Molecular characterization and genetic relationship among almond cultivars assessed by RAPD and SSR markers

RAPDs and SSRs were used to study the genetic diversity of Iranian almond cultivars and their relationship to important foreign cultivars and three related species. Eight unidentified almond Shahrodi cultivars and three wild almonds (Prunus communis, Prunus orientalis and Prunus scoparia) were also included. Of the primers tested, 42 (out of 80) RAPD and 18 (out of 26) SSR primers were selected for their reproducibility and high polymorphism. A total of 664 polymorphic RAPD bands were detected out of 729 bands. The number of presumed alleles revealed by the SSR analysis ranged from 3 to 10 alleles per locus with a mean value of 6.64 alleles per locus. Both techniques discriminated the genotypes very effectively, but only RAPDs were able to discriminate the cultivars Monagha and Sefied. Results demonstrated an extensive genetic variability within the tested cultivars as well as the value of SSR markers developed in peach for characterization of almond and related species of Prunus. Dice similarity coefficient was calculated for all pair wise comparisons and was used to construct a UPGMA dendrogram. For both markers a high similarity in dendrogram topologies was obtained although some differences were observed. All dendrograms, including that obtained by the combined use of both the marker data, depicted the phenetic relationships among the cultivars and species, depending upon their geographic region and/or pedigree information. Almond cultivars clustered with accession of P. communis showing their close relationship. P. orientalis and P. scoparia were clustered out of the rest of P. dulcis.     

Effects of exogenous neurohormone, gonadotropin (GtH) and dopaminergic drugs on the serum GtH content and ovulatory responsiveness of wild catfish, Silurus asotus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Wild female catfish Silurus asotus (Linnaeus, 1758) were injected with domperidone (DOM) alone, [d ‐Ala⁶, Pro⁹ Net]‐luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone (LHRH‐A) alone once or twice, LHRH‐A plus DOM once or twice simultaneously at 6‐h intervals, LHRH‐A plus carp pituitary extract (CPE) twice simultaneously at 6‐h intervals and LHRH‐A plus human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) twice simultaneously 6 h apart respectively. The results indicated that injection of LHRH‐A at a dosage of 0.01–0.02 μg g^?1 body weight (BWt) alone induced a low but significant increase in serum gonadotropin (GtH) (P<0.05) and resulted in a very low ovulation rate, while DOM at a dosage of 5 μg g^?1 BWt alone did not induce an increase in the serum GtH levels and ovulation; in contrast, LHRH‐A at a dosage of 0.01 μg g^?1 BWt plus DOM at a dosage of 5 μg g^?1 BWt (termed the Linpe technique) increased the serum GtH (P<0.05) significantly and induced an ovulatory rate of 100%, while LHRH‐A plus CPE or HCG resulted in an increase in the serum GtH (P<0.05) and high ovulatory rate, although the latency period was longer when fish were given LHRH‐A plus HCG or CPE.     

The detection of subclinical mastitis in the bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) by somatic cell count and California mastitis test

Milk samples (n=160) from 7 clinically healthy bactrian camels were cultured to detect subclinical udder infection. The samples were assessed by the Californian mastitis test (CMT) and somatic cell count (SCC). Bacteria were recovered from 36 (22.5%) of the milk samples. Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the main organisms found.Infected quarters had significantly higher mean values for the SCC (p<0.01) and CMT (p<0.001) than non-infected quarters. All 7 camels were infected with CNS but only 4 with S. aureus. CMT values for S. aureus-infected camels were significantly higher than for those only infected with CNS. The values for SCC and CMT were significantly influenced by the stage of lactation (p<0.05). No significant difference was found from the effect of the quarters. Both SCC and CMT were of value in predicting the infection status of the udder.Abbreviations CMT California mastitis test - SCC somatic cell count - CNS coagulase-negative staphylococci     

小麦茎秆木质素代谢及其与抗倒性的关系

以抗倒性不同的6个小麦品种为材料,观测了茎秆基部第二节间的木质素含量及苯丙氨酸转氨酶(PAL)、酪氨酸解氨酶(TAL)、肉桂醇脱氢酶(CAD)和4-香豆酸: CoA连接酶(4CL)活性以及不同时期茎秆抗折力和倒伏指数的变化,探讨木质素含量与抗倒伏能力的关系。不同小麦品种的茎秆木质素含量存在明显差异。茎秆抗折力大、倒伏指数小的品种(济麦20和济麦22),其茎秆木质素含量高,PAL、TAL、CAD和4CL活性强。相关分析表明,茎秆木质素含量与实际倒伏率呈显著负相关(r = -0.83, P<0.05);与抗折力呈显著正相关(r = 0.86, P<0.05);PAL、TAL和CAD活性与木质素含量呈显著正相关(r =0.78, 0.77, 0.85, P<0.05),4CL活性与木质素含量呈不显著正相关(r =0.39, P>0.05)。研究表明,较高的PAL和CAD活性是木质素含量高的酶学基础,茎秆木质素含量可作为小麦品种抗倒伏性评价的一个重要指标。     

大菱鲆抗菌肽基因酵母表达载体的构建及表达

将大菱鲆（Scophthalmus maxinus）hepcidin基因成熟肽序列经过部分改造后采用PCR方法克隆到毕赤酵母胞内表达载体pGAPZB中,构建了重组胞内表达载体pGAPZB—tbhep6his。用BlnI线性化重组质粒后,电击转化毕赤酵母SMD1168。经过Zeocin筛选和PCR扩增转化子基因组筛选,得到了数株基因工程酵母菌。通过SDS—PAGE和Western blot鉴定,发现目的蛋白与预期蛋白的分子量相吻合,并能与特异抗体antihis特异性结合,表明大菱鲆抗菌肽hepcidin基因在酵母菌中进行了表达。大菱鲆抗菌肽酵母表达载体的构建和表达为进一步研究该抗菌肽的功能并开发新型鱼类饵料奠定了理论基础。     

玉米螟一代卵块在春玉米田垂直分布规律的探讨

本文对玉米螟一代卵块在春玉米田垂直分布规律进行了探讨,并为制定其合理的田间抽样方法提供了进一步的依据。一代螟卵块在春玉米田中的垂直分布同水平分布一样,也基本属于聚集分布(主要为嵌纹分布,适合于负二项概率分布型),分布的基本成分为卵块群(个体群)。在整个一代螟卵期内,卵块主要聚集分布于玉米心叶下展开叶的第一至第五叶片层上(占总卵块数的96.6%±2.5%),尤其分布于第二至第四叶片层上(占78.6%±3.7%)。并且这一分配规律不受观测时间和玉米植株生长发育的影响,适合于以下的二次趋势面方程:P_(ht)=0.21500+0.02090h-0.00779h~2本文提供了第二至四3片展开叶上卵块量的区间估计值[76.89%,80.31%](95%置信度)。并建议在春玉米田调查一代螟卵块量时,只需检查此三片叶上的卵块数,便可以根据上述估计值,进一步推算出全田总卵块量的范围。这样可以节省2/3左右的田间调查工作量。