<Emphasis Type="Italic">LKF</Emphasis>, the locus regulating large grains in the rice cultivar ‘Fusayoshi’, is identical to the loci encoding a serine/threonine protein phosphatase with Kelch motif

The LKF locus, which regulates grain size in the rice cultivar ‘Fusayoshi’ showing large grain, has been mapped to the proximal part of the long arm of chromosome 3. An incomplete dominant allele, Lkf, caused large grain size of Fusayoshi. The structure and function of this locus, however, have not yet been determined. In a similar position to LKF on chromosome 3, two loci, Os03g0407400 (GS3) and LOC_Os03g44500, have been already reported as loci also regulating rice grain size. The objective of the present study was to determine the nucleotide sequences of both Os03g0407400 and LOC_Os03g44500 for different alleles at the LKF locus. Results showed that only one known single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 10 of LOC_Os03g44500 was detected between a large-grain allele (Lkf) and a small-grain allele at the LKF locus, whereas no polymorphisms in Os03g0407400. This SNP, visualized using a dCAPS marker, clearly demonstrated nearly complete co-segregation with grain length in an F₂ population segregating the Lkf at LKF. Other large-grain mutant lines with large-grain alleles at the LKF locus, which originated from another cultivar ‘Gimbozu’, also showed the same SNP in exon 10 of LOC_Os03g44500. It was concluded from these results that LKF is identical to LOC_Os03g44500, and the detected SNP in exon 10, at least, which is included in Kelch-like repeat motif, could be essential for expression of the large-grain phenotype.     

Fine mapping of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ren3</Emphasis> reveals two loci mediating hypersensitive response against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erysiphe necator</Emphasis> in grapevine

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is economically very important for the production of wine, table grapes and raisins. However, grapevine is threatened by a brought range of pathogens. A destructive disease worldwide is powdery mildew caused by the ascomycete Erysiphe necator. In the grapevine cultivar `Regent’ a resistance locus against E. necator, Ren3, was previously reported. It spans an interval of approximately seven Mb on chromosome 15. We attempted to delimit this interval to facilitate its further molecular analysis. New simple sequence repeat markers targeted to the Ren3 region were designed. They were applied for fine mapping in the cross populations of ‘Regent’ × ‘Lemberger’ and ‘Regent’ × ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ that segregate for E. necator resistance. Complementarily we scored E. necator infection levels of ‘Regent’ × ‘Lemberger’ progeny at different time points over the course of the vegetation period in 2015 and 2016. Subsequent QTL analysis revealed a maximum LOD value that shifted during the season from marker GF15-10 located at 2.2 Mb to marker GF15-53 located at 3.5 Mb and to marker ScORA7* located at 9.4 Mb on chromosome 15 (positions according to the grapevine reference genome of PN40024). To investigate the Ren3-encoded resistance mechanism we performed detached leaf infection assays for microscopic studies. These revealed that Ren3 carrying individuals react with a hypersensitive response. Results of detached leaf assays on recombinants in the Ren3 locus indicate that not only one, but two distinct genetic regions on chromosome 15 mediate hypersensitive response against E. necator.     

The inheritance of seed coat rupture in snap beans Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Summary Seed coat rupture known also as fish face, is a common seed problem in snap beans. Lines form the cross Tendercrop × Streamliner were classified as high (H), medium (M), and low (L) in their susceptibility to ruptured seed coat and were used as parents in an inheritance study. Crosses of H × L gave an F₂ segregation pattern of 1:2:1 for H:M:L classes and this was confirmed by F₃ data. The results suggest that seed coat rupture is due to a single incompletely dominant gene (Tr) with 25–50% penetrance. Tr is not linked with seed color or maternal factors.Journal Paper No. 1645 of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York, U.S.A.     

Identification and fine mapping of molecular markers closely linked to fruit spines size <Emphasis Type="Italic">ss</Emphasis> gene in cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis sativus</Emphasis> L.)

