Mapping of QTLs for Germination Characteristics under Non-stress and Drought Stress in Rice

Identification of genetic factors controlling traits associated with seed germination under drought stress conditions, leads to identification and development of drought tolerant varieties. Present study by using a population of F2：, derived from a cross between a drought tolerant variety, Gharib （indica） and a drought sensitive variety, Sepidroud （indica）, is to identify and compare QTLs associated with germination traits under drought stress and non-stress conditions. Through QTL analysis, using composite interval mapping, regarding traits such as germination rate （GR）, germination percentage （GP）, radicle length （RL）, plumule length （PL）, coleorhiza length （COL） and coleoptile length （CL）, totally 13 QTLs were detected under pole drought stress （-8 MPa poly ethylene glycol 6000） and 9 QTLs under non-stress conditions. Of the QTLs identified under non-stress conditions, QTLs associated with COL （qCOL-5） and GR （qGR-1） explained 21.28% and 19.73% of the total phenotypic variations, respectively Under drought stress conditions, QTLs associated with COL （qCOL-3） and PL （qPL-5） explained 18.34% and 18.22% of the total phenotypic variations, respectively. A few drought-tolerance-related QTLs identified in previous studies are near the QTLs detected in this study, and several QTLs in this study are novel alleles. The major QTLs like qGR-1, qGP-4, qRL-12 and qCL-4 identified in both conditions for traits GR, GP, RL and CL, respectively, should be considered as the important and stable trait-controlling QTLs in rice seed germination. Those major or minor QTLs could be used to significantly improve drought tolerance by marker-assisted selection in rice.     

Confirmation of Novel Quantitative Trait Loci for Seed Dormancy at Different Ripening Stages in Rice

Seed dormancy contributes resistance to pre-harvest sprouting.Effects on respective quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for dormancy should be assessed by using fresh seeds before germinability altered through storage.We investigated QTLs related to seed dormancy using backcross inbred lines derived from a cross between Nipponbare and Kasalath.Four putative QTLs for seed dormancy were detected immediately after harvest using composite interval mapping.These putative QTLs were mapped near C1488 on chromosome 3 (qSD-3.1),R2171 on chromosome 6 (qSD-6.1),R1245 on chromosome 7 (qSD-7.1) and C488 on chromosome 10 (qSD-10.1).Kasalath alleles promoted dormancy for qSD-3.1,qSD-6.1 and qSD-7.1,and the respective proportions of phenotypic variation explained by each QTL were 12.9%,9.3% and 8.1%.We evaluated the seed dormancy harvested at different ripening stages during seed development using chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) to confirm gene effects.The germination rates of CSSL27 and CSSL28 substituted with the region including qSD-6.1 were significantly lower than those of Nipponbare and other CSSLs at the late ripening stage.Therefore,qSD-6.1 is considered the most effective novel QTL for pre-harvest sprouting resistance among the QTLs detected in this study.     

一粒系小麦的微卫星分析

利用普通小麦A基因组含有微卫星位点的引物对在3种一粒系小麦的部分同源微卫星位点进行了检测。结果发现,59％的小麦A基因组微卫星位点的引物对可在3种一粒系小麦的多个种质中检测到部分同源微卫星位点,表明A基因组含有的微卫星位点在普通小麦和一粒系小麦间并不完全保守。一粒系小麦的微卫星位点之间在扩增条带数目以及扩增条带长度上均存在广泛差异。同一微卫星位点在不同一粒系小麦种质中的扩增条带数目以及扩增条带长度上也表现明显差异。     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Drought Tolerant and Susceptible Rice Genotypes Using Microsatellite Markers

