Assessment of parental genomic proportions in crossbred chickens by DNA fingerprints

SUMMARY: Starting with the second crossbred generation, parental genomic-proportion lines in individuals deviate considerably from expectation. These individual variations offer the potential to increase the efficiency of crossbreeding programmes. DNA fingerprinting was established as an approach, to quantify the genomic contribution of the parental lines in individuals of two crossbred generations. For this purpose, line-specific bands were identified in representative banding patterns of pooled DNA from purebreds. The representative banding patterns obtained with eight combinations of restriction enzymes HinfI and AluI, and oligonucleotide probes [CA]8, [CAC]5, [GGAT]4, and [GACA]4, contained between nine and 14 line-specific bands. The estimation of the proportion was based on the relative proportion of line-specific bands of one parental line in banding patterns of crossbreds. This was first done in F1 individuals with a definite 50% genomic proportion of each parental line, to determine the accuracy of the approach. The mean value, 51.0 ± 0.34%, observed in 45 F1s using all eight combinations of enzymes and probes, of genomic contribution of one parental line, was close to the theoretical value of 50%. In 24 animals of the BC1, considerable shifting of the parental genomic proportion was observed. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Sch?tzung der Genomanteile bei Hühnern verschiedener Kreuzungsstufen durch DNA-Fingerprinting Von der ersten Rückkreuzungsgeneration an treten erhebliche, individuelle Verscheibungen in der Verteilung der Genomanteile der parentalen Ausganslinien vom Durchschnitt auf. Diese individuelle Variation stellt ein Potential zur Steigerung der Effektivit?t von Kreuzungszuchtprogrammen dar. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine Untersuchungsmethode zur direkten Quantifizierung der Genombeitr?ge der parentalen Ausganslinien bei Individuen verschiedener Kreuzungsstufen durch DNA fingerprints vor gestellt. Dazu wurden in für die Ausgangslinien repr?sentativen Bandenmustern aus DNA-Gemischen linienspezifische Banden identifiziert. Die repr?sentativen Bandenmuster wurden mit den Restriktionsenzymen HinfI and AluI sowie den Oligonukleotidsonen [CA](8) , [CAC](5) , [GGAT](4) , und [GACA](4) erzeugt und enthielten 9-14 linienspezifische Banden. Die Bestimmung der parentalen Genomanteile beruhte auf der Identifizierung linienspezifischer Banden in den Bandmustern von Kreuzungsindividuen und der anschlie?enden Berechnung des relativen Anteils an für eine parentale Linie spezifischen Banden. Um die Genauigkeit der Untersuchungsmethode zu evaluieren, wurde sie zun?chst bei F(1) Tieren angewandt, die einen Anteil von jeweils 50% der elterlichen Linien aufweisen müssen. Der Durchschnittswert berechnet über alle 45 F(1) Individuen und alle acht Kombinationen von Enzymen und Sonden betrug 51,0 ± 0,34% Genomanteil der einen parentalen Linie und lag somit nahe dem theoretischen Wert von 50%. Bei 24 Tieren der R1 konnte eine beachtliche Verschiebung der Genombeitr?ge der parentalen Ausgangslinien gezeigt werden.     

Mapping hotspots of multiple landscape functions: a case study on farmland afforestation in Scotland

Many conservation and restoration efforts in developed countries are increasingly based on the premise of recognising and stimulating more ‘multi-functionality’ in agricultural landscapes. Public policy making is often a pragmatic process that involves efforts to negotiate trade-offs between the potentially conflicting demands of various stakeholders. Conservationists’ efforts to influence policy making, can therefore benefit from any tool that will help them to identify other socio-economic functions or values that coincide with good ecological conservation options. Various types of socio-economic objectives have in recent years been mapped across landscapes and so there are now important opportunities to explore the spatial heterogeneity of these diverse functions across the wider landscape in search of potential spatial synergies, i.e. ‘multiple win locations’ or multifunctional ‘hotspots’. This paper explores the potential occurrence of such synergies within the agricultural landscape of northeast Scotland and evaluates an existing woodland planting policy using and combining three different policy objectives. Our results show that there are indeed broad areas of the studied landscape where multiple objectives (biodiversity, visual amenity and on-site recreation potential) could be achieved simultaneously (hotspots), and that the case study which we evaluate (the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme) could be much better spatially targeted with regards to each individual objective as well as with regards to these hotspots of multifunctionality.

