The use of green waste compost in peat-based potting mixtures: Fertilization and suppressiveness against soilborne diseases

Twelve commercially produced Dutch green waste composts were evaluated for their suitability to replace 20% (v/v) peat substrate in the cultivation of ornamentals. Salt concentrations were determined in water extracts of the composts and disease suppressive effects were assessed against various soilborne diseases. The Cl-concentration of the compost extract appeared to be the limiting factor for use of the composts in potting mixtures. The Cl-concentrations in 7 and 1 composts, respectively, were too high to replace 20% of peat for growing salt sensitive and moderately salt sensitive plants, according to guidelines set for these groups of plants. The suppressive effects of the composts were tested in peat-based potting mixtures using three bioassays: Phytophthora cinnamomi—lupin, Cylindrocladium spathiphylli—Spathiphyllum and Rhizoctonia solani AG2-1—cauliflower. Disease levels in compost-amended mixtures were compared with the non-amended controls. None of the composts induced suppressiveness against P. cinnamomi; 3 and 9 composts significantly induced suppressiveness against C. spathiphylli and R. solani, respectively. No significant disease enhancement was observed in any of the bioassays. The pH of the potting mixture showed a negative correlation with suppression of the Rhizoctonia disease (R² = 0.56). The effect of pH (pH 4–6) on suppression of R. solani and P. cinnamomi was further studied in non-amended peat. Disease suppression of R. solani in cauliflower decreased with increasing pH in two different kinds of peat, while there was no effect on P. cinnamomi. The suppressive effect of 3 composts was assessed in two experiments against Fusarium wilt in Cyclamen persicum (caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. cyclamini) and Begonia eliator (caused by F. foetens) under near-commercial conditions. None of the composts had a significant effect on Fusarium wilt in Cyclamen. Two and 3 composts significantly induced suppressiveness against Fusarium wilt in Begonia in the first and second experiments, respectively. No significant differences were observed in growth characteristics between Begonia plants grown in compost-amended and non-amended potting mixture in both experiments. In the second experiment, Cyclamen plants grown in compost-amended potting mixture had significant lower number of flowers than plants grown in non-amended potting mixture, which may have been due to lower concentrations of N in the compost-amended potting mixtures. In conclusion, most composts of the origin and composition tested can replace 20% peat in potting mixtures for moderately salt sensitive and salt tolerant plants. Amendment of these composts can contribute to control of Fusarium wilt in Begonia plants.     

SSH与cDNA芯片技术的联合及其在植物基因差异表达研究中的应用

抑制消减杂交技术(SSH)与cDNA芯片技术是新近发展起来的研究差异表达基因的两种非常有效的方法。近年来,将SSH和cDNA芯片技术结合使用,为分析组织细胞的已知基因表达差异提供了新的手段,也为克隆和鉴定新基因开辟了新的道路,是目前寻找差异表达基因的适用方法。鉴于此,对SSH和cDNA芯片技术的基本原理、两种方法结合使用的操作流程、克隆差异表达新基因的特点,以及在植物基因差异表达方面的应用进行了概述。     

鸡白痢沙门菌基因组差异片段的筛选与分析

采用抑制性消减杂交技术（SSH）对鸡白痢沙门菌C79-13株与鸡伤寒沙门菌Sg9株进行了基因组差异片段分析.结果,从C79-13株中共检出13个特异性差异片段.经同源分析,这些序列可分为3类：噬菌体相关序列、质粒相关序列和已知功能序列.这些差异片段包含一些重要的沙门菌毒力相关基因,如编码大肠杆菌素、IpaJ蛋白、尾突蛋白、切除酶的基因.结果表明,鸡白痢沙门菌C79-13株与鸡伤寒沙门茵Sg9株基因组问存在较多差异基因,这些差异片段为确定鸡白痢沙门菌特异性遗传标志,建立分子鉴别新体系提供了基础.     

