Cytogenetic studies on the F1 hybrid ofLolium multiflorum ×L. rigidum and the species relationship in the genusLolium

Summary Successful crosses have been made betweenLolium multiflorum ×L. rigidum and theF₁ hybrids cytologically compared with the two parents with respect to karyomorphology and chromosome pairing. The hybrid showed considerable homologies between the parental chromosomes though some amount of differentiation had also occurred. The extent of differentiation suggests that phylogenetically the species are related and possibly separated quite recently. A model is presented to account for the differentiation of sectionsCraepalia andEulolium from a common stock. Presumably the ancestral form existed in the Mediterranean and was, briefly, an outbreeder with symmetrical karyotype.

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Zusammenfassung Lolium multiflorum ×L. rigidum wurden erfolgreich gekreuzt und die Chromosomen in F₁-Hybriden bezüglich ihrer Struktur und Paarung mit denen der Eltern verglichen. Die Chromosomen der Eltern ließen eine weitgehende Homologie erkennen, aber in gewissem Ausmaß deutete sich auch eine Differenzierung an. Diese Beobachtung läßt den Schluß zu, daß die beiden Arten relativ eng verwandt sind und sich phylogenetisch nahestehen. Das vorgelegte Modell weist darauf hin, daß die Differenzierung der SektionenCraepalia undEulolium höchstwahrscheinlich von einem gemeinsamen Vorfahr ausging. Dieser existierte vermutlich im Mittelmeergebiet als einjähriger Fremdbefruchter mit symmetrischem Karyotyp.

     

Mapping QTL associated with resistance to Fusarium head blight in the Nanda2419 × Wangshuibai population. II: Type I resistance

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious disease in wheat and barley affecting both yield and quality. To identify genes for resistance to infection, the RIL population derived from ‘Nanda2419’ × ‘Wangshuibai’ and the parents were evaluated for percentage of infected spikes (PIS) in four different environments. Using a 2,960 cM marker framework map constructed for this population, ten chromosome regions were detected for their association with type I resistance through interval mapping with Mapmaker/QTL, among which QTLs mapped in the intervals of Xwmc349~Xgwm149 on chromosome 4B, of Xwmc96~Xgwm304 on chromosome 5A and of Xgwm408~Xbarc140 on chromosome 5B were revealed in at least three environments and have Wangshuibai as the source of resistance alleles. Qfhi.nau-4B and Qfhi.nau-5A had larger effects and explained up to 17.5 and 27.0% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. To detect epistasis QTLs, two-locus interactions were examined by whole genome scan. Interactions of five locus pairs were found to have significant effects on type I resistance with the LOD score ranging 3.8–6.5 and four of them conferred resistance in parental phase. The one with the most significant effect was Xcfd42~Xgwm469 (6D)/Xwmc390-2~Xbd04 (2A) pair. No QTL × E interaction was detected for PIS. It was found that flowering time did not have significant effects on PIS in this population. Our studies indicated that Wangshuibai is useful for breeding for both type I and type II scab resistance and the markers associated with the QTLs could be used in marker-assisted selection and isolation of scab-resistance QTLs. F. Lin and S.L. Xue equally contributed to this article     

Segregation of F-2 interspecific hybrid growth performance and wing color patterns relative to parental species in the Papilio machaon species group （Lepidoptera： Papilionidae）

A strange Papilio female specimen with a prominent yellow wing band type very much like P. brevicauda （and also seen in P. machaon, and P. zelicaon） was captured in the forested mountains of southwest Vermont, USA. Despite its brevicauda-like appearance, it had mt-DNA of P. polyxenes. In eastern North America the P. brevicauda （Maritime Provinces of Canada） is currently believed to reflect previous （ancient） hybridization between ancestral P. machaon and P. polyxenes. It is uncertain whether the brevicauda-like wing trait features in the odd Vermont female may be a result of some introgression of P. machaon or P. brevicauda with P. polyxenes in eastern North America as seen also in the Ozark Mountains with P. joanae. Nonetheless, the significance of wing trait analyses in relation to hybrid zones with P. polyxenes remains relevant. The segregation of wing color patterns and hostplant use abilities （efficiencies and growth rates） were examined for laboratory hand-paired F-2 hybrids of P. zelicaon ~ Papilio polyxenes relative to the parental species and primary hybrids. The black adult color pattern characterizing P. polyxenes is presumed to be inherited as a simple autosomal dominant. These hybrids were examined to determine： （i） how F-1 primary hybrid offspring perform relative to the parental types in survival, growth rates, and growth efficiencies; and （ii） whether these larval traits and the adult color patterns might be linked with wing morphology in the F-2 hybrids. While the F-1 hybrids grew as well as the P. polyxenes parent （P. zelicaon was significantly less efficient and slower in growth than either of these）, we could not convincingly determine whether the growth performances of the F-2 segregants were linked with the parental wing patterns.     

