Analysis of rice blast resistance gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pi</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">z</Emphasis> in rice germplasm using pathogenicity assays and DNA markers

The Pi-z gene in rice confers resistance to a wide range of races of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. The objective of this study was to characterize Pi-z in 111 rice germplasm accessions using DNA markers and pathogenicity assays. The existence of Pi-z in rice germplasm was detected by using four simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers (RM527, AP4791, AP5659-1, AP5659-5) closely linked to Pi-z, and was verified using pathogenicity assays with an avirulent strain (IE1k) and two virulent races (IB33 and IB49). Among 111 germplasm accessions evaluated, 73 were found to contain the Pi-z gene using both SSR markers and pathogenicity assays. The remaining 38 germplasm accessions were found to be inconsistent in their responses to the blast races IB33, IEIk and IB49 with expected SSR marker alleles, suggesting the presence of unexpected SSR alleles and additional R gene(s). These characterized germplasm can be used for genetic studies and marker-assisted breeding for improving blast resistance in rice.     

Functional and structural responses of bacterial and fungal communities from paddy fields following long-term rice cultivation

Purpose

Rice paddy soils undergo pedogenesis driven by periodic flooding and drainage cycles that lead to accumulation of organic matter and the stratification of nutrients and oxygen in the soil profile. Here, we examined the effects of continuous rice cultivation on microbial community structures, enzyme activities, and chemical properties for paddy soils along a chronosequence representing 0–700 years of rice cropping in China.

Materials and methods

Changes in the abundance and composition of bacterial and fungal communities were characterized at three depths (0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm) in relation to organic carbon, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen, and activities of acid phosphatase, invertase, and urease.

Results and discussion

Both soil organic carbon and total nitrogen increased over time at all three depths, while pH generally decreased. Microbial abundance (bacteria and fungi) and invertase and urease activity significantly increased with the duration of rice cultivation, especially in the surface layer. Fungal abundance and acid phosphatase activity declined with depth, whereas bacterial abundance was highest at the 5–10-cm soil depth. Profiles of the microbial community based on PCR-DGGE of 16S rRNA indicated that the composition of fungal communities was strongly influenced by soil depth, whereas soil bacterial community structures were similar throughout the profile.

Conclusions

Soil bioactivity (microbial abundance and soil enzymes) gradually increased with organic carbon and total nitrogen accumulation under prolonged rice cultivation. Microbial activity decreased with depth, and soil microbial communities were stratified with soil depth. The fungal community was more sensitive than the bacterial community to cultivation age and soil depth. However, the mechanism of fungal community succession with rice cultivation needs further research.

     

Assessing the Impacts of Time-to-Detection Distribution Assumptions on Detection Probability Estimation

Abundance estimates from animal point-count surveys require accurate estimates of detection probabilities. The standard model for estimating detection from removal-sampled point-count surveys assumes that organisms at a survey site are detected at a constant rate; however, this assumption can often lead to biased estimates. We consider a class of N-mixture models that allows for detection heterogeneity over time through a flexibly defined time-to-detection distribution (TTDD) and allows for fixed and random effects for both abundance and detection. Our model is thus a combination of survival time-to-event analysis with unknown-N, unknown-p abundance estimation. We specifically explore two-parameter families of TTDDs, e.g., gamma, that can additionally include a mixture component to model increased probability of detection in the initial observation period. Based on simulation analyses, we find that modeling a TTDD by using a two-parameter family is necessary when data have a chance of arising from a distribution of this nature. In addition, models with a mixture component can outperform non-mixture models even when the truth is non-mixture. Finally, we analyze an Ovenbird data set from the Chippewa National Forest using mixed effect models for both abundance and detection. We demonstrate that the effects of explanatory variables on abundance and detection are consistent across mixture TTDDs but that flexible TTDDs result in lower estimated probabilities of detection and therefore higher estimates of abundance.Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear on-line.     

