Setaria digitata was the main cause of equine neurological ataxia in Korea: 50 cases (2015–2016)

This study was performed to examine and clarify the cause of hindlimb ataxia and neuropathy seen in the South Korean horse population. Fifty horses diagnosed with hindlimb ataxia and neuropathy were referred for this study. Neurological examination was performed on 47 horses while necropsy was performed in all 50 animals. The occurrence of neurological diseases increased rapidly in the summer and 47 out of 50 horses were referred after the end of July. The incidence of neurological diseases started from the southern part of Korea in July and proceeded northward in August and September. Although there was no correlation with age, Thoroughbred and Warmblood horses showed a higher incidence rate than Halla and Jeju horses. The incidence rate was 5 times higher in geldings than in mares and stallions. Of the 20 cases, 16 were diagnosed with eosinophilic meningoencephalomyelitis in 2015. The most common lesions observed in 2016 were parasitic meningoencephalomyelitis (10 cases, 33%) and eosinophilic meningomyelitis (7 cases, 23%). Histopathological analysis of the brain and spinal cord revealed nematodes of approximately 100–200 µm in diameter, microcavitation and infiltrates of eosinophils, and brown pigmented macrophage infiltrates. The nematodes were identified as Setaria digitata via DNA sequencing, performed subsequent to polymerase chain reaction using DNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of the spinal cord. These results show that aberrant migration of Setaria digitata larva in the brain and spinal cord was a major cause for neurological signs in horses.     

水稻胚乳突变体筛选与特性研究进展

本文在简要介绍胚乳的发育、组成及品质性状遗传的基础上,综述了与淀粉、蛋白质和微营养相关的系列胚乳突变及相关性状的基因定位。胚乳突变主要包括糯性、暗色、云雾状、糖质、皱缩、粉质米、低直链淀粉、高直链淀粉、低粘滞性、高抗性淀粉、低水溶性蛋白、蛋白体缺失、高赖氨酸、高铁、低植酸等方面。     

Strategies for applying selenium for biofortification of rice in tropical soils and their effect on element accumulation and distribution in grains

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the selenium (Se) application via soil (SeVI) and leaf (SeIV and SeVI) on agronomic attributes of rice and the spatial distribution of Se and other elements in biofortified rice grains. For this, a field trial was conducted using six Se rates (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 g ha⁻¹). Physiological evaluations in rice leaves, rice grain yield, and Se and other elements content were assessed. Spatial distributions of Se and other elements were visualized mapping the biofortified rice grains with μXRF. The results showed that the strategies and rates of Se applied to the plants were effective for producing Se-rich rice grains. Although Se application did not change the rice yield, it affected some enzyme activities, improving the antioxidant system of the plant. The spatial distribution of the different elements found in the biofortified rice grains varied substantially, with Se accumulations mainly in the endosperm, whereas P, K, Fe, and Zn accumulate in the embryo. Agronomic biofortification of rice with Se, via soil or leaf, is a promising strategy to be adopted in tropical soils in order to produce rice grains with adequate Se contents for human consumption.     