Relationship between parental chromosomic contribution and nuclear DNA content in the coffee interspecific hybrid C. pseudozanguebariae×C. liberica var ‘dewevrei’

 F₁ hybrids were obtained between two coffee species with the same chromosome number (2n=22) but with different nuclear DNA contents [C. pseudozanguebariae (PSE) 2C=1.13 pg and C. liberica var ‘dewevrei’ (DEW) 2C=1.42 pg]. G2 hybrids were obtained by open-pollination of the F₁ hybrids. Genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) and flow cytometry were used on six F₁ hybrids and seven G2 hybrids to determine their parental chromosomic contribution and their nuclear DNA content (qDNA), respectively. GISH efficiently identified chromosomes from both species. F₁ hybrids had a qDNA intermediate between that of the parental species and contained the expected 11 chromosomes from each species. There was a linear relationship between the number of PSE chromosomes and the nuclear DNA content, which indicates that flow cytometry can be used to give a rough estimate of the parental chromosomic contribution in G2 hybrids. Received: 1 August 1997/Accepted: 25 August 1997     

Cytological studies of the hybrid,Phaseolus aureus×P. mungo

The two closely related species,Phaseolus aureus andP. mungo were crossed successfully using the former as the female parent. A detailed cytological study of the hybrid, which showed morphological characters of both the parents, was carried out.At the pachytene stage, the pairing behaviour of 9 out of the 11 chromosomes belonging to the haploid complement of the two parents was investigated. The remaining two chromosomes are represented by morphologically distinct bivalents. The two species differ by a translocation, a deletion and a duplication. A consideration of the data from comparative morphology, geographical distribution, protein characters and genetical studies in the F₂ and back cross generations, indicates a very close relationship between the two diploid species. Chromosome differentiation seems to constitute the major difference. The karyological evidences seem to indicate thatmungo is derived fromaureus.     

The interspecific hybrid Petunia parodii × P. inflata and its relevance to somatic hybridization in the genus Petunia

Summary Attempts at the reciprocal cross between Petunia parodii and P. inflata using standard emasculation and pollination techniques failed. Limited pollen tube growth down the style in reciprocal crosses led to reproductive isolation between the self-compatible P. parodii and self-incompatible P. inflata. The interspecific hybrid was successfully produced by bud-pollination of P. parodii with P. inflata as the male parent in 22 percent of attempts, but not in the opposite direction. In vitro pollination of P. parodii ovaries with P. inflata pollen also produced hybrids. The small size of the ovary made it technically impossible to use P. inflata as the female parent for in vitro pollination. The interspecific hybrids were intermediate, as compared to the two parents, for six of the seven plant and flower characters measured. Furthermore, the hybrids had high pollen fertility, set abundant seed upon self-pollination, and readily inter-crossed with the parental species. The results are consistent with a high degree of chromosomal homology in the parental species and with minor genetic divergency leading to reproductive isolation that is pre-zygotic in nature. Overcoming the barriers to cross-incompatibility by practical techniques resulted in fertile interspecific hybrids that segregated for parental characters. The potential value of employing the parental species in somatic hybridization experiments is discussed.Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article No. 8404     

Mapping QTL associated with resistance to <Emphasis Type=Italic>Fusarium</Emphasis> head blight in the Nanda2419 × Wangshuibai population. I. Type II resistance

Scab disease caused by Fusarium spp. has been a major concern for both wheat producers and consumers. Deployment of scab-resistant varieties is the major strategy to curb this disease. To identify the scab resistance genes in wheat cv. Wangshuibai, we produced a F_6:7 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population by crossing Wangshuibai with the scab-susceptible cultivar Nanda2419. The RILs were evaluated for scab resistance in the field by single floret inoculation in two replicates in 2002 and one replicate in 2003. The number of diseased spikelets (NDS) and the length of diseased rachides (LDR) were investigated to reflect the Type II resistance. Among 654 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers surveyed, 326 were found to be polymorphic between the parents. A partial molecular map was constructed with these markers that covered over 2,210 cM of the wheat genome. Six chromosome regions showed association with both NDS and LDR in a one-way anova analysis, even though the variation explained by them varied between the two traits. Eight intervals were detected for their association with Type II resistance through interval mapping, five of which were not identified in single-point analysis. The quantitative trait loci (QTL) with large effects were the ones in the interval of Xgwm533-3–Xgwm533-1 on chromosome 3B and in the interval of Xwmc539–Xbarc024 on chromosome 6B, whose alleles favoring resistance originate from Wangshuibai. In addition, a QTL whose resistance allele originated from Nanda2419 was consistently detected in the interval of Xs1021m–Xgwm47-1 on chromosome 2B. These results suggest that Wangshuibai is the major source for Type II resistance in this population. The markers associated with these QTL would facilitate the use of scab-resistant genes of Wangshuibai in scab resistance breeding programs of wheat.F. Lin and Z.X. Kong have equally contributed to this work.     