Shoot‐produced,light‐dependent factors are partially involved in the expression of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) status of AM host and non‐host plants

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization and hyphal attachment to the roots of a host plant, bean, and a non‐host plant, lupin, were compared when grown either with light or in the dark with the AM fungus Glomus mosseae. When grown with light, bean roots were heavily colonized whereas lupin roots showed no signs of colonization, no formation of appressoria and only scarce hyphal attachment to the roots. In contrast to roots of plants grown with light, to living roots of beans and lupins grown in the dark many hyphae were attached and appressoria were formed. The role of shoot produced, light‐dependent factors in the expression of the AM mycotrophic status of AM host and non‐host plants is discussed.<?show $6#>     

水分和温度对挪威云杉林枯枝落叶层浸提液pH值的影响

在室内控制条件下研究含水量和温度对富含ＮＨ＾＋４的严重酸化挪威云杉林枯枝落叶层物质饱和是液ＰＨ值的影响,包括未分解层ＯＬ,半分解层ＯＦ和已分解层ＯＨ,在为期１ａ的实验期间内没有元素的输入,淋失和根系吸收,但可相对自由地进行气体交换。     

The effect of dosing with sodium hydroxide (NaOH−) on water pH and growth of Haliotis midae in an abalone serial-use raceway

Abalone culture systems are characterised by high water exchange rates as abalone are sensitive to changes in water quality. To reduce the costs of pumping, serial reuse systems have been tested. As water pH can decline in these systems, this study determined the effect of raising pH through the addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH^?) on weight gain, length gain and feed conversion ratio of H. midae in a serial-use raceway. Dosing with NaOH^? increased pH by 0.3, 0.27 and 0.21 units at positions 1, 2 and 3 of a serial-pass system, respectively. Weight gain (Wg) and length gain (Lg) were correlated with pH (Wg: F _{1, 16} = 16.35, P = 0.0009, r ² = 0.51; Lg: F _{1, 16} = 16.16, P = 0.0009, r ² = 0.50), and using pH, dissolved oxygen and free ammonia nitrogen as independent variables suggested that water pH was the best predictor for abalone growth.     

用激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱研究小麦籽粒元素的共分布

增加粮食可食用部分微量营养元素的浓度, 需要更好地了解其在植株, 特别是籽粒内的运输和分布规律。激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱(laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, LA-ICP-MS)是一种测定植物组织中元素空间分布的新技术。采用该技术对成熟小麦籽粒中锰(Mn)、铜(Cu)、锌(Zn)和磷(P)的空间分布及其关联程度定量研究。结果表明, 所测元素在籽粒不同部位的浓度分布差异很大。Cu、Zn和P浓度均以糊粉层最高, 胚乳最低, 胚居中, 浓度最大差异分别达15、42和33倍; Mn浓度则以胚最高, 胚乳最低, 糊粉层居中, 浓度最大差异达9倍。籽粒同一部位不同位置的元素浓度亦不相同, 外周胚乳(靠近糊粉层)的元素浓度大于内侧胚乳部位对应元素的浓度, 胚最外侧盾片部位的元素浓度大于胚中间位置的元素浓度, 且各元素趋势一致。比较分析发现, 麦粒不同部位元素的浓度变化存在明显的同步性, 籽粒中P浓度高的部位金属元素(Mn、Cu和Zn)浓度也高。这说明不同元素在向籽粒不同部位运输和积累过程中可能存在密切关联性。