色氨酰-tRNA合成酶基因WRS1调控水稻种子发育

【目的】氨酰-tRNA合成酶（aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, aaRSs）与遗传信息传递密切相关,已发现植物中aaRSs家族蛋白在维持翻译功能之余,还参与配子发生与胚发育、质体的早期发育以及免疫信号的感知与病害防御等生物学过程。本研究利用水稻胚乳发育缺陷突变体,分析水稻色氨酰-tRNA合成酶（WRS1）在胚乳发育中的作用,证明WRS1基因编码一个影响水稻胚乳发育的关键因子。【方法】本研究通过甲烷磺酸乙酯（ethyl methane sulfonate, EMS）诱变籼稻（Oryza sativa subsp. indica）品种N22,筛选到一个稳定遗传的水稻粉质胚乳突变体（wrs1）,图位克隆获得目标基因。对wrs1成熟种子进行形态学观察以及淀粉相关理化性质测定,利用细胞学切片分析wrs1发育中胚乳的结构,利用实时荧光定量PCR（quantitative real-time PCR, qRT-PCR）和GUS活性染色分析基因表达模式,通过qRT-PCR比较野生型与突变体花后12 d胚乳中淀粉合成相关基因表达情况,免疫印迹检测野生型与突变体成熟种子中淀粉合成酶蛋白积累情况,使用全自动氨基酸分析仪测定游离氨基酸含量。【结果】 wrs1突变体幼苗表现出明显的发育滞后且逐渐蔫萎死亡,从杂合突变体（WRS1wrs1）中分离到的粉质籽粒呈现明显的腹部皱缩,粒厚、千粒重下降,同时总淀粉含量下降,糊化淀粉的峰值黏度和崩解值均低于野生型。wrs1突变体发育胚乳中复合淀粉颗粒变小,排列疏松。WRS1定位于第12染色体长臂约183 kb的区间内,测序发现编码色氨酰-tRNA合成酶（tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase, WRS）基因的第6外显子上发生单碱基替换,导致一个保守位置上的甲硫氨酸被替换。wrs1突变体中大部分淀粉合成相关基因表达量下调,且野生型与突变体间基因表达的变化与相应蛋白积累的差异存在不一致的趋势。wrs1突变体籽粒中蛋白质积累降低,而游离氨基酸含量显著升高。【结论】 WRS1编码色氨酰-tRNA合成酶,该基因突变后通过影响氨基酸稳态和蛋白质合成,造成淀粉合成相关基因异常表达从而影响淀粉的合成与积累,导致种子发育缺陷。     

甜玉米品质遗传改良研究进展

甜玉米为具有果蔬和谷物特征的新型农作物,其营养丰富,适口性好,受到国内外消费者和科研人员的广泛关注。甜玉米含淀粉合成缺陷基因,糖类在胚乳中大量积累,是鲜食玉米主要类型之一。根据缺陷基因的不同,甜玉米可分为普甜玉米、超甜玉米和加强甜玉米等类型,不同类型间食味品质和营养品质差异较大。甜度、爽脆度、果皮厚度、风味等是甜玉米的主要食用品质特性,这些性状受微效多基因控制,其遗传研究及育种改良应用均面临很大挑战。目前,甜玉米品质相关的研究取得了一定进展,研究者对甜玉米食味品质（含糖量、果皮厚度等）和营养品质（维生素、矿物元素、蛋白含量等）的主要评价指标进行鉴定和分析,获得了大量研究成果,主要集中在表型变异、遗传力、QTL 位点、候选基因等层面。这些研究的开展为甜玉米营养改良提供了重要的理论和分子基础。对甜玉米品质相关（包括甜玉米形成的遗传基础、维生素 E、果皮厚度、锌含量、玉米黄质和蛋白质含量）的国内外研究进展进行综述,并探讨了甜玉米遗传改良的发展方向,为甜玉米品质改良和优质品种培育提供理论依据。     

东太平洋茎柔鱼的耳石微结构

根据采集于东太平洋哥斯达黎加、秘鲁和智利外海的茎柔鱼耳石样本,分析了其生长纹、标记轮和其他异常结构。结果显示,耳石生长纹由明暗相间的环纹组成,按照生长纹宽度的不同可分为后核心区、暗区和外围区3个明显的生长区。通过对后核心区和暗区生长纹的计数显示,哥斯达黎加、秘鲁和智利外海3个海区的茎柔鱼仔鱼的年龄分别约为26、32和33日龄,稚鱼的年龄分别约为86、84和88日龄。茎柔鱼的耳石微结构中存在7类标记轮,它们的形成与茎柔鱼自身的内源节律(孵化、交配、产卵等)和外部环境压力(温度骤变、捕食者攻击等)等因素有关。研究还在个别茎柔鱼的耳石中发现一些不规则的异常结构(副核心、附生长纹、附中心)和生长纹方向颠倒的现象,推断它们的形成可能是由于外力作用使得耳石被破坏或耳石脱离原先的位置所造成的。     

