Gene flow among different teosinte taxa and into the domesticated maize gene pool

Maize (Zea mays L. ssp. mays) was domesticated from one wild species ancestor, the Balsas teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) about 9000 years ago. Higher levels of gene diversity are found in teosinte taxa compared to maize, following domestication and selection bottlenecks. Diversity in maize can be increased via gene flow from teosinte, which has certainly occurred from various taxa, but the rate of flow from different teosinte taxa and the final impact on maize evolution has been difficult to measure. One hundred populations from six Zea taxa, both domesticated (maize) and wild (teosinte), including domesticated landraces from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, were genotyped with 17 SSR markers using 15 individuals per population. Overall levels of diversity were high, and populations could be distinguished based on markers. Relationships between populations followed most published reports, or can now help resolve previously conflicting reports. Gene flow into maize from different teosinte groups, and gene flow between different teosintes, was estimated. Evidence for contributions from the Balsas teosintes and from Chalco teosintes (Z. mays ssp. mexicana) to the maize gene pool was found, as well as from Chalco into ssp. mexicana race ??Durango?? and Z. mays ssp. huehuetenengensis. These contributions are almost certainly the result of post-domestication (and ongoing) exchanges. This information must give more impetus to in situ conservation of teosinte species, and use of these teosintes to continue to direct the evolution of maize, especially in response to new diseases, insect pests, and other biotic and abiotic stresses.     

Impact of ultrafiltration membrane material on Peptide separation from a snow crab byproduct hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes

Electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membrane (EDUF) is a technology based on the separation of molecules according to their charge and molecular mass. Some works have already successfully demonstrated the recovery of bioactive peptide fractions. However, the impact of ultrafiltration membrane (UFM) material, used in the EDUF system, on the peptide migration has never been studied. Consequently, the objectives of this work were (1) to evaluate the effect of two different UFM materials on the selective separation of peptides from a snow crab byproduct hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes and (2) to determine the effect of UFM material on their potential fouling by peptides. It appeared that, after 6 h of EDUF separation using polyether sulfone (PES) and cellulose acetate (CA) UFM, peptides with low molecular weights ranging from 300 to 700 Da represented the most abundant population in the KCl1 (compartment located near the anode for the recovery of anionic/acid peptide fractions) and KCl2 (compartment located near the cathode for the recovery of cationic/basic peptide fractions) permeates. Peptides with molecular weights ranging from 700 to 900 Da did not migrate during the EDUF treatment. Moreover, only CA UFM allowed the recovery of high molecular weight molecules (900-20000 Da) in both KCl compartments. Peptides desorbed from PES and CA UFM after 6 h of EDUF separation had low molecular weights and belonged mainly to the 600-700 Da molecular weight range. These peptides represented a low proportion of the peptides initially present in the snow crab byproduct hydrolysate with individual molecular weight range proportions from 1.52 ± 0.31 to 10.2 ± 2.32%.     

Association between the body weight of growing pigs and the functional capacity of their gut microbiota

Gastrointestinal microbiota impact host's biological activities, including digestion of indigestible feed components, energy harvest, and immunity. In this study, fecal microbiota of high body weight (HW) and low body weight (LW) growing pigs at 103 days of age were compared. Principal coordinates analysis separated the HW and LW groups into two clusters, indicating their potential differences between microbial community composition. Although the abundances of two major phyla, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, did not significantly differ between the HW and LW groups, some genera showed significant differences. Among them, Peptococcus and Eubacterium exhibited strong positive correlations with body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) (Rho > 0.40), whereas Treponema, Desulfovibrio, Parabacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae_unclassified exhibited strong negative correlations with BW and ADG (Rho < ?0.40). Based on these results, the structure of intestinal microbiota may affect growth traits in pigs through host–microbe interactions. Further in‐depth studies will provide insights into how best to reshape host–microbe interactions in pigs and other animals as well.     

