DNA methylation analysis on satellite I region in blastocysts obtained from somatic cell cloned cattle

Many observations have been made on cloned embryos and on adult clones by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), but it is still unclear whether the progeny of cloned animals is presenting normal epigenetic status. Here, in order to accumulate the information for evaluating the normality of cloned cattle, we analyzed the DNA methylation status on satellite I region in blastocysts obtained from cloned cattle. Embryos were produced by artificial insemination (AI) to non‐cloned or cloned dams using semen from non‐cloned or cloned sires. After 7 days of AI, embryos at blastocyst stage were collected by uterine flushing. The DNA methylation levels in embryos obtained by using semen and/or oocytes from cloned cattle were similar to those in in vivo embryos from non‐cloned cattle. In contrast, the DNA methylation levels in SCNT embryos were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those in in vivo embryos from non‐cloned and cloned cattle, approximately similar to those in somatic cells used as donor cells. Thus, this study provides useful information that epigenetic status may be normal in the progeny of cloned cattle, suggesting the normality of germline cells in cloned cattle.     

红富士苹果芽变系DNA甲基化研究

以35份富士苹果(Malus×domestica Borkh.‘Fuji’)芽变材料为试材,利用甲基化敏感扩增多态性(Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism,MSAP)分析和UPGMA聚类方法,对其基因组甲基化修饰水平、变异模式以及表观遗传变异关系进行研究。结果表明:(1)不同富士系得到不同的MSAP扩增,总DNA甲基化水平27.90%～36.16%,平均32.87%,双链全甲基化为主要甲基化方式;(2)富士芽变材料绝大多数位点保持了原有甲基化模式;(3)绝大多数芽变(68.57%)检测到全部的甲基化变异模式(12种),去甲基化频率极显著高于甲基化频率(P <0.01),且CG去甲基化极显著高于CHG;(4)36份种质遗传相似系数平均值0.89(0.79～0.92),在聚类图上,富士原种分布在芽变系集中区外,新近发生的芽变系更倾向于聚在一起,着色系片红型和条红型芽变呈分散排布状态。总的来看,富士芽变的甲基化变异模式丰富,超甲基化和去甲基化相伴发生,但以去甲基化为主;‘富士’着色芽变与其最原始品种富士,以及芽变之间发生了较大表观遗传变异;片红和条红型芽变聚类未表现明显偏好性。本研究将为进一步开展富士着色系芽变机理研究提供指导,可以CG去甲基化为切入点展开深入研究。     

The phylogenetic status of typical Chinese native pigs: analyzed by Asian and European pig mitochondrial genome sequences

China is one of the most diverse countries, which have developed 88 indigenous pig breeds. Several studies showed that pigs were independently domesticated in multiple regions of the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the origin and evolution of Chinese pigs using complete mitochondrial genomic sequences (mtDNA) from Asian and European domestic pigs and wild boars. Thirty primer pairs were designed to determine the mtDNA sequences of Xiang pig, Large White, Lantang, Jinhua and Pietrain. The phylogenetic status of Chinese native pigs was investigated by comparing the mtDNA sequences of complete coding regions and D-loop regions respectively amongst Asian breeds, European breeds and wild boars. The analyzed results by two cluster methods contributed to the same conclusion that all pigs were classified into two major groups, European clade and Asian clade. It revealed that Chinese pigs were only recently diverged from each other and distinctly different from European pigs. Berkshire was clustered with Asian pigs and Chinese pigs were involved in the development of Berkshire breeding. The Malaysian wild boar had distant genetic relationship with European and Asian pigs. Jinhua and Lanyu pigs had more nucleotide diversity with Chinese pigs although they all belonged to the Asian major clade. Chinese domestic pigs were clustered with wild boars in Yangtze River region and South China.     

桉属植物叶片DNA抽提

对植物组织DNA抽提是在分子水平上对植物进行系统分析与研究的基础性工作。我们使用改良CTAB法抽提桉属植物叶片中总的DNA获得了成功，其纯度和得率完全能满足常规分子生物学操作的要求。与DNA得率有关的几个问题在此一并探讨。     

条斑型玉米圆斑病病原鉴定及其生物学特性研究

 本研究通过致病性测定、形态学和分子生物学鉴定方法,首次明确陕西省发生的玉米条斑型叶斑病是玉米圆斑病的一种症状类型,由玉米生离蠕孢(Bipolaris zeicola)3号生理小种引起。供试品种豫玉22、农大108、农大3138、东单7号、沈单10号、沈单16号、户单4号、新陕资1号、高农1号和陕单9号都对3号生理小种表现感病,品种间抗病性差异不显著。此菌在PDA、PSA、OMA、CMA、WA和Czapek上均可生长,最适生长培养基为PDA。菌落生长温度为5~35℃,最适菌落生长温度为25℃。分生孢子在5~40℃均可萌发,低于5℃高于40℃萌发率极低,萌发的最适温度为28℃。孢子在pH 3~11均可萌发,萌发最适pH为5。在自来水中分生孢子可以萌发,蔗糖和葡萄糖溶液可以明显促进孢子萌发。     

