Phenotypic diversity of durum wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum durum</Emphasis> Desf.) from Jordan

Durum wheat landrace genotypes are disappearing from the main wheat areas in Jordan, because of spreading of new uniform cultivars and the serious reduction in wheat cultivation. This study was conducted to evaluate genetic diversity in durum wheat landraces from Jordan and to identify desirable agronomic traits. Landraces were collected from two target areas: Ajloun and Karak. The collected material was grown under rainfed conditions using an augmented design with five blocks and four repeated check cultivars. Data were collected for 14 morphological and agronomic traits. Phenotypic diversity index (H′) was estimated, and the relationships among accessions were measured using cluster analysis and dendrogram similarity matrix. The results revealed the presence of a wide range of variability among landraces., which possess high levels of variability for biological yield, fertile tillers, number of seeds per spike, seed weight per spike and weight of 1000 seeds. These landraces must be considered as a reservoir of genes that plant breeders need in their wheat improvement programs and should be conserved both ex situ and in situ.     

斑茅种质资源的表型性状及遗传多样性

[目的]有效评价和利用斑茅种质资源,挖掘其优良性状。[方法]以162份斑茅（云南74份,福建15份,贵州19份,海南18份,四川14份,江西10份,广东4份,广西4份,浙江4份）为研究材料,通过5个数量性状和21个质量性状对其表型性状及遗传多样性进行研究。[结果]表型性状分析结果表明：①斑茅种质资源质量性状的 Shannon-Wiener多样性指数整体偏低,其中,福建斑茅的多样性指数(0.7624)最高,广西斑茅的多样性指数(0.2942)最低;②数量性状遗传变异较丰富,其中云南地区的变异系数(32.15%)最大,广西地区的(14.95%)最小;③海拔高度与锤度呈极显著负相关,纬度与株高呈极显著负相关。遗传分化系数和基因流结果显示,斑茅种质资源群体的遗传变异主要来自于采集地内部,群体之间存在较大的基因交流,遗传结构分化不明显。 UPGMA聚类分析结果表明,各居群间的遗传距离与采集地之间有一定的相关性。[结论]该研究可为资源采集、杂交利用和优异基因挖掘提供参考。     

Waiting reveals waning weight: Monitoring over 54 years shows a decline in body condition of a long-lived reptile (tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus)

Knowledge gained from monitoring has been the basis for many critical decisions in threatened and endangered species and ecosystem management. Long-term monitoring has been recognized as a necessity for elucidating population trends and community interactions, particularly for long-lived species or ecosystems with slow rates of change. We examine seasonal and annual cycles of morphological changes in a threatened, long-lived, insular reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), on Stephens Island, New Zealand. We used body condition indices as a surrogate measure of fitness, and examined seasonal fluctuations, using data from an intensive mark-recapture study, and long-term trends using a dataset that spans 54 years. In spite of seasonal and annual fluctuations, body condition of tuatara has declined significantly between 1949 and 2003; the decline was only evident after >22 years of monitoring. We hypothesize that increasing numbers of tuatara have resulted in a density-dependent population response driven by past habitat modification on Stephens Island. We emphasize the need for long-term monitoring and suggest that potentially costly management decisions, particularly for long-lived species or ecosystems with slow rates of change, should not be based solely on short-term monitoring.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium isolates from fighting fish Betta spp. in Malaysia

Mycobacteriosis due to mycobacteria is one of the most common bacterial diseases in ornamental fish. We describe here the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Mycobacterium isolates from fighting fish Betta spp. using ATCC Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonae as references. A total of four isolates (M1, M2, M3, M4) were obtained from four out of 106 fish samples using selective agar, and identified to Mycobacterium genus using acid-fast staining and 16s rRNA gene-based genus specific polymerase chain reaction. DNA sequencing and NCBI-BLAST analysis further identified isolate M1 as M. marinum and isolates M2, M3, M4 as M. fortuitum. Morphological, physiological and biochemical tests were carried out for phenotypic characterizations. Universal M13 and wild-type phage M13 RAPD dendogram was generated to illustrate the genetic relationship of the isolates and reference strains.     

Intraspecific variation of Echinococcus granulosus in livestock from Peru

Echinococcus granulosus infection is a problem of public health in livestock-rearing regions of Latin America, like in Peru. This species is characterized by the morphometry of the large and small rostellar hooks in both metacestodes and adult worms. The aim of this work was to study biometrical characteristics of rostellar hooks in hydatid cysts (lung and liver) from some Peruvian provinces (Arequipa, Cuzco, Huancavelica, Junin and Puno). The biometrical analysis was obtained in a digital system for image analysis. The following parameters were studied: area, perimeter, length and width total of the handle, the blade and the distance between the blade and the guard of large and small hooks. For statistical analysis Student's t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Pos-test of Tukey were used, considering the values of p< or =0.05 as of statistic significance. All morphometric characters of large and small hooks were highly significant (p<0.000), when data were compared among the samples from the different provinces. Rostellar hooks in specimens from Huancavelica presented smallest measurements, whereas hooks in specimens from Junin were bigger in relation to the total and blade measurements. Generally, samples from Arequipa presented the biggest large hooks in relation to the handle parameters. The rostellar hooks of cattle and sheep hosts varied depending on the geographic localization, host and organ. Hooks recovered from the lungs were larger than those collected in the liver. It was concluded that morphometry using computer image analysis allows the characterization of E. granulosus. The rostellar hooks presented morphometric polymorphism.     

Effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on myocardin expression and phenotypic switch in vascular smooth muscle cells

AIM: To investigate the effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on myocardin expression and phenotypic switch in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS: VSMCs were obtained by aortic tissue adherent culture and treated with angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ), AngⅡ + CGRP or AngⅡ + CGRP + CGRP_8-37. The protein expression of myocardin and the phenotypic proteins of the VSMCs was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression of myocardin in cultured VSMCs showed downregulation along with time expansion. The protein level of myocardin was higher at 48 h and 72 h than that at baseline in the cultured VSMCs (P<0.05). However, the myocardin was lower at 48 h and 72 h than that at baseline after treatment with CGRP in cultured VSMCs (P<0.05). Furthermore, at 48 h in cultured VSMCs, the myocardin decreased along with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) (P<0.05), and osteopontin (OPN) increased (P<0.05) in AngⅡ group compared with control group. After treatment with CGRP, the levels of myocardin and α-SMA become higher (P<0.05) but OPN was lower (P<0.05) in CGRP group than those in AngⅡ group. CGRP_8-37 abrogated CGRP-induced increase in myocardin and α-SMA and decrease in OPN in CGRP_8-37 group compared with CGRP group. CONCLUSION: CGRP may regulate the phenotypic switch of the VSMCs and maintain the cells in contractile phenotype through the upregulation of myocardin protein, which may be accomplished by the combination of CGRP and its receptor.     

小麦抗赤霉病基因库建拓研究——抗源库群体改良效果初报

从小麦抗赤霉病的抗源库中,表型转回选择选出RC0、RC1、RC2、RC3等群体,进行两年研究。结果表明:群体抗病性因轮回选择而显著提高。发病穗数和发病率逐轮降低,发病株中发病小穗数也显著减少,平均海轮减少20%左右。群体中抗病植株的频率有增大趋势。穗长、结实小穗数、穗粒数和穗粒重等农艺性状也得到显著改良。千粒重有所降低。群体遗传变异得到较好保持。从基因库中选出抗性增强、农艺性状改善的优良单株机率明显增大。在进一步的轮回选择中,可对抗性改良的同时,对其他农艺性状进行选择,以期改良群体的综合性状。     

玉米辐射诱变系表型及SSR 遗传差异研究

以玉米自交系R08和48-2及其9个和13个辐射诱变系为试验材料,利用表型性状与SSR标记研究各诱变系与相应基础材料间的遗传差异。结果表明,诱变系在吐丝期、株高、株型、粒色及单株产量等性状和分子水平上均发生了不同程度的变异,其中,R08诱变系12、17和48-2诱变系23、27、28、29、31表型变异较大,R08诱变系16和48-2诱变系22、26、33表型变异则相对较小;R08和48-2与相应诱变系位点多态性信息量(PIC)分别在0.18～0.70和0.34～0.83之间,平均分别为0.46和0.61;诱变系与R08和48-2的遗传相似系数分别在0.474～0.842和0.463～0.782之间,平均分别为0.712和0.645。诱变系与基础材料间存在真实的遗传差异。     

昆明市3种木兰属园林乔木叶片的表型可塑性与生长规律

[目的]为木兰属植物资源的合理开发及利用提供科学参考。[方法]以玉兰、紫玉兰和荷花玉兰3种常见木兰属园林乔木为研究对象,通过测定其成株叶片的长、宽、面积及生物量,分析其叶片的表型可塑性和生长规律。[结果]3种植物均具有较大的表型可塑性。叶生物量的变异系数最大,为35．45％～57．50％。叶面积变异系数次之,为34．72％～48．44％。叶长、叶宽的变异系数均较小,为18．77％～28．28％。玉兰与荷花玉兰的叶宽与叶长呈幂函数异速生长规律,而紫玉兰呈直线同速生长;玉兰、紫玉兰的叶生物量与叶面积呈直线同速生长规律,而荷花玉兰呈幂函数异速生长。[结论]玉兰、紫玉兰和荷花玉兰3种成株叶片在叶长、叶宽、叶面积以及叶生物量等数量性状均具有较大的表型可塑性。     

水稻苗期模拟干旱胁迫条件下表型性状QTL定位

以耐旱性差异较大的两个亲本珍汕97B（ZS97B）和IRAT109构建的重组自交系（RIL）为试验材料,在正常水分条件和干旱胁迫[浓度为18%的聚乙二醇-6000（PEG-6000）模拟干旱]条件对水稻苗期苗高、根长、苗高生长速率、根长苗高比、叶卷曲进行QTL定位分析,共检测到24个相关的QTL,贡献率变幅在7.35%~39.30%。其中正常条件下检测到13个相关的QTL位点,分布在第1、2、3、5、6、10、12染色体上;干旱胁迫条件下检测到11个相关的QTL位点,分布在第1、3、5、7、10、12染色体上。2种条件下检测到的QTL位点差异很大,表明不同处理条件下相关性状的遗传机制不同。此外,在第1染色体上的RM472~RM104存在控制苗高、苗高生长速率、根长、根长苗高比多个性状的QTL,并且此区间在2种处理条件下能重复检测到控制苗高位点。