The introgression of wild chromosomal segments into popular rice varieties is one of the potential approaches for developing varieties for drought stress condition. Sixteen genotypes, including nine indica, two tropical japonica and five chromosome segments substitution lines(CSSLs) with different levels of tolerance/susceptibility to drought stress, were selected for diversity study. Sixty-three microsatellite markers were utilized for assessing genetic diversity. A total of 95 alleles were amplified, and out of them, 60 were polymorphic. Six unique alleles, amplified by the microsatellite loci RM276, RM472,RM488, RM537, RM541 and RM28089, were identified in six genotypes, namely FR13A, Brahamanakhi,RUF44, Swarna-sub1, Brahamanakhi and Satyabhama. The highest genetic similarity was found among CSSLs. Polymorphism information content(PIC) value varied from 0 to 1.00 with an average of 0.66 per locus. Twenty-eight microsatellites were found to be polymorphic, which could be used in marker-assisted selection programme. All the sixteen genotypes were grouped into two major clusters at genetic similarity of 0.64. In the cluster I, five CSSLs identified as diverse genotypes had wild ancestor segments responsible for drought tolerance, and hence they could be utilized as potential donors. The popular Indian varieties, Swarna-sub1 and IR64-sub1, could be used as recurrent parents in the future breeding program for developing varieties for abiotic stresses such as submergence and drought.     

Genetic diversity of ICARDA’s worldwide barley landrace collection

Twenty genic- and genomic SSR markers were used to study genetic diversity and geographical differentiation of barley from 29 countries through analysis of a worldwide collection of 304 ICARDA’s barley landraces. Of these, 19 loci were highly polymorphic in the material studied. Based on Nei-distance matrix, Principal Component Analysis (PCoA) and cluster analysis using UPGMA associated with AMOVA the data revealed countries’ grouping within regions. Three distinct germplasm pools were identified in the landraces. The first of these was from Eastern Africa (Eritrea and Ethiopia) and South America (Ecuador, Peru and Chile) suggesting that barley introduced to South America might have originated specifically from East Africa or that they share a common genetic basis for adaptation. The second was the Caucasus (Armenia and Georgia) and the third included the remaining regions of Central Asia, Near East, Northern Africa and Eastern Asia. Genetic diversity of barley subspecies (Six-rowed barley, Two-rowed barley, H. spontaneum C. Koch and H. agriocrithon Åberg) also discriminates them into three groups: cultivated barleys (Six-rowed barley and Two-rowed barley), wild barley H. spontaneum and subspecies H. agriocrithon. These results associated with parsimony analysis demonstrate that H. agriocrithon and H. spontaneum might be distinct and do not support a hybrid origin for H. agriocrithon suggesting further investigation of the basis of more intense sampling of the two subspecies H. spontaneum and H. agriocrithon.     

运用模型分类法分析9个地方鸡品种间遗传结构和亲缘关系

以16个中度或高度多态性微卫星标记,运用基于模型分类法的Structure程序推断9个地方鸡品种群体遗传结构,构建聚类图分析相互间亲缘关系,并鉴定群体中迁移个体和具有复杂遗传基础个体的分布。结果表明：Structure程序在预先未标明品种起源的条件下准确推断出9个地方鸡种群体所属类别,揭示按照体型外貌、地理分布等为依据划分的9个地方鸡品种类型,也真实反映了其在遗传上的差异。Structure聚类图在K=2时将9个地方鸡种分为轻体型的鸡种（包括茶花鸡、藏鸡、仙居鸡、固始鸡和白耳鸡）和重体型的鸡种（包括大骨鸡、北京油鸡、鹿苑鸡和萧山鸡）两个类别;K=4、5、6时北京油鸡、固始鸡、大骨鸡分离出来形成独立类群;仙居鸡与白耳鸡在K=6、萧山鸡与鹿苑鸡在K=7、藏鸡与茶花鸡在K=8时仍聚在同一类别中,这与9个地方鸡种的地理分布及形成历史相吻合。9个地方鸡品种群体中均有具有复杂遗传基础的个体分布,迁移个体只分布在藏鸡、萧山鸡和鹿苑鸡群体中。     

Genetic diversity,anti‐microbial resistance,plasmid profile and frequency of the Vi antigen in Salmonella Dublin strains isolated in Brazil

