大花君子兰叶绿体基因组及其特征

采用Illumina MiSeq测序平台对大花君子兰（Clivia miniata）叶片总DNA进行测序，通过组装获得了其叶绿体基因组（cpDNA）全长序列（158 114 bp）。对其cpDNA注释得到135个基因，包含87个蛋白编码基因、40个tRNA基因和8个rRNA基因。采用生物信息学方法对获得的cpDNA进行简单序列重复（SSR）分析和密码子偏好性分析。结果显示：①大花君子兰cpDNA中共有61个SSR位点，其中单核苷酸、二核苷酸、三核苷酸、四核苷酸、五核苷酸和六核苷酸重复数分别为38、9、2、8、3和1个，多数SSR分布在基因间隔区；②大花君子兰cpDNA密码子偏爱以A或U（T）结尾，亮氨酸使用频率最高，半胱氨酸使用频率最低。基于24种植物的cpDNA全长和23种植物的叶绿体ycf2基因序列进行系统发育分析，结果显示大花君子兰与石蒜科植物在同一分支，显示最近的亲缘关系，支持大花君子兰属于石蒜科。基于叶绿体ycf2的系统发育分析结果与基于cpDNA全长的系统发育分析研究结果大部分相同，支持ycf2基因可以代替cpDNA全长用于植物系统发育分析。     

可持续发展类型与测度的理论探讨

可持续发展的类型划分与可持续发展的测度是可持续发展理论研究的重要内容。科学反应可持续发展的特征 ,有利于可持续发展类型划分 ,是可持续发展测度的依据和目标。本文运用人地关系协调分析法与经济分析法 ,特别是与替代弹性不变生产函数分析法 (C.E.S生产函数 )相结合 ,提出了可持续的人均国内生产总值 ,探讨了可持续发展中人文资本、自然资本相互协调、相互依存的关系特征 ,建立可持续发展测度的指标系统和可持续发展的类型体系     

哺乳动物附植前胚胎的基因表达调控

哺乳动物胚胎附植前期包括:合子的形成,胚胎基因组的激活和细胞分化的开始。在这个时期,发育由母源物质控制转为合子基因控制,在此过程,同时形成染色质介导的转录抑制时期,要解除抑制必须经过胚胎基因组的激活。通过对体内、外附植前胚胎的mRNA的表达特点以及它们与成功发育联系的研究,可以筛选出最佳的体外培养条件,设计最佳的核移植方案。     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒缺失变异株的基因组特征

对猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)分离株HB2(sh)／2002的全基因组序列进行了测定与分析。该毒株基因组全长为15373nt(不包括PolyA尾)，与国内外美洲型PRRSV分离株全序列相似性介于88．7％～95．1％之间。序列分析表明，该毒株是1个天然存在缺失的变异毒株，其ORFla的Nsp2存在编码12个氨基酸的连续36个核苷酸的缺失，ORF、3存在编码1个氨基酸的3个核苷酸的缺失。这是国内外首次发现PRRSV存在缺失变异现象，研究结果补充和丰富了PRRSV毒株的基因组信息数据，为深入研究该毒株的遗传与变异及其与生物学特性的关系奠定了基础。     

Genetic risk factors for osteochondrosis in various horse breeds

Osteochondrosis (OC) is an injury to cartilage canals with a following necrosis in the growth cartilage, from there it can develop to osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). Due to its high impact in the equine industry, new insights into predisposing factors and potential high‐risk genetic variants are warranted. This article reviews advancements in quantitative and molecular genetics in refining estimation of genetic parameters and identifying predisposing genetic loci. Heritabilities were highest for hock OC with estimates at 0.29–0.46 in Hanoverian warmblood and Norwegian trotters, whereas in Thoroughbreds only very low genetic variation seemed to be present in hock OC lesions. Whole genome scans using the Illumina Equine SNP50 or SNP70 Beadchip were performed in Thoroughbred, Standardbred, French and Norwegian trotter, Hanoverian and Dutch warmblood. Validation studies in Spanish Purebred and Hanoverian warmblood horses corroborated OC risk loci on ECA 3, 14, 27 and 29. Particularly, a strong association with hock‐OCD was found for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on horse chromosome (ECA) 3 upstream to the LCORL gene. Gene expression and microRNA analyses may be helpful to understand pathophysiological processes in equine OC and to connect OCD‐associated genomic regions with potential candidate genes. Furthermore progress in elucidating the underlying genetic variants and pathophysiological changes in OC may be expected from whole genome DNA and RNA next‐generation sequencing studies.     

The complete mitochondrial genome and molecular phylogeny of Lueyang black-bone chicken

ABSTRACT

1. The objectives of the current study were to investigate the mitochondrial genome and molecular phylogeny of Lueyang black-bone chicken, and provide molecule base to preserve and explore the specific chicken strain.

2. Based on sequencing and clustering, the complete mitochondrial DNA map and sequences of Lueyang black-bone chicken were revealed, and two phylogenetic trees of Lueyang black-bone chickens based on D-loop sequences and the mitochondrial genome were constructed.

3. The results showed that the complete mitochondrial genome of Lueyang black-bone chickens is 16,784bp in size, consisting of 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and one non-coding control region. The base composition of the complete mtDNA sequence is 30.28% for A, 23.78% for T, 32.42% for C, 13.52% for G. Additionally, 10 haplotypes of D-loop sequences in 32 Lueyang black-bone chickens were detected, which were distributed into 4 clades (A, B, C and E).

4. It was concluded that genetic diversity is wide in Lueyang black-bone chickens, and this strain has multiple maternal origins from different regions in China and neighbouring regions.     

Improvements of TKC Technology Accelerate Isolation of Transgene-Free CRISPR/Cas9-Edited Rice Plants

Elimination of the CRISPR/Cas9 constructs in edited plants is a prerequisite for assessing genetic stability, conducting phenotypic characterization, and applying for commercialization of the plants. However, removal of the CRISPR/Cas9 transgenes by genetic segregation and by backcross is laborious and time consuming. We previously reported the development of the transgene killer CRISPR (TKC) technology that uses a pair of suicide genes to trigger self-elimination of the transgenes without compromising gene editing efficiency. The TKC technology enables isolation of transgene-free CRISPR-edited plants within a single generation, greatly accelerating crop improvements. Here, we presented two new TKC vectors that show great efficiency in both editing the target gene and in undergoing self-elimination of the transgenes. The new vectors replaced the CaMV35S promoter used in our previous TKC vector with two rice promoters to drive one of the suicide genes, providing advantages over our previous TKC vector under certain conditions. The vectors reported here offered more options and flexibility to conduct gene editing experiments in rice.