The transfer of a gene for glutinous endosperm to Oryza glaberrima Steud. From a japonica variety of O. sativa L.

Summary In common rice, Oryza sativa L. (n=12), the gene Am for non-glutinous is dominant over the gene am for glutinous. In African rice, O. glaberrima Steud. (n=12), no spontaneous glutinous strain has been found, but recently a glutinous strain of glaberrima was induced by EMS-treatment.The interspecific cytoplasm substitution line with sativa cytoplasm and glaberrima nucleus is male sterile. It has been confirmed that the complete restoration of pollen fertility in this male sterile line is attributed to a single dominant nuclear gene Rf _j.Trial to transfer gene am from sativa to glaberrima was commenced with backcrosses of the F₁ hybrid (glutinous sativa cv. Iwai-mochi × glaberrima ) to glaberrima type plants of the substitution line homozygous for Rf _j,using the latter as the pollen parent. At the B₁ step, highly fertile glaberrima type Am/am plants were obtained. Thereafter plants of this type were backcrossed to normal glaberrima as the recurrent pollen parent to complete the nuclear substitution. It was confirmed that the EMS-induced glutinous character of glaberrima was a monogenic recessive and that the same gene controls the expression of glutinous character in the different rice species, sativa and glaberrima.     

Genetic issues and pitfalls in transgenic plant breeding

Transgene technology provides a powerful tool for developing traits that are otherwise difficult to achieve through conventional breeding. In order to effectively apply the technology to breeding, we need to understand how transgenes behave in plants. Transgenes may or may not follow Mendelian segregation; their expression can be significantly affected by integration positions and structures of the transgenic DNA in host genomes; transgenes may become unstable over generations, genetic background sand environmental conditions; and they may have significantly negative impact on expression of endogenous genes. If not well understood, the sehurdles could become significant barriers in transgenic breeding. This paper reviews some genetic issues and pitfalls that are often encountered in transgenic breeding. Because of the necessity of being brief, transgene expression, silencing, and breeding are the three areas of focuses in this discussion. While molecular mechanisms underlying many of the transgenic phenomena have not been completely understood, some practical ‘rules’ are now available for creating, evaluating and selecting desirable transgenic transformants. It can be certain that with more transgenic plants generated and characterized our knowledge of transgene genetics at both molecular and plant levels will continue to accumulate. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inheritance of flower colour and flavonoid pigments in Gerbera

The flower colour of Gerbera, an important ornamental cut flower, is derived from carotenoids and flavonoids. The knowledge of enzymological and genetic control of flavonoid biosynthesis is still incomplete. The present paper summarizes the results obtained at our institute between 1981 and 1993. The material for the investigation of phenotypic segregation and segregation of flavonoids after chromatographic analysis came from 408 progenies of controlled crosses. Phenotypic segregation analysis showed acyanic genotypes to be homozygous recessive and recessive epistatic over cyanic genotypes, respectively. This was confirmed by the existence of two loci controlling steps in biosynthesis (fht, dfr or ans) showing recessive mutants and complementary gene action after crosses. Flavone formation is effected by one dominant allele (fns⁺); dominant and recessive genotypes are now available. Regarding anthocyanidin inheritance, an unusual epistasis of 4′-hydroxylation (pelargonidin formation) over 3′,4′-hydroxylation (cyanidin formation) was observed. Final proof of the postulated gene actions will come from enzymological and molecular biological investigations of the chemogenetically defined Gerbera genotypes now available.     

基于转录组测序的苦瓜热激蛋白相关基因分析

为获得苦瓜叶片高温胁迫状态下表达的相关基因,本研究以高温胁迫下苦瓜叶片为实验材料,采用Illumina HiSeq 2500高通量测序技术对正常温度(26℃)和高温胁迫(38℃)下苦瓜叶片转录测序后进行组装,再利用KEGG、Pfam、Swiss-Prot和NR数据库平台对热激蛋白的相关功能基因筛选,共获得24个热激蛋白相关基因,包括得20个热激蛋白基因、2个位于叶绿体中的小热激蛋白以及2个热激转录因子。聚类分析研究表明,涉及到热激蛋白相关的20个Unigene广泛分布于3大类中,其中c42567和c43094这两个亲缘关系最近;两个小热激蛋白c42963和c12133的亲缘关系次之;c35683和c3040两个热激转录因子亲缘关系最远。通过本次研究中获取的24个热激蛋白相关Unigene信息,有助于深入研究苦瓜耐高温胁迫机理等提供数据信息。     

小麦抗病基因同源序列(RGAs)的克隆与分析

RGA(抗性基因同源序列)法是克隆植物抗性基因的一种经济有效的方法,成为近年来的研究热点。本实验综合分析了拟南芥,西红柿,水稻,烟草等植物已克隆的抗性基因,并以这些抗性基因的NBS(核酸结合位点),LRR(富含亮氨酸重复),STK(丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶)保守结构域设计并合成了几十对RGA引物,对小麦抗条锈病材料进行PCR扩增,获得以Xal-NBS为引物的R88RGA片段,经克隆和序列比对分析,发现该片段与逆境条件下植物抗病信号传导相关,与蛋白激酶同源性达到96%。此项研究对抗病机理的研究和基因的发掘有重要的指导意义。     