农业机械化发展水平的概率-灰色评估方法及应用

在建立农业机械化发展水平评估指标体系的基础上，结合不确定性理论及灰色系统理论，提出了评估农业机械化发展水平的新方法——概率－灰色评估法。并用该方法对河南省农业机械化发展水平进行了评估分析。     

不同辣椒种质对象耳豆根结线虫的抗性评价

近年来象耳豆根结线虫的危害日益严重.为筛选抗象耳豆根结线虫的辣椒种质,本试验利用种属特异性引物对根结线虫病原物开展分子鉴定,确定为象耳豆根结线虫.接着采用室内人工接种法,对10份一年生辣椒种质和10份中国辣椒种质进行象耳豆根结线虫抗性鉴定,计算根结指数和卵粒指数,并通过比较隶属函数,发现其中3份辣椒种质对象耳豆根结线虫...     

Evolution Analysis About Soybean MIR166 Family

MicroRNA(miRNA) is a class of important regulating non-coding small molecular RNA. The gma-MIR166 gene family consists of 21 members and their expression patterns diversify widely. It is important to analyze the evolution of gma-MIR166 gene family in order to understand the evolutionary mechanisms of miRNAs in soybean. In this study, we implemented soybean wide genome block analysis, the molecular phylogeny of gma-MIR166 and block analysis of gma-MIR166 family. The results showed that both chromosome big segmental duplications and tandem duplications were main reasons contributed to the expanding of gmaMIR166 gene family. These findings suggested that gma-MIR166 gene family might originate from one or two ancient miRNA genes. The results of research provided a support for evolutionary study of miRNAs in soybean and related species in Fabaceae.     

果树叶绿素遗传规律的研究

本试验通过对苹果、桃、葡萄杂交组合叶绿素含量的研究,发现叶绿素a+b含量和叶绿素a含量的遗传表现为母性遗传,但并非单独受胞质基因作用,特别是叶绿素b、a/b值表现出明显的核质互作效应。果树子代叶绿素a+b含量和a/b值较低,表现一定程度的显性,并且后代有超高亲现象出现。本试验证明,叶绿素含量不仅受遗传控制,而且会因环境条件的影响而发生改变。测试时应注意选取同一部位、同类枝条、同一时间的成熟叶片。此外,果树叶绿素b较a易分解,测试时应予控制。     

淋巴细胞转化试验在鸭体上的应用——Ⅱ.鸭瘟病毒对鸭外周血淋巴细胞转化能力的影响

试验鸭32只分4组,第1组接种鸭瘟强毒,第2组接种鸭瘟弱毒,第3组先接种鸭瘟弱毒,2周后再接种鸭瘟强毒,第4组为对照。采用外周血淋巴细胞转化试验,检测鸭瘟病毒对鸭外周血淋巴细胞转化能力的影响,结果鸭瘟强毒和鸭瘟弱毒对鸭淋巴细胞的PHA反应性均有抑制作用。其中鸭瘟强毒的作用迅速而且强烈,在很短的时间内即造成宿主淋巴细胞对PHA的反应剧烈下降,并很快导致动物死亡,出现典型的鸭瘟病变,但也有个别鸭能够耐过强毒的攻击而生存下来,耐过鸭淋巴细胞对PHA的反应性逐渐恢复正常,剖检未见有鸭瘟病变;鸭瘟弱毒的抑制作用是暂时的,宿主淋巴细胞对PHA的反应性很快即恢复正常,剖检也未见有鸭瘟病变;对于接种鸭瘟弱毒以后再攻强毒的鸭,其对PHA刺激的反应性未受到影响,攻毒后2周,宿主还表现出对PHA的反应能力有增强的趋势,剖检未见有鸭瘟病变。此结果与其他病毒所致的PHA反应抑制和加强作用相类似。     

基因型和环境对小麦烘烤品质的影响

利用１２个小麦品种在５个地点的试验结果，分析了品种、环境以及品种与环境的互作对小麦烘烤品质的影响，结果表明：品种、环境以及品种与环境的互作对小麦烘烤品质都有显著影响，品种和地点的互作效应在同一品种不同地点间是不同的，在较差的环境下，也有表现好的品种。不同环境下，烘烤品质指标的变化大于籽粒蛋白质含量的变化，小麦品种品质的评价，不仅应考虑其蛋白质含量在不同地点之间的变化，更重要的是研究最终加工品质的变