Differential expression of genes in the rat heart during centrifuge training

AIM: Centrifuge training can improve forward acceleration (+Gz) endurance. This study was to analyzed the gene expression of rat heart affected by centrifuge, and to research the molecular mechanism of improving+Gz endurance by centrifuge training. METHODS: Differential expressed genes between high+Gz endurance (+16Gz) rats, of test group after trained12 d and control were screened using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and dot blot hybridization. The obtained expressed sequence tags (ESTs)were used as probes to perform RNA slot hybridization with heart total RNA isolated from each gruop of centrifuge training and high+Gz endurance and low+Gz endurance (+12Gz) rats, respectively. The positive ESTs were sequenced and analyzed using BLAST(nr) at NCBI.RESULTS: Three down-regulated ESTs were obtained from heart samples, all of them are new, and their expression levels were decreasing during centrifuge training. CONCLUSION: Centrifuge training can significantly affect the special gene expressions of rat heart, and the expression changes of these genes may be ralated to the mechainism that+Gz endurance can be improved by centrifuge training.     

Sexual hybridisation in crosses of cultivated Brassica species with the crucifers Erucastrum gallicum and Raphanus raphanistrum: Potential for gene introgression

Studies were conducted to investigate the crossability of the cultivated Brassica species, Brassica napus (oilseed rape), B. rapa (turnip rape), and B. juncea (brown and oriental mustard), with two related cruciferous weeds that are abundant in certain regions of Canada, Erucastrum gallicum (dog mustard) and Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. raphanistrum (wild radish). Seed was produced without recourse to embryo rescue from all reciprocal crosses except R. raphanistrum × B. juncea. Four hybrid plants were recovered, namely B. napus × E. gallicum, B. napus × R. raphanistrum (two plants), and B. rapa × E. gallicum. The hybrids were characterized by their morphology, RAPD analysis, and cytological examination. The B. rapa × E. gallicum hybrid was extremely vigourous and fertile, and would likely grow in natural habitats. This hybrid produced self-seed and backcrossed readily with the B. rapa parent and, to a lesser extent, with the E. gallicum parent. The B. napus × E. gallicum hybrid was a weak plant, but produced fertile backcross progeny with the E. gallicum parent. The B. napus × R. raphanistrum hybrids were vigourous but mostly sterile. Because of their low vigour and/or sterility, hybrids produced from crosses of B. napus with the cruciferous weeds would not likely be an environmental concern. However, the potential of the B. napus × E. gallicum and B. rapa × E. gallicum hybrids to backcross with E. gallicum may be of concern. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Use of the gene pools of Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides and Aegilops squarrosa for the breeding of common wheat (T. aestivum), through chromosome-doubled hybrids

Summary Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (wild emmer wheat, AABB, 2n=28) and Aegilops squarrosa (goat grass, DD, 2n=14) comprise a rich reservoir of valuable genetic material, which could be useful for the breeding of common wheat (T. aestivum, AABBDD, 2n=42). Many accessions of both wild species, most of them selected for resistance to stripe rust, were used to make amphiploids. Two strategies were applied: (1) the production of autopolyploid cytotypes of the wild species, followed by hybridisation, and (2) the production of allotriploid interspecific hybrids, followed by doubling of the number of chromosomes. The first route was unsuccessful because of failure of the crosses between the autopolyploid cytotypes, possibly due to incongruity between the two species and to reduced fertility in the autopolyploid cytotypes. The second route yielded the desired synthetic hexaploids. However, the rate of success of the crosses was low and there were great differences between years, and within years between crosses. Embryo rescue was applied to obtain the primary hybrids (2n=21), which were highly sterile and had on average 0.3 bivalents and 20.4 univalents per pollen mother cell. Various abnormalities were recorded. Doubling of the number of chromosomes sometimes occurred spontaneously or was brought about by colchicine treatment. The large scale of the interspecific hybridisation programme ensured that one-third of the female and one-sixth of the male accessions were represented in the synthetic hexaploids.     

Interspecific hybridisation betweenLimonium perigrinum Bergius andLimonium purpuratum L.