Salmonella Dublin is strongly adapted to cattle causing enteritis and/or systemic disease with high rates of mortality. However, it can be sporadically isolated from humans, usually causing serious disease, especially in patients with underlying chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to molecularly type S. Dublin strains isolated from humans and animals in Brazil to verify the diversity of these strains as well as to ascertain possible differences between strains isolated from humans and animals. Moreover, the presence of the capsular antigen Vi and the plasmid profile was characterized in addition to the anti‐microbial resistance against 15 drugs. For this reason, 113 S. Dublin strains isolated between 1983 and 2016 from humans (83) and animals (30) in Brazil were typed by PFGE and MLVA. The presence of the capsular antigen Vi was verified by PCR, and the phenotypic expression of the capsular antigen was determined serologically. Also, a plasmid analysis for each strain was carried out. The strains studied were divided into 35 different PFGE types and 89 MLVA‐types with a similarity of ≥80% and ≥17.5%, respectively. The plasmid sizes found ranged from 2 to >150 kb and none of the strains studied presented the capsular antigen Vi. Resistance or intermediate resistance was found in 23 strains (20.3%) that were resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, imipenem, nalidixic acid, piperacillin, streptomycin and/or tetracycline. The majority of the S. Dublin strains studied and isolated over a 33‐year period may descend from a common subtype that has been contaminating humans and animals in Brazil and able to cause invasive disease even in the absence of the capsular antigen. The higher diversity of resistance phenotypes in human isolates, as compared with animal strains, may be a reflection of the different anti‐microbial treatments used to control S. Dublin infections in humans in Brazil.     

Molecular epidemiology of Shiga toxin‐producing O113:H21 isolates from cattle and meat

The serotype O113:H21 is considered one of the relevant non‐O157 STEC serotypes associated with severe human infections. Due to the increased detection of O113 strains and their relationship with clinical cases, which emphasizes the importance of this serogroup as an emerging pathogen, our aim was to determine the characteristics of STEC O113:H21 strains circulating in bovine cattle and retail meat from Argentina. For this purpose, we determined the presence and combinations of various virulence genes (and their variants) related to adhesion and toxicity in a collection of 34 isolates. Their genetic relatedness using multiple‐locus variable‐number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) was also studied. Subtyping of stx genes indicated that O113:H21 strains circulating in Argentina mainly present stx_2a alone or together with stx_2c or, less frequent, with stx_2d, all of which are subtypes associated with human disease. We found plasmid markers, such as saa, ehxA and subA, in a higher proportion than previous studies, and five variants of saa, two of which were novel ones. In relation to MLVA subtyping, we detected a limited diversity among the isolates considering that several loci were not discriminative and, that in some farms, the same clone seemed to remain circulating throughout the year. The O113:H21 strains studied harbour several toxin and adhesion genes (saa, espP, fimCD, ehaA, iha, hcpA, elfA, lpfO113, ecpA, subA, cdt‐V) and Stx subtypes associated with human disease. Results also highlighted that subtyping of stx and saa is useful to discriminate O113:H21 strains that share virulence genes. In conclusion, this study shows that a number of O113:H21 strains that occur in foods and bovines could be pathogenic for humans. This situation calls for further attention in the prevention and control of foodborne disease caused by these strains.     

关于超级稻品种培育的资源和基因利用问题

 超级稻育种是矮化育种和杂种优势利用的深化,其本质是资源或基因及基因与环境互作的综合利用。为给超级稻育种提供思路,回顾和分析了超级稻育种中的资源及基因综合利用现状,包括籼粳基因渐渗及利用、栽培稻产量QTL累加及利用、野生稻产量及抗病基因发掘及利用、株型和根系相关基因的发掘及遗传改良等。指出由于真正能用于超级稻育种的有利基因及连锁标记还不多,水稻基因研究成果还不足以支撑超级稻分子育种,目前的超级稻育种仍以常规杂交技术和资源的综合利用为主。需要进一步发掘高产、优质、抗病虫、抗逆基因,常规育种技术与分子育种技术相结合,培育广适性或绿色超级稻。     

家畜基因组遗传多态标记—微卫星标记研究进展(下)

３微卫星标记的应用自微卫星被发现以来就受到了家畜遗传育种家们的高度重视,并且充分认识到了把它作为畜种的基因组变异研究所具有的巨大的潜在价值。现在它已被十分成功地作为富含信息、又容易获得的基因标记,广泛用于构建物种的遗传连锁图,基因鉴定（基因诊断）、物...