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes’ behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing

In livestock, improving maternal reactivity towards the litter is an important issue in breeding strategies to promote production and animal welfare. As of yet, no studies have investigated the within-breed genetic variation of maternal reactivity in sheep. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of maternal reactivity traits. A total of 1,095 primiparous and 1,441 multiparous Romane ewes were phenotyped 24 hr postlambing using a behavioural test (arena test, AT) over a 10-year experimental period. The test consisted of three successive phases evaluating the ewe's attraction to her litter, reactivity to separation from her litter, and reactivity to a conflict between attraction to her litter and avoidance of a motionless human. The ewes were reared exclusively on rangelands (South of France) and lambed outdoors in the spring. High-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating in the AT were mostly highly heritable (0.39‒0.46). Heritabilities were moderate for proximity to the litter in the presence of a human (0.27) and low for locomotion and vigilance in the AT (0.09‒0.15). The measurements of a given behaviour in the three phases of the AT were highly genetically correlated. Few genetic correlations were found between the different behavioural traits in the AT, the highest correlations being between high-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating (−0.43 to −0.77). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate moderate-to-high heritability for maternal reactivity traits. These traits could be included in genetic selection schemes to enhance maternal attachment provided there is no unfavourable link with other production traits.     

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of four species of glomus on physiological responses of maize

This greenhouse study aimed to analyze the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal associations on maize (Zea mays L. hybrid Pioneer 3905) in order to compare their functional compatibility and efficiency. The AM fungus species used for this study were Glomus aggregatum, G. etunicatum, G. mosseae, and G. versiforme. Shoot and leaf masses, chlorophyll, soluble protein, total and reducing sugar, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) concentrations, and glutamine synthetase (GS) activity in the maize leaves were analyzed. The root colonization ranged from 26% to 72% depending on the AM fungus species. Leaf mass was significantly higher when maize plants were colonized with G. etunicatum in comparison to the non‐AM control. The mycorrhizal effect on dry leaf mass ranged from 15.9% to 23.9% depending on the AM species. However, the total shoot mass did not differ significantly among the treatments. The mycorrhizal treatment had a marginally significant effect on the chlorophyll concentrations in maize leaves. The protein concentration was the highest in the plants colonized with G. etunicatum and the N percentage was significantly higher in the leaves of plants colonized by G. versiforme or G. aggregatum than those with G. mosseae. However, the AM colonization did not significantly alter the GS activity among the treatments. The highest sugar concentrations were detected in the leaves of plants colonized by G. versiforme. The sugar concentrations as well as the C percentage were lower in the leaves of plants colonized by G. etunicatum compared to the other mycorrhizal treatments but the values were comparable to the non‐AM control. Our overall results suggest that the expression of the mycorrhizal potential in the maize host plants varies among AM fungal species.     

Evidence of the exploitation of marine resource by the terrestrial insect Scapteriscus didactylus through stable isotope analyzes of its cuticle

Background  

About 4 × 10⁵ eggs in more than 5000 marine turtle nests are deposited every year on a 3.6 km long beach in French Guiana (South America). The dry biomass of eggs is estimated to be 5 × 10³ kg, yet only 25% of this organic matter will return to the ocean in the form of hatchlings. Such amounts of organic matter are supposed to drive the functioning of the beach ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that egg predators and detritivorous organisms dominate the trophic relationships and the dynamics of the system. The role of a terrestrial insect Scapteriscus didactylus (Latreille), which damages up to 40% of the eggs of the marine turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), was unexpected. However it was impossible from direct observations to prove that the mole cricket consumed a significant amount of these eggs. Therefore, the precise place of the mole cricket in the nitrogen and carbon cycles of the beach ecosystem could not be determined. In order to answer this question, we looked for a marine signature of carbon and nitrogen source metabolized by the mole cricket.     