How do migratory species stay healthy over the annual cycle? A conceptual model for immune function and for resistance to disease

Migration has fascinated researchers for years and many active areas of study exist. However, the question of how migratory species stay healthy within the context of their annual cycle remains relatively unexplored. This article addresses this question using Red Knots (Calidris canutus) as a model migrant species. We review recent research on immune function in Red Knots and integrate this work with the broader eco-immunological literature to introduce a conceptual model. This model synthesizes earlier ideas about resource allocation and the costs of immunity with recent increases in our knowledge about the vertebrate immune system and then puts these concepts into the context of defense against real pathogens in environments where a myriad of factors change in time and space. We also suggest avenues for further research, which will help to test the model and better link measures of immune function to pressure from pathogens and to optimal defense against disease.     

How different are recently diverged species? More than 150 phenotypic differences have been reported for the D. melanogaster species subgroup.

The nine species of the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup are currently one of the best systems for studying the genetic basis of species differences and speciation. However, despite the availability of complete genome sequences from most of these species, no comprehensive accounting of their phenotypic differences has been made. We gathered data from about 200 papers published between 1919 and 2008 that report phenotypic differences between species of the D. melanogaster species subgroup and we compiled 163 morphological, physiological and behavioral traits that differ between at least two species of the D. melanogaster subgroup. Our compilation is available online at www.normalesup.org/~vorgogoz/FlyPhenomics. The FlyPhenomics database provides a useful starting point for Drosophila researchers who aim to identify the mutations underlying phenotypic variation.     

Presence of defeated qualitative resistance genes frequently has major impact on quantitative resistance to Melampsora larici-populina leaf rust in P. × interamericana hybrid poplars

Qualitative resistance to Melampsora larici-populina leaf rust inherited from North American species Populus deltoides did not allow for durable control of this pathogen in interspecific hybrid cultivars. Despite significant levels of strain-specificity, quantitative resistance would exert lower selection pressures on the pathogen populations, and hence could be more durable. Previous studies restricted to a large P. × interamericana (i.e., P. deltoides × Populus trichocarpa) F₁ family revealed that the presence of R₁, a segregating defeated qualitative resistance gene inherited from P. deltoides, had major beneficial effects on quantitative resistance. The present study was based on 14 F₁ families from a 4 × 5 P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa factorial mating design where at least four defeated qualitative resistances segregate 1:1. Even though quantitative resistance assessments were conducted in the laboratory with a M. larici-populina strain able to overcome these qualitative resistances, their presence had a significant effect on the mean level and on the genetic variability for quantitative resistance. One unprecedented result is the identification of a defeated qualitative resistance which presence is associated with lower levels of quantitative resistance. Possible inferences on the nature of the genetic relationship between both resistance types are discussed.     

Effects of drought stress on the evergreen Quercus ilex L., the deciduous Q. robur L. and their hybrid Q. × turneri Willd.

Five-year-old trees of deciduous Quercus robur L., evergreen Q. ilex L., and their semideciduous hybrid, Q. × turneri Willd. (var. pseudoturneri), growing in pots, were subjected to drought stress by withholding water for 18–22 days, until leaf water potentials decreased below ?2 MPa. Gas-exchange rates, oxygen evolution, and modulated chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence measurements revealed that by strong stomata closure and declining photosynthetic capacity down to approximately 50%, all three taxa responded with strongly reduced photosynthesis rates. In Q. robur, photochemical quenching of the drought-stressed plants was much lower than in nonstressed controls. Dissection of the occurring events in the photosynthetic electron transport chain by fast Chl fluorescence induction analysis with the JIP-test were discussed.     

Allelic expression in intergeneric fox hybrids (Alopex lagopus × Vulpes vulpes). III. Regulation of the expression of the parental alleles at the Gpd locus linked to the X chromosome

The electrophoretic pattern of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was studied in 60 intergeneric fox hybrids (Alopex lagopus × Vulpes vulpes), 33 females and 27 males. It is shown that the structural gene for G6PD, designated Gpd, is located on the X chromosome in both Arctic and silver foxes. Analysis of G6PD patterns in the erythrocytes of hybrid females demonstrated that the phenotypic expression of parental alleles at the Gpd locus varied considerably: from 1:1 to the hemizygous manifestation of an allele of either the Artic or the silver fox. The expression of the parental allels at this locus is different in the various tissues of single female hybrids. It is suggested that the variable quantitative expression of the alleles at the Gpd locus in hybrid females is related to the presence of two cell populations having in an active state either the X chromosome of the Arctic fox or that of the silver fox. It is also proposed that the size of the two cell populations is largely affected by the different relationships between cells having different activated X-chromosomes among initiator (stem) cells from which various definitive organs and tissues develop. The number of initiator cells for erythroid tissue has been calculated to be five or six.     