水稻粉质皱缩胚乳突变体fse4的表型分析与基因克隆

【目的】水稻种子主要以淀粉形式储藏能量。淀粉合成需要多种酶类和调控因子参与，机制较为复杂。本研究利用水稻胚乳发育缺陷突变体，克隆和鉴定新的调控淀粉合成相关基因，旨在为研究淀粉合成及其调控提供理论依据。【方法】从化学诱变剂甲基亚硝基脲（1-methyl-1-nitroso-urea, MNU）处理的宁粳3号(Ningjing 3, WT)突变体库中筛选到一个能稳定遗传的胚乳粉质皱缩突变体，命名为fse4 (floury and shrunken 4 )。与籼稻品种Dular杂交获得F1种子（F2），通过图位克隆的策略确定FSE4候选基因。利用杂合植株（FSE4fse4）分离出的粉质种子，观察形态学特征，分析其理化性质。使用扫描电镜和半薄切片技术观察胚乳结构。使用qRT-PCR和免疫印迹分析淀粉合成相关基因表达模式和淀粉合成相关酶类的蛋白积累量。利用全自动氨基酸分析仪测定成熟胚乳各氨基酸含量。【结果】突变体fse4籽粒宽度、厚度以及千粒重显著下降，同时胚乳中总淀粉、总蛋白、直链淀粉含量亦显著下降，而脂肪含量显著上升；淀粉黏度、崩解值和消减值显著低于野生型。突变体fse4中多为单粒型淀粉颗粒，且排列分散。FSE4定位于第5染色体长臂约252 kb的区间内，测序发现编码Δ1-吡咯啉-5-羧酸合成酶基因 （Delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase, P5CS）第1外显子上发生单碱基替换，导致一保守的氨基酸发生变异。突变体fse4中大部分淀粉合成相关基因表达量下调，多种淀粉合成相关蛋白积累量减少。突变体fse4米粉中多种氨基酸含量发生显著变化，游离氨基酸含量是其野生型的3.6倍。此外，外源喷施脯氨酸能部分恢复突变体fse4种子萌发缺陷表型。【结论】FSE4编码脯氨酸合成关键限速酶P5CS，该基因对胚乳中氨基酸的合成及代谢起重要的调控作用，并影响淀粉的合成与积累。     

Endosperm Texture in Wheat

One of the fundamental means of classifying wheat is through its endosperm texture. It impacts significantly on the milling process affecting among other things flour particle size and milling yield. Hardness in wheat is largely controlled by genetic factors but it can be affected by the environment and factors such as moisture, lipid, and pentosan content. The principal genetic locus controlling endosperm texture in wheat, Ha, is located on the chromosome 5D. At this locus several genes, notably the puroindolines, have been identified. Puroindolines are the major components of the 15 kDa protein band associated with starch granules that is more abundant in soft wheats than in hard. Recently the puroindolines have been shown to enhance grain hardness in rice. In this review we discuss the structure of hard and soft wheat endosperm with particular emphasis on when differences in endosperm texture can be detected in the developing seed. The role of the environment and other factors that may affect the endosperm texture is also examined together with the role of the puroindoline genes at theHa locus. Finally, we compare endosperm hardness in wheat and in barley.     

咖啡小粒种六倍体和中小粒杂种四倍体胚乳的组织培养

进行了利用咖啡胚乳离体培养技术培育六倍体咖啡胚乳植株及四倍体中小粒种咖啡种间杂种的研究。结果表明:将小粒种咖啡自花授粉所得六倍性胚乳及以中粒种咖啡为母本、小粒种咖啡为父本进行杂交所获得的四倍性种间杂种胚乳,分别在附加有6-BA1~2mg/L和NAA2mg/L的改良MS培养基上培养,能诱导出有效的愈伤组织;在附加有6-BA或KT0.5mg/L,NAA0.1mg/L的改良MS培养基上,愈伤组织能分化出各种类型的胚状体;在附加有NAA或IBA0.5mg/L及2g/L活性炭的1/2MS培养基上,胚状体可被诱导生根而再生完整的六倍体咖啡胚乳植株和四倍体种间杂种咖啡胚乳植株。