Summary Interspecific hybrids betweenLimonium perigrinum andL. purpuratum were obtained usingL. perigrinum as the female parent. No hybrids were produced by the reciprocal cross. Twelve- to 15-day-old embryos were rescued and cultured within their embryo sacs on modified B5 or KM medium. After two to three days the embryos were excised from their embryo sacs and re-plated on to fresh medium. When the embryo-derived plantlets had attained a length of 1 cm they were transferred to a modified MS medium containing BA and NAA for shoot proliferation. Plantlets were transferred to modified MS medium supplemented with IBA for 24 hours for root initiation then to a modified growth-regulator-free MS medium for root growth. After a further 28 days the plantlets were transferred to soil-less medium for acclimatisation. The hybrid characteristics of one of the 15 embryo-derived plants were determined by flow cytometry and by examination of morphological features. The mean DNA contents of 2C nuclei fromL. perigrinum, the hybrid andL. purpuratum were 13.98 pg, 16.81 pg and 19.37 pg, respectively. Mitotic and meiotic chromosome counts fromL. perigrinum andL. purpuratum showed that both parents and their hybrids had identical chromosome numbers (2n=24), and that the species were closely related. Morphological analyses of leaves and flowers showed that the hybrids displayed a number of features intermediate between both parents.Abbreviations B5 Gamborg et al. (1968) B5 medium - BA benzyl adenine - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - KM Kao and Michayluk (1975) medium - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium - NAA napthalene-1-acetic acid - PVP polyvinylpyrrolidone     

Identification of barriers to interspecific crosses in the genus Trifolium

Summary A study of pre- and post-fertilisation barriers after interspecific crosses of diploid and tetraploid Trifolium pratense L. and wild species T. alpestre L., T. medium L. and T. sarosiense Hazsl. was aimed at finding of a promising cross combination for obtaining hybrids. The growth of pollen tubes was arrested in interspecific crosses mainly when T. pratense was at a diploid level. To investigate the post-fertilisation barriers in detail, the hybrid embryo viability was traced by two clearing treatments of immature seeds: (1) using chloral hydrate (which proved to be most appropriate); and (2) a mixture of benzyl benzoate and dibutly phthalate. In interspecific combinations T. pratense (4×) × either T. alpestre or T. sarosiense, enlargement of immature seeds occurred, but no hybrid embryo was traced. Of the wild species used as a male parent for crosses, T. medium was the only exception from the point of view of fertilisation. Globular, heart and the early torpedo stages of hybrid embryos were observed 7 days after pollination (DAP) but only when T. pratense was at a tetraploid level. When T. pratense (2×, 4×) was used as a male parent for interspecific crosses with T. alpestre, T. medium and T. sarosiense, strong defects in various stages of embryogenesis were observed, particularly wrinkled and narrowing embryo sacs caused by an expansion of endothelial cells. We conclude with the following finding: (1) to make crosses only in one direction with T. pratense as a female parent and T. medium as a male; (2) to use tetraploid plants of T. pratense; (3) and to excise hybrid embryos at an early torpedo stage, about 7 DAP.     

Development and cytogenetic characterisation of a double goat grass-barley chromosome substitution in tritordeum

×Tritordeum (Ascherson et Graebner, an amphiploid between Triticum turgidum conv. durum and Hordeum chilense), and chromosome substitution lines of tritordeum where chromosomes 2 H ^ch or 3 H ^ch H. chilense were replaced with chromosome 2 D of T. aestivum or 3 H ^v chromosome of H. vulgare, respectively, were used to assess the effect of specific chromosomes on the rachis. ×Tritordeum has brittle rachis while the 2 D(2 H ^ch) and 3 H ^v (3 H ^ch) substitution lines have non-brittle rachis. Both lines also have compact spikes, a character highly desirable for the improvement of tritordeum threshability. Different combinations of 2 D and 3 H ^v translocations were developed in tritordeum. In this article we present information on the identification and characterisation of all these introgression lines by the fluorescent in situ hybridisation.     

玉米S型细胞质雄性不育与恢复花粉中基因表达差异分析

以近等基因系S-Mo17Rf3Rf3和S-Mo17rf3rf3为材料,通过抑制消减杂交对S(Rf3)和S(rf3)花粉中差异表达的基因进行了研究.结果表明,玉米(Zea mays L.)S(Rf3)和S(rf3)花粉中存在与信号传导、膜系统形成、花粉的成熟以及抗细胞衰老等细胞和生理活动相关的基因表达的差异,但没有发现参与糖代谢、淀粉合成及其转运相关基因的表达差异.O-乙酰半乳糖胺转移酶(O-linked GlcNAc transferase,OGT)基因在Rf3花粉中表达累积.依据OGT基因的功能及其在玉米不同育性花粉中的表达模式,推测OGT受糖类物质诱导表达并与S(Rf3)配子的育性恢复有关.这一假说还有待进一步实验证实.