Use of high‐density SNP data to identify patterns of diversity and signatures of selection in broiler chickens

The development of broiler chickens over the last 70 years has been accompanied by large phenotypic changes, so that the resulting genomic signatures of selection should be detectable by current statistical techniques with sufficiently dense genetic markers. Using two approaches, this study analysed high‐density SNP data from a broiler chicken line to detect low‐diversity genomic regions characteristic of past selection. Seven regions with zero diversity were identified across the genome. Most of these were very small and did not contain many genes. In addition, fifteen regions were identified with diversity increasing asymptotically from a low level. These regions were larger and thus generally included more genes. Several candidate genes for broiler traits were found within these ‘regression regions’, including IGF1, GPD2 and MTNR1AI. The results suggest that the identification of zero‐diversity regions is too restrictive for characterizing regions under selection, but that regions showing patterns of diversity along the chromosome that are consistent with selective sweeps contain a number of genes that are functional candidates for involvement in broiler development. Many regions identified in this study overlap or are close to regions identified in layer chicken populations, possibly due to their shared precommercialization history or to shared selection pressures between broilers and layers.     

Spatial distribution of Malus root systems in irrigated,trellised orchards

Summary

Root distribution was determined for apple trees [Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill. var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf. ‘Fuji’/’M.26’ (syn. M. domestica Borkh. non Poir.)] 1, 2 and 3 years after planting in trellised orchards in central Texas. Using a soil-coring method, measurable differences were detected in root-length density (RLD; root length per unit volume of soil) by tree age, soil depth, radial distance from the tree, and spatial bearing within and across rows (P ≤ 0.05). For fine roots (root diameters < 1 mm), mean RLD values were 0.1028, 0.1139 and 0.2911 cm cm^–3 for 1, 2 and 3 year-old plantings, respectively. For coarse roots (root diameters 1–5 mm), mean RLD values were 0.0006, 0.0009 and 0.0015 cm cm^–3 for 1, 2 and 3 year-old plantings, respectively. Mean RLD values declined for both fine and coarse roots of all ages with increasing soil depth and radial distance from the trunk (P ≤ 0.05). Similar patterns were observed for the number of soil cores containing measurable roots. The percentage of samples with no roots increased with increasing soil depth and distance from the trunk (P ≤ 0.05). When examining fine roots by spatial bearing from the tree, the greatest RLD was found along the drip irrigation lines for the two youngest plantings and along drip irrigation lines and beneath shaded trellises for the oldest planting (P ≤ 0.05). For coarse roots, the greatest RLD was found along the drip irrigation lines for all plantings (P ≤ 0.05). This information is important for predicting the rates and locations of new root growth in orchards after transplanting, so that management techniques (e.g., fertilisation, irrigation, control of soilborne diseases) can be properly targeted and effectively implemented.     

Differential metabolism of sulfoximine and neonicotinoid insecticides by Drosophila melanogaster monooxygenase CYP6G1

Sulfoxaflor [N-[methyloxido[1-[6-(trifluoromethyl)-3-pyridinyl]ethyl]-λ⁴-sulfanylidene] cyanamide] is in development as the first product from the new sulfoximine class of insect control agents. Highly effective against a variety of sap-feeding pest insects, available data indicate no cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor in pest insect strains that exhibit high levels of resistance to neonicotinoids and other insecticides. In vitro studies of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP6G1 from Drosophila melanogaster, expressed in a Drosophila cell line, show very high levels of metabolism for a variety of neonicotinoids, but not for sulfoxaflor and its chloropyridine-analog. A sulfoxaflor analog with nitrogen in place of the carbon in the bridge between the pyridine and sulfoximine moiety shows a modest degree of metabolism. In silico homology modeling of the CYP6G1 with the sulfoximines and neonicotinoids suggests that steric effects may limit interactions of the sulfoximines with the reactive heme-oxo complex. A distinct relationship was identified for the summed Hückel charges and the degree of metabolism observed. These observations help explain the lack of sulfoxaflor metabolism by CYP6G1, and in turn provide a basis for the lack of cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor in insecticide resistant strains of pest insects.