Genetic diversity in cultivated sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and related wild species in East Africa

Genetic diversity of traditional sesame landraces and related wild species in East Africa remains largely unexplored. Knowing what fraction of the available genetic diversity is actually used by the farmers is of central importance for understanding how cultivation shapes the genetic structure of a crop and for the management of biodiversity preservation. Genetic diversity in cultivated sesame and related wild species in East Africa was determined using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR). Six reliable ISSR primers generated 51 amplification fragments of which 36 (70.6%) were polymorphic. The number of amplified fragments ranged from 7 to 12 with a mean of 8.5 fragments per primer. The overall gene diversity and Shannon’s index were 0.28 and 0.34, Jaccard’s similarity coefficient ranged from 0.26 to 0.96, with an average of 0.67. Forty-six accessions of sesame were divided into six clusters, although the clustering did not indicate any clear division among sesame accessions based on their geographical locations. Each wild species was more distant from cultivated sesame than from other wild species, indicating that no cross-pollination with these wild species occurred during sesame domestication. These results showed a relatively high genetic diversity in sesame and related wild species. Indian-1 and Indian-2 accessions showed a good amount of genetic divergence. The genetic diversity data uncovered in this study can be exploited to improve traditional landraces of sesame in East Africa.     

ITGB5和MUC13基因在产肠毒素大肠杆菌抗性和易感大白仔猪间的差异表达分析

为分析仔猪腹泻抗性候选基因在大白仔猪抗性和易感个体间的差异表达情况及组织表达特异性,实验利用荧光定量PCR技术检测整合素β5(ITGB5)基因和黏蛋白13(MUC13)基因在仔猪小肠、脾脏、肺脏、胸腺、肝脏和淋巴6种组织中的表达水平以及在产肠毒素大肠杆菌(ETEC F4)抗性和易感仔猪个体间的差异表达情况。结果表明:大白仔猪ITGB5基因在6种组织中均有一定的表达,在抗性个体小肠组织中的表达量低于易感个体(P>0.05);MUC13基因在小肠中高度表达,在其他组织中表达量较低,且抗性个体的表达量显著高于易感个体(P<0.05)。由此可知,小肠组织中ITGB5基因的低表达和MUC13基因的高表达可能有助于降低致病性大肠杆菌黏附到小肠上皮细胞上,进而实现对致病性大肠杆菌的抗性。ITGB5基因和MUC13基因可能与仔猪腹泻抗性存在密切关系,都可以作为抗性候选基因用于标记辅助选择,应用于抗腹泻仔猪的选育。     

Genetic Dissection of Low Phosphorus Tolerance Related Traits Using Selected Introgression Lines in Rice

To dissect the genetic basis of low phosphorus tolerance(LPT), 114 BC2F4 introgression lines(ILs) were developed from Shuhui 527 and Minghui 86(recurrent parents), and Yetuozai(donor parent). The progenies were tested for 11 quantitative traits under three treatments including normal fertilization in normal soil(as control), normal fertilization in barren soil and low phosphorus stress in barren soil in Langfang, Hebei Province, China. Moreover, the ILs were investigated at the seedling stage using nutrient solution culture method in greenhouse in Beijing, China. A total of 49 main-effect quantitative trait loci(QTLs) underlying yield related traits were identified in Langfang, and their contributions to phenotypic variations ranged from 6.7% to 16.5%. Among them, 25(51.0%) QTLs had favorable alleles from donor parent. A total of 48 main-effect QTLs were identified for LPT-related traits in Beijing, and their contributions to phenotypic variations ranged from 7.7% to 16.6%. Among them, 21(43.8%) QTLs had favorable alleles from donor parent. About 79.6% of the QTLs can be detected repeatedly under two or more treatments, especially QTLs associated with spikelet number per panicle, spikelet fertility and 1000-grain weight, displaying consistent phenotypic effects. Among all the detected QTLs, eight QTLs were simultaneously identified under low phosphorus stress across two environments. These results can provide useful information for the genetic dissection of LPT in rice.     

利用选择导入系进行水稻耐低磷鉴定与QTL定位分析

选取我国当前生产上大面积推广应用的籼稻恢复系明恢86和蜀恢527作为轮回亲本,以籼稻品种爷驼崽为供体亲本构建了2个BC2F4群体,在河北廊坊田间正常土壤正常施肥(对照)、贫瘠土壤正常施肥和贫瘠土壤低磷胁迫这三种处理下进行产量及相关性状的表型评价。同时,在北京温室采用水培法进行苗期耐低磷鉴定。在廊坊检测到49个产量及相关性状主效QTL,这些QTL对表型变异的贡献率为6.7%~16.5%;其中有25个(51.0%)QTL的有利等位基因来自供体亲本爷驼崽。在北京检测到影响耐低磷相关性状(根长、根系干质量、根冠比、地上部分干质量和总干质量)的主效QTL 48个,这些QTL对表型变异的贡献率为7.7%~16.6%;其中有21个(43.8%)QTL的有利等位基因来自供体亲本爷驼崽。多达79.6%的QTL能在廊坊环境两个或两个以上处理下被检测到,特别是与每穗总粒数、结实率和千粒重有关的QTL,不仅能稳定的表达,并且它们在不同处理下具有比较一致的效应。在检测到的所有QTL中,有8个染色体区段在两种环境的低磷胁迫条件下被同时检测到,其中与第12染色体RM511(Bin12.4)紧密连锁的位点,同时控制每穗实粒数、每穗总粒数、根长、根系干质量、地上部分干质量和总干质量等6个性状。     

Do vaccination interventions have effects? A study on how poultry vaccination interventions change smallholder farmer knowledge,attitudes, and practice in villages in Kenya and Tanzania

Poultry are important for many poor households in developing countries, but there are many constraints to poultry production, including disease. One of the most important diseases of chickens is Newcastle disease (ND). Even though there are effective vaccines against this disease available in most countries, uptake by small-scale poultry keepers is often low. In this study, two areas in Kenya and Tanzania were studied, where some villages had received additional support to get vaccination and other villages had not. In Kenya, 320 households from 10 villages were interviewed, of which half of the villages had active promotion of vaccination through village-based advisors. In Tanzania, 457 households were interviewed, of which 241 came from villages that have had active support through either a project or government extension services. Knowledge about vaccines and the attitudes towards vaccinating against ND was evaluated using mixed multivariable logistic models. Results indicate that in Kenya, the most important determinants for understanding the function of a vaccine were having had support in the village and to have knowledge about ND signs, while in Tanzania gender and previous vaccine use were important in addition to having had support. Attitudes towards vaccination were mainly determined by knowledge, where more knowledge about how vaccines work in general or about ND contributed to more positive attitudes. Among Kenyan farmers that had never used the vaccine before, the amount of birds they lost to disease and predators also influenced attitudes. In conclusion, this study supports the notion that knowledge is a very important component of extension support and that simply making vaccines available may not be sufficient for high levels of uptake.