Biodiversity in a germplasm collection of durum wheat

Summary Over 7,600 durum wheat accessions belonging to 22 country gene pools were evaluated in Syria, during the seasons 1985–86 through 1987–88 under semi-arid Mediterranean climatic conditions. Data on seven agronomic traits are presented to assess the distinctiveness and the phenotypic diversity of these pools. Univariate statistical analysis revealed differences among materials of diverse origins for all traits. Mean phenotypic diversity within countries was highest in the germplasm from India, lowest in that from Bulgaria. In a canonical variate analysis, the first three canonical variables explained 77.7% of the total variance. A cluster analysis was performed to supplement the generated information by the canonical analysis. The multivariate analyses evidenced the distinctiveness of the Ethiopian germplasm. The gene pools from Syria and Jordan, closely resembling each other, appeared separate from all others. A certain peculiarity was also shown by the germplasms from Greece, Morocco and France, while the remaining countries clustered into four groups. The results of the present evaluation could provide useful information for breeding activities, germplasm collection, and establishment of core collections. Evidence is presented that environment played a major role in creating the overall variation for the considered traits, although germplasm exchange seemed also an important factor.     

抗虫转基因植物鉴定方法的研究进展

农作物受害虫侵害严重,给农业生产带来巨大损失,喷施化学杀虫剂使害虫产生抗药性,且污染环境。近年来,转基因技术研究不断深入,抗虫转化研究工作进展迅速。鉴定转基因植物的方法技术有很多种,在此主要阐述了利用标记基因进行鉴定,分子标记,免役技术三大类方法,并对其原理分别进行了简单介绍。     

Genetics of grains per spike in durum wheat under normal and late planting conditions

Parental, F₁, F₂, BC₁, BC₂, BC₁₁, BC₁₂, BC₂₁, BC₂₂, BC₁ self and BC₂ selfed generations of three crosses involving six cultivars of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) were studied for grains per spike under normal and late sown environments to analyze the nature of gene effects. A 10-parameter model did not fully account for the differences among the generation means. In two cases more complex interactions or linkage were involved in the inheritance of grains per spike in durum. Both digenic and trigenic epistatic interactions had a role in controlling the inheritance of grains per spike, however, trigenic interactions contributed more than digenic interactions. Non-fixable gene effects were many times higher than fixable ones in all three crosses and in both sowing environments indicating a major role of non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of this trait. Duplicate epistasis between sets of three genes under both environments was recorded for the cross Raj 911 × DWL 5002. Epistatic interactions, particularly the trigenic ones, contributed the maximum significant heterosis. Epistatic interactions involving dominance in the F₂ generations caused significant inbreeding depression. Selective diallel mating and/or biparental mating could be used for amelioration of grains per spike in durum wheat.     

Single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of the barley waxy gene by polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers

A high‐throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping procedure was developed to select amylose‐free barley mutants whose waxy genes had a C‐ to T‐base substitution in exon 5, which converted Gln‐89 of the wild‐type gene into a termination codon. An F₂ population carrying an amylose‐free waxy gene was checked for segregation. Polymerase chain reaction with confronting two‐pair primers (PCR‐CTPP) produced allele‐specific PCR products that have different sizes and are inherited in a co‐dominant manner. Two alleles of the barley waxy gene with SNP were correctly identified in parental strains using the PCR‐CTPP procedure. Segregation of the SNP as detected by PCR‐CTPP in an F₂ population fitted the expected 1:2:1 ratio. The PCR‐CTPP procedure can provide a time saving and cost‐effective alternative to derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence in marker‐assisted selection.     

Molecular mapping of a dominant genic male sterility gene Ms in rapeseed (Brassica napus)

Rs1046AB is a genic male sterile two‐type line in rapeseed that has great potential for hybrid seed production. The sterility of this line is conditioned by the interaction of two genes, i.e. the dominant genic male sterility gene (Ms) and the suppressor gene (Rf). The present study was undertaken to identify DNA markers for the Ms locus in a BC₁ population developed from a cross between a male‐sterile plant in Rs1046AB and the fertile canola‐type cultivar ‘Samourai’. Bulked segregant analysis was performed using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methodology. From the survey of 480 AFLP primer combinations, five AFLP markers (P10M13₃₅₀, P13M8₄₀₀, P6M6₄₁₀, E7M1₂₃₀ and E3M15₁₀₀) tightly linked to the target gene were identified. Two of them, E3M15₁₀₀ and P6M6₄₁₀, located the closest, at either side of Ms at a distance of 3.7 and 5.9 cM, respectively. The Ms locus was subsequently mapped on linkage group LG10 in the map developed in this laboratory, adding two additional markers weakly linked to it. This suite of markers will be valuable in designing a marker‐assisted genic male sterility three‐line breeding programme.