QTL analysis of resistance to sharka disease in the apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) ‘Polonais’ × ‘Stark Early Orange’ F1 progeny

Different hypotheses on the genetic control of the resistance to the plum pox virus (PPV) have been reported in apricot, but there was a lack of agreement about the number of loci involved. In recent years, apricot genetic maps have been constructed from progenies derived from ‘Stark Early Orange’ or ‘Goldrich’, two main sources of resistance, three of these including the mapping of the PPV resistance loci. As the location of the locus was not precisely established, we mapped the PPV resistance loci using interval mapping (IM), composite interval mapping (CIM), and the Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test in the F₁ progeny derived from a cross between the susceptible cv. ‘Polonais’ and ’Stark Early Orange’. Four genomic regions were identified as being involved in PPV resistance. One of these mapped to the upper region of linkage group 1 of ‘Stark Early Orange’, and accounted for 56% of the phenotypic variation. Its location was similar to the one previously identified in ‘Goldrich’ and Prunus davidiana. In addition, a gene strongly associated to these major quantitative trait loci (QTL) was found to be related to PPV infection. Two putative QTLs were detected on linkage groups 3 of ‘Polonais’ and 5 of both ‘Polonais’ and ‘Stark Early Orange’ with both parametric and non-parametric methods at logarithm of odds (LOD) scores slightly above the detection threshold. The last QTL was only detected in the early stage of the infection. PPV resistance is, thus, controlled by a major dominant factor located on linkage group 1. The hypothesis of recessive factors with lower effect is discussed.     

Environmental factors and community dynamics at the southernmost part of the North American Graminetum – I. On the contribution of climatic factors to temporal variation in species composition

Compositional patterns of vegetation and their relationship to temporal and spatial environmental variation, with emphasis on climatic factors, were investigated in plant communities located in the southernmost portion of the North American Graminetum, in central México. Data from 353 samples, obtained in four ecologically contrasting plant communities during 11 years, were analyzed by partial canonical correspondence analysis. Eight climatic variables and eighteen covariables (seventeen edaphic and one resource management) were included in the ordination. A relationship between floristic change and weather variation, once covariables effects were fitted, was examined. Despite a strong contrast in ecological conditions among study sites, a set of four climatic variables was finally found in which each variable contributed independently and statistically (P < 0.01) to the total variance in the vegetation data. Thus, environmental variables other than climatic could not conceal the important role of weather as a mediator of floristic change through time. Summer precipitation and summer maximum temperature showed the highest correlations with the first two species axes, 0.77 and –0.39, respectively. Contribution of these two climatic variables to variance in the vegetation data explained by environmental variables was approximately 81%. Annual species were abundant during rainy years, while abundance of perennial grasses and shrubs showed no clear relationship to weather variation. This study explicitly probes the important role of rain patterns in shaping structure and composition of semiarid communities and considers how other environmental factors can affect plant communities at the southernmost part of the North American Graminetum.     

An expanded genetic linkage map of an intervarietal Agaricus bisporus var. bisporus × A. bisporus var. burnettii hybrid based on AFLP,SSR and CAPS markers sheds light on the recombination behaviour of the species

A genetic linkage map for the edible basidiomycete Agaricus bisporus was constructed from 118 haploid homokaryons derived from an intervarietal A. bisporus var. bisporus × A. bisporus var. burnettii hybrid. Two hundred and thirty-one AFLP, 21 SSR, 68 CAPS markers together with the MAT, BSN, PPC1 loci and one allozyme locus (ADH) were evenly spread over 13 linkage groups corresponding to the chromosomes of A. bisporus. The map covers 1156 cM, with an average marker spacing of 3.9 cM and encompasses nearly the whole genome. The average number of crossovers per chromosome per individual is 0.86. Normal recombination over the entire genome occurs in the heterothallic variety, burnettii, contrary to the homothallic variety, bisporus, which showed adaptive genome-wide suppressed recombination. This first comprehensive genetic linkage map for A. bisporus provides foundations for quantitative trait analyses and breeding programme monitoring, as well as genome organisation studies.     

Epidemiology of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Mérida, Venezuela. I. Diversity and dispersion of phlebotomine species at 3 altitude levels and its possible role in the transmission of the disease

As part of an epidemiological study on leishmaniasis in Merida, Venezuela, the diversity and dispersion of sandflies species found in 15 localities between 175 m and 1,960 m.a.s.l., are presented. From 7,126 collected sandflies (5,132 female and 1,994 male), 24 species were identified, 10 of them recognized as anthropophilic. The relation species-altitude is presented, and the species composition found in human dwellings, periodomestic and sylvatic areas, are recorded. The possible role of the identified species on the transmission of leishmaniasis in the andean region, is discussed.