DNA分子检测技术在节肢动物食物网结构解析中的应用

生态系统中节肢动物食物网结构错综复杂,通过观察和解剖等传统手段往往很难精准地获得物种种类及彼此之间食物关系的全面信息。近年来,DNA分子检测技术快速发展,显著促进了节肢动物食物网复杂结构的系统解析,有效实现了食物网结构分析由定性向定量的重要转变。该文介绍DNA分子检测的主要技术及其优缺点,列举其在节肢动物食物网结构分析中的应用实例,讨论DNA分子检测技术在应用中遇到的问题及挑战,旨在为节肢动物食物网结构分析提供科学依据和技术指导,有力推进农田等不同生态系统中节肢动物食物网结构及其生态功能的深入研究和挖掘利用。     

Cloning of DNA fragments specific to the pathotype and race of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium dahliae</Emphasis>

Japanese isolates of Verticillium dahliae, a causal agent of wilt disease in many plants, are classifiable into pathotypes based on their pathogenicity. Because these pathotypes are morphologically indistinguishable, establishing a rapid identification method is very important for the control of this pathogen in Japan. For cloning DNA fragments that are useful for identification and specific detection of V. dahliae pathotypes, we performed random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses using various isolates. One polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product, E10-U48, was specific to isolates pathogenic to sweet pepper. The other product, B68-TV, was specific to race 1 of isolates pathogenic to tomato. The specificity of these sequences was confirmed by genomic Southern hybridization. Further analyses revealed that the region peripheral to B68-TV obtained from the genomic DNA library includes the sequence specific to all isolates pathogenic to tomato (races 1 and 2). Moreover, sequence tagged site (STS) primers designed from B68-TV and its peripheral region showed race-specific and pathotype-specific amplification in a PCR assay. The probes and primers obtained in this study are likely to be useful tools for the identification and specific detection of pathotypes and races of V. dahliae. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under accession number AB095266.     

Detecting<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orobanche</Emphasis> species by using cpDNA diagnostic markers

Some species of the genusOrobanche are among the most devastating parasitic weeds, causing extensive damage in agricultural fields. Considering the difficult control due to seed longevity in the soil, small seed size, high fecundity and a subterranean phase that allows them to parasitize the host before they emerge and become evident, the development of diagnostic markers is highly recommended. In our study we identified potential molecular diagnostic markers from the plastid genome in order to distinguish among the most importantOrobanche species attacking crops in Andalusia, the southern region of the Iberian Peninsula. The study has consideredO. crenata, O ramosa andO. cumana causing serious losses in legumes, solanaceous crops and sunflower fields, respectively, andO. minor that, although abundant in Andalusia, has to our knowledge not yet been found parasitizing agricultural hosts. We amplified a non-coding region from the plastid genome, studied sequence differences among the amplified fragments and digested those of the same length with selected restriction enzymes. Here, we propose a molecular protocol to distinguish the main parasitic plants in crop fields of southern Spain. Different applications such as identification ofOrobanche seeds in soil or crop seed lots are discussed in order to offer right crop recommendations or to prevent new infestation of parasite-free fields. Recommendations for further development of these diagnostic markers are also considered. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 15, 2007.     

Molecular characterization and variability analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apple scar skin viroid</Emphasis> in India

Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) infection is a major limitation to apple fruit quality and causes huge economic losses. In surveys of apple orchards in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, fruits with dappling symptoms were noticed. ASSVd was detected from these fruits and molecularly characterized. Ten clones from three isolates were sequenced, of which seven were new sequence variants of ASSVd. The clones had significant sequence variability (94–100%) with each other. Variability was more common in the pathogenic domain of the viroid genome. Four of the clones were 330 nucleotides (nt) long, and the other six had an additional nucleotide. Phylogenetic analysis showed close affinity of the present isolates with some Chinese and Korean isolates. The study reports seven new variants of ASSVd and also provides the first molecular evidence of viroid infection (ASSVd) in apple in India.     

烟叶调制过程中的细菌种群多样性分析

以调制过程中的白肋烟TN86为材料,通过直接提取烟叶样品细菌基因组总DNA,对其16S rDNA进行PCR扩增,以及建立克隆文库的未培养方法,分析烟叶中细菌的多样性。研究结果表明,调制过程中烟叶细菌的优势群落为假单胞菌属Pseudomonas、不动杆菌属Acinotobacter、代尔夫特菌属Delftia和泛菌属Pantoea;且在调制过程的不同时期,还分别存在欧文氏菌属Erwinia、肠杆菌属Enterobacter等非优势细菌种群。