Fruit spine size is one of the importantly external quality traits effected the economic value of cucumber fruit. Morphological–cytological observation of the fruit spine size phenotype indicated that large spine formation arises from an increasing of spiny pedestal cell number caused by cell division, and best periods to accurately score fruit spine size trait was 4th day before flowering to 7th day after flowering according the continuous observation. Genetic analysis showed that a single dominant gene determined the fruit spine size trait in cucumber. BC₁ population (189 individuals) of two inbred lines (large spine PI197088 and small spine SA0422) was used for primary mapping of the SS/ss locus with 7 markers covering an interval of 37.1 cM. An F₂ segregating population of 1032 individuals constructed from the same two parents (PI197088 and SA0422) was used to fine mapping of the SS/ss locus. Six new markers linked to the gene were successfully screened for construction of a fine linkage map, in which the SS/ss locus was located in the region flanked by marker SE1 (3 recombinants) and SSR43 (2 recombinants) with a 189 kb physical distance. Markers from this study will be valuable for candidate gene cloning and marker-assisted selection for cucumber breeding.     

On the formation of physiologic races in plant parasites

New physiologic races can be produced by mutation, hybridization or heterokaryosis. The genetics of the host parasite relationship can be explained on the basis of the gene-for-gene hypothesis of Flor. Resistance breeding is an important agent in the appearance of a new race and in the evolution of pathogenicity. In America the resistance breeding in wheat is conducted along the following lines:

1. 1.
   Searching for sources of resistance by testing collections of varieties and hybrids.     
   
   

Development of barley leaf rust,Puccinia hordei,infections in barley. II. Importance of early events at the site of penetration for partial resistance

Summary The investigation involved three barley genotypes that varied from extremely susceptible (Akka) to an extreme level of partial resistance (17-6-16). The barley leaf rust colony size was measured in primary leaves 3, 6, 12 and 18 days after inoculation and in flag leaves 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 days after inoculation with race 1-2-1. Akka always had the largest colonies, 17-5-16 the smallest, with Vada at an intermediate position. The genotypic differences were proportionally largest at the second sampling day and smallest at the last sampling day. The rate of colony growth decreased rapidly over time for all genotypes and in both plant stages. Measured at the same time (colony age the same) the rate of colony growth was largest for 17-5-16 and smallest for Akka in most periods. The time needed to reach a given colony size showed already large differences in the very early states especially in the flag leaves. Akka took 3.9 days to reach a size of 17 × 10^-3 mm² (only 5 to 10% of the colony size at the start of sporulation), Vada needed 8.3 days and 17-5-16 even 12.0 days. To reach a size of 320 × 10^-3 mm² the three genotypes needed 12.7, 18.0 and 22.8 days respectively, differences that are only slightly larger than those at the very small colony size.It was concluded that the partial resistance of barley to barley leaf rust is not primarily due to a reduced fungal growth in the partially resistant host tissue but predominantly so to an initial and temporary stagnation at the site of penetration. The longer this stagnation lasts, the longer the latent period and the higher the partial resistance are. Once this stagnation has been overcome the fungal growth rates do not vary much between genotypes with different levels of partial resistance.     

Fluctuations and Downturns in a “Company Town”

ABSTRACT A semi-structural VAR time-series model was used to examine movements in Flint Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) employment levels and determine how area employment was affected by movements in different sectors of the U.S. economy. Flint was chosen because in 1958 over 50 percent of the area's population was employed by the transportation industry, the majority in automobile production, and therefore Flint should be considered as a company town prototype for this modeling technique. Due to the dependency of this area's employment base on the automotive industry and the highly volatile nature of area employment levels, the Choleski decomposition was used instead of the structural Bernanke method. It was found that the effects of movements in the automotive industry were a major impact on aggregate area employment as well as on virtually all manufacturing sectors. These results are more robust than those for the Detroit Metropolitan Statistical Area (PSA) ¹ 1 As found in Rushen (1993).
. This is due primarily to Flint's greater degree of area dependency on the automotive-industry.     

Effect of two wheat genotypes and Swedish environment on falling number, amylase activities, and protein concentration and composition

Variation in falling number, amylase activities, protein concentration and composition were investigated in two wheat cultivars grown in Sweden over two seasons, in four locations, with four N fertilizer rates, with and without fungicide treatment. The results showed that;