessity of breeding cereals for organic agriculture. The aims of this study were (1) to compare 37 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties with different breeding origin under low input conventional and certified organic farming conditions in Austria and Hungary for 3 years, (2) to identify traits highly sensitive to management systems that could be separated according to their suggested selecting environments and (3) to find evidence for the distinctness of organic wheat breeding. According to the results, seven out of the 15 traits assessed during this study showed significant management × genotype interaction meaning that these traits could be the basis of selection for different management systems. Heading date, sensitivity to leaf rust and powdery mildew had high repeatabilities. For economic reasons, it is therefore reasonable to select for these traits in conventional fields even if the selection target is organic agriculture. However, the present study suggests that selection for the other four traits (grain yield, test weight, leaf-inclination and vigorous growth during booting) should be done later in the target environment. The study compared groups of varieties developed by different breeding strategies (organic, conventional and combined strategies). The results of multivariate analyses showed that the organic breeding was distinct from the other two breeding strategies, but the combined and conventional breeding resulted in similar groupings. It is concluded that the selecting environment has measurable effects on the performance of bread wheat varieties under organic and low input growing conditions.     

Characterization, diversity, and relationships of the Spanish striped (Listada) eggplants: a model for the enhancement and protection of local heirlooms

Spanish striped eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) are generally known as Listada. Among them, the most internationally renowned is the Listada de Gandía heirloom. Enhancement and legal protection of these local materials requires the analysis of their characteristics, diversity and relationships with similar accessions. We performed a morphological, agronomic and molecular (amplified fragment length polymorphism; AFLP) characterization of 33 eggplant accessions, which included 20 Striped accessions, of which nine were Spanish (five Listada de Gandía and four of Other Spanish Listada), 11 non-Spanish (six of Non-Spanish Listada and five of Other Non-Spanish Striped) and 13 Non-Striped accessions. The Striped accessions presented a range of morphological, agronomic and genetic diversity comparable to the one observed in the Non-Striped accessions. Multivariate PCA (morphological) and PCoA (molecular) analyzes group together the Listada accessions, and clearly separate the three Listada subgroups (Listada de Gandía, Other Spanish Listada and Non-Spanish Listada). On the other hand, the Other Non-Spanish Striped accessions are closer to Non-Striped than to Listada accessions. Listada eggplants, as well as each of their subgroups, are characterized by a syndrome of morphological traits that allows distinguishing them from other accessions. Furthermore, AFLP markers which allow distinguishing Listada accessions and the Listada de Gandía heirloom have been found. The agronomic characterization shows that despite the low diversity within Listada de Gandía group, it is possible to select accessions with improved agronomic performance. The results obtained have important implications for the conservation, improvement and legal protection of Spanish striped eggplants, and in particular of the Listada de Gandía heirloom. The methodology and approaches used may provide a model for the enhancement and protection of other vegetable crops heirlooms.