Combining multi-source data to explore a mechanism for the effects of micrometeorological elements on nutrient variations in paddy land water

Paddy land plays a key role in global crop production. Thus, paddy land water is a potential source of nitrogen and phosphorus; both nutrients largely contribute to non-point source pollution because they usually vary closely with micrometeorological elements (MEs) during the growth period. However, few studies have focused on the mechanism of co-variation between nutrients and MEs at the field scale. The relationships between nutrients in the paddy land water and MEs as well as soil water content, soil temperature, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are still unclear. In this paper, an in situ experiment was designed to obtain 5 years of meteorological data and nutrient data (nitrogen and phosphorus); the size of the experiment plot is in accordance with the spatial resolution of NDVI data. Multi-source meteorological and satellite data were integrated to explore the mechanism of co-variation. The results show that precipitation, air temperature, and solar radiation are the three MEs significantly affecting the nitrogen concentration in the paddy land water during the growth period. The air temperature is the most important ME influencing the phosphorus concentration. At the same time, the NDVI, as an effective indicator of the photosynthetic potential of rice used to explore the relationship between nutrients, has a prominent influence on soluble nutrients, especially on dissolved phosphorus. These findings could significantly improve our understanding about the responses of paddy land nutrients during the growth period to the surrounding drivers, inclusive of MEs, soil water, soil temperature, and NDVI. Undoubtedly, it is a potentially helpful means to monitor the sources of non-point pollution.     

Validation of dual-crop coefficient method for calculation of rice evapotranspiration under drying–wetting cycle condition

Based on data collected from rice fields under drying–wetting cycle condition, the procedure of dual-crop coefficient (K _cd) approaches was calibrated and validated to reveal its feasibility and improve its performance in rice evapotranspiration (ET _c) estimation. It was found that K _cd based on FAO-recommended basal crop coefficients (K _cb) underestimated dual-crop coefficients in monsoon climate region in East China. The recommended coefficient (K _cp) value of 1.2 was not high enough to reflect the pulse increase of rice ET _c after soil wetting. The K _cb values were calibrated as 1.52 and 0.63 in midseason and late season, and the K _cp value was adjusted as 1.29 after soil wetting in rice field under drying–wetting cycle condition. The dual-crop coefficient curves based on locally calibrated K _cbCal and K _cpCor matched well with the measured crop coefficients and performed well in calculating rice evapotranspiration from paddy fields under drying–wetting cycle condition. So it can be concluded that the procedure of dual-crop coefficient method is feasible in rice ET _c estimation, and locally calibrated K _cb and K _cp can improve its performance remarkably.     

Identification of resistant germplasm containing novel resistance genes at or tightly linked to the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pi2/9</Emphasis> locus conferring broad-spectrum resistance against rice blast

Background

The rice Pi2/9 locus harbors multiple resistance (R) genes each controlling broad-spectrum resistance against diverse isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae, a fungal pathogen causing devastating blast disease to rice. Identification of more resistance germplasm containing novel R genes at or tightly linked to the Pi2/9 locus would promote breeding of resistance rice cultivars.

Results

In this study, we aim to identify resistant germplasm containing novel R genes at or tightly linked to the Pi2/9 locus using a molecular marker, designated as Pi2/9-RH (Pi2/9 resistant haplotype), developed from the 5′ portion of the Pi2 sequence which was conserved only in the rice lines containing functional Pi2/9 alleles. DNA analysis using Pi2/9-RH identified 24 positive lines in 55 shortlisted landraces which showed resistance to 4 rice blast isolates. Analysis of partial sequences of the full-length cDNAs of Pi2/9 homologues resulted in the clustering of these 24 lines into 5 haplotypes each containing different Pi2/9 homologues which were designated as Pi2/9-A5, ?A15, ?A42, ?A53, and -A54. Interestingly, Pi2/9-A5 and Pi2/9-A54 are identical to Piz-t and Pi2, respectively. To validate the association of other three novel Pi2/9 homologues with the blast resistance, monogenic lines at BC₃F₃ generation were generated by marker assisted backcrossing (MABC). Resistance assessment of the derived monogenic lines in both the greenhouse and the field hotspot indicated that they all controlled broad-spectrum resistance against rice blast. Moreover, genetic analysis revealed that the blast resistance of these three monogenic lines was co-segregated with Pi2/9-RH, suggesting that the Pi2/9 locus or tightly linked loci could be responsible for the resistance.