Marker-assisted selection efficiency in multiple connected populations: a simulation study based on the results of a QTL detection experiment in maize

Many studies already investigated marker-assisted selection (MAS) efficiency but mainly in biparental populations. Connected multiparental populations address a broader diversity and confer a gain of power for QTL detection which must be beneficial for MAS. Our objective was to compare multiparental connected designs to biparental populations taken separately for MAS and phenotypic selection. We first detected QTL for flowering time and grain yield in an experimental maize design involving four parental inbred lines crossed to produce six different biparental populations and confirmed the advantage of multiparental connected designs over biparental populations for QTL detection. Based on these results we performed stochastic simulations to evaluate the expected efficiency of four generations of MAS and phenotypic selection. Different parameters were considered: trait heritability, genetic architecture and whether QTL were assumed to be known or have to be detected. Genetic gains were higher in the multiparental design than on average over the biparental populations considered separately, especially when favourable alleles were equally distributed among parental lines. When QTL detection was included in the simulation process, we found that type I error risk considered for declaring QTL as significant should be adapted to the design. Type I error risks leading to the best response were higher for the biparental populations than for the multiparental design. Besides addressing a broader diversity, multiparental designs increase the power of QTL detection, which reinforces their superiority over biparental designs for MAS. Application of MAS to multiparental designs therefore appears promising to accelerate genetic gain in plant breeding programs.     

Characterisation of sunflower root colonisation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoma macdonaldii</Emphasis>

Phoma macdonaldii, the causal agent of black stem disease of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), also attacks roots and collars of the plants, resulting in early death. Totally resistant lines do not exist for infection of the aerial parts, but tolerant lines have been characterised. This paper presents a study on colonisation of a partially resistant and a susceptible sunflower line by P. macdonaldii. The fungus was transformed with a constitutively expressed reporter gene encoding the jellyfish green fluorescent protein via Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and colonisation of sunflower roots by this transformed strain was studied by various microscopy techniques including confocal and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that penetration of the fungus into the root occurred through natural fissures or through the epidermis and was similar in both lines. In contrast, the colonisation rate of the stele was reduced in the partially resistant line, and the morphology of the fungal hyphae was also affected. The effect on hyphal morphology was strongest in the stele, indicating a localised production of defence compounds in this line.     

User-friendly extraction and multistage tandem mass spectrometry based analysis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides in microalgae

Background

Protein N-glycosylation is initiated within the endoplasmic reticulum through the synthesis of a lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLO) precursor. This precursor is then transferred en bloc on neo-synthesized proteins through the action of the oligosaccharyltransferase giving birth to glycoproteins. The N-linked glycans bore by the glycoproteins are then processed into oligomannosides prior to the exit of the glycoproteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and its entrance into the Golgi apparatus. In this compartment, the N-linked glycans are further maturated in complex type N-glycans. This process has been well studied in a lot of eukaryotes including higher plants. In contrast, little information regarding the LLO precursor and synthesis of N-linked glycans is available in microalgae.

Methods

In this report, a user-friendly extraction method combining microsomal enrichment and solvent extractions followed by purification steps is described. This strategy is aiming to extract LLO precursor from microalgae. Then, the oligosaccharide moiety released from the extracted LLO were analyzed by multistage tandem mass spectrometry in two models of microalgae namely the green microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Results

The validity of the developed method was confirmed by the analysis of the oligosaccharide structures released from the LLO of two xylosyltransferase mutants of C. reinhardtii confirming that this green microalga synthesizes a linear Glc₃Man₅GlcNAc₂ identical to the one of the wild-type cells. In contrast, the analysis of the oligosaccharide released from the LLO of the diatom P. tricornutum demonstrated for the first time a Glc₂Man₉GlcNAc₂ structure.

Conclusion

The method described in this article allows the fast, non-radioactive and reliable multistage tandem mass spectrometry characterization of oligosaccharides released from LLO of microalgae including the ones belonging to the Phaeodactylaceae and Chlorophyceae classes, respectively. The method is fully adaptable for extracting and characterizing the LLO oligosaccharide moiety from microalgae belonging to other phyla.