Conclusion

The newly developed marker Pi2/9-RH could be used as a potentially diagnostic marker for the quick identification of resistant donors containing functional Pi2/9 alleles or unknown linked R genes. The three new monogenic lines containing the Pi2/9 introgression segment could be used as valuable materials for disease assessment and resistance donors in breeding program.

     

Development and application of a molecular marker for TMV resistance based on <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> gene in tobacco (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicotiana tabacum</Emphasis>)

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) caused serious loss in yield and quality of tobacco every year. It is a long-term goal to improve the tobacco resistance against TMV by tobacco breeding. N gene was the firstly reported TMV-resistant gene, which showed resistance against all Tobamoviruses except the Ob stain and belonged to the toll-interleukin-1 receptor/nucleotide-binding site/leucine-rich repeat class of plant resistance (R) genes. At present, N gene had already been widely used in tobacco conventional breeding, but there is rare available molecular maker used in marker-assisted selection of TMV resistance. In this study, we designed a pair of primers that specific amplify N gene fragment based on the sequence of N gene intron III, named N-marker. Then, we identified TMV resistance by two selecting methods, PCR with N-marker and inoculated with the TMV-C strain. Results from the two method showed that (1) 13 varieties among 67 tobacco varieties displayed hypersensitive reaction when inoculated with the TMV-C strain, also contained N gene fragments screened by PCR with N-marker; (2) 105 strains of 200 BC1 strains showed resistance against TMV when inoculated with TMV-C strain, meanwhile, 103 of the 105 strains contained N gene fragment verified by PCR with N-marker. Therefore, the N-marker is reliable for high throughput screening of germplasm resources and tobacco breeding materials in selection of N-mediated TMV resistance. Our study not only developed a molecular marker for tobacco breeding, but also identified new germplasm resources that are resistant to TMV.     

Interspecific cross‐hybrids of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. (gla.) S ‘K326’ with Nicotiana alata

In order to introduce the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) resistance from Nicotiana alata into Nicotiana tabacum, a cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line of N. tabacum (N. tabacum L. cv. (gla.) S ‘K326’), was successfully crossed with N. alata. Despite a high DNA content variability, F₁ hybrids could be classified in two subgroups, a major one encompassing fertile hybrids morphologically similar to their tobacco maternal parent but TSWV sensitive, and a minor one displaying sterile hybrids showing an intermediate phenotype and TSWV resistant. In order to elucidate the unexpected fertility recovery of the fertile F₁ plants, some N. alata fertility restoration ppr genes were cloned and were shown to be differentially expressed between parental lineages as well as between both F₁ subgroups, suggesting that N. alata contains fertility restoring allele able to overcome the CMS of N. tabacum.     

Mapping and validation of the quantitative trait loci for leaf stay‐green‐associated parameters in maize

Functional stay‐green is generally regarded as a desirable trait of varieties in major crops including maize. In this study, we used an F_3:4 recombinant inbred line population with 165 lines from a cross between a stay‐green inbred line (Zheng58) and a model inbred line (B73) using 211 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers to map quantitative trait loci for three stay‐green‐associated parameters, chlorophyll content, photosystem II photochemical efficiency and stay‐green area, at maturity stage, detected a total of 23 quantitative trait loci (QTL) on nine chromosomes. Single QTL explained 3.7–13.5% of the phenotypic variance. Additionally, we validated some important stay‐green QTL using a heterogeneous inbred family approach and found that the stay‐green‐associated parameters were significantly correlated with the plant yield. This study may contribute to a better insight into the regulatory mechanism behind leaf stay‐green in maize and a novel development of elite maize varieties with delayed leaf senescence through molecular marker‐assisted selection.     

Selection of soybean elite cultivars based on phenotypic and genomic characters related to lodging tolerance

Soybean lodging can result in serious yield reduction. Detecting the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with lodging tolerance for their further application in marker‐assisted selection (MAS) has the potential to enhance soybean breeding efficiency. In this study, a genome‐wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed to identify soybean accessions that could potentially be used to produce lodging‐tolerant varieties, based on the comprehensive evaluation of lodging scores (LS) obtained for the parental cultivar “Tokachi nagaha” and its 137 derived cultivars. Results showed that genotype, environment and genotype × environment interaction significantly influenced LS. Of the 31 significant SNPs identified, 22 were consistently detected in two or more environments and 27 SNPs were located in or close to agronomically important QTL mapped by linkage analysis. Best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) of LS tend to decrease with the elite alleles contained by accessions increasing. Some excellent accessions, with lower BLUPs and D_i (stability coefficients) values and more elite alleles, were selected. This study contributed to understand the genetic mechanism of lodging, providing genetic and phenotypic information for MAS.     

棉花纤维中木质素的相对分子量

分子量是聚合物的重要特性之一,木质素的分子量及其分布是研究苯丙烷类结构的反应、物理化学特性和评价其改性产物质量的内容之一。本研究以陆地棉TM-1成熟纤维为材料,分别利用酶解-温和酸解木质素法和二氧六环法提取棉纤维中木质素,结合凝胶渗透色谱法(gel permeation chromatography,GPC)调查和评价2种方法获得的棉纤维中木质素的相对分子量。结果表明,经二氧六环处理提取的棉花纤维中的木质素(dioxane lignin,DL)的重均分子量为2924g mol~(–1)、数均分子量2403 g mol~(–1),略高于由酶解-温和酸解处理提取的木质素(enzymatic hydrolysis-mild acidolysis lignin,EMAL)的重均分子量(2169 g mol~(–1))和数均分子量(1970 g mol~(–1)),EMAL的多分散系数稍低,说明木质素的均一性比DL高。表明EMAL法提取的木质素更适用于分析棉纤维中木质素的相对分子量。利用EMAL法分析棉纤维中木质素相对分子量表明,不同棉花品种的木质素重均分子量分布范围为938~2169 g mol~(–1),数均分子量分布范围为857~1970 g mol~(–1),多分散性系数在1.09~1.74间,均小于2。重均分子量与纤维马克隆值呈显著负相关,数均分子量与纤维长度呈显著负相关,与纤维马克隆值呈极显著负相关。     

甘蓝型油菜烷羟化酶基因MAH1的克隆与表达分析

在植物蜡质合成途径中,中链烷烃羟化酶(mid-chain alkane hydroxylase,MAH)催化烷烃羟基化形成二级醇,进一步氧化为酮。本研究以拟南芥P450依赖性酶CYP96A15/MAH1基因为探针,采用电子克隆与RT-PCR技术,获得2个甘蓝型油菜MAH1的全长编码区序列,分别命名为BnMAH1-1和BnMAH1-2(Gen Bank登录号分别为KT795344和KT795345)。二者ORF长度均为1491 bp,无内含子,核苷酸与氨基酸序列分别有92.4%与90.9%的一致性。根据编码区预测的BnMAH1-1和BnMAH1-2前体蛋白均为包含496个氨基酸残基的多肽链,具有典型的P450蛋白家族保守结构P415x R417x、K螺旋(E359xx R362)、C末端的血红素结合域(F436xx Gx Rx Cx G445)以及氧结合带保守区域(A/G)G309x(D/E)T312(T/S)。NCBI Blast N、氨基酸序列多重比对与系统学分析表明,两者与拟南芥MAH1/CYP96A15同源性最高。实时荧光定量PCR表明,BnMAH1-1与BnMAH1-2主要在甘蓝型油菜茎、叶、花、及角果中表达,其中在叶片中的表达量最高,在根系中的表达量很低,这与角质层蜡质主要沉积在植株地上部分相一致。BnMAH1-1和BnMAH1-2在无蜡粉材料茎、叶片中几乎不表达,表明蜡质的减少与MAH1的转录下调有关。BnMAH1-1与BnMAH1-2受SA、Me JA、ACC、ABA、Na Cl及干旱胁迫诱导表达,其中BnMAH1-1可能在水分胁迫响应中起主要作用。