Transferability of microsatellite markers from Brachypodium distachyon to Miscanthus sinensis, a potential biomass crop

Miscanthus sinensis has high biomass yield and contributed two of the three genomes in M. x giganteus, a bioenergy crop widely studied in Europe and North America, and thus is a potential biomass crop and an important germplasm for Miscanthus breeding. Molecular markers are essential for germplasm evaluation, genetic analyses and new cultivar development in M. sinensis. In the present study, we reported transferability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from Brachypodium distachyon to M. sinensis. A set of 57 SSR markers evenly distributed across the B. distachyon genome were deliberately designed. Out of these B. distachyon SSR markers, 86.0% are transferable to M. sinensis. The SSR loci amplified in M. sinensis were validated by re-sequencing the amplicons. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of the transferable SSR markers varied from 0.073 to 0.375 with a mean of 0.263, assessed based on 21 M. sinensis genotypes. Phylogenetic tree based on 162 alleles detected by 49 SSR markers could unambiguously distinguish B. distachyon from M. sinensis, and cluster 21 M. sinensis genotypes into three groups that are basically in coincidence with their geographical distribution and ecotype classifications. The markers developed by the comparative genomic approach could be useful for germplasm evaluation, genetic analysis, and marker-assisted breeding in Miscanthus.     

High resolution genetic mapping by genome sequencing reveals genome duplication and tetraploid genetic structure of the diploid Miscanthus sinensis

We have created a high-resolution linkage map of Miscanthus sinensis, using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), identifying all 19 linkage groups for the first time. The result is technically significant since Miscanthus has a very large and highly heterozygous genome, but has no or limited genomics information to date. The composite linkage map containing markers from both parental linkage maps is composed of 3,745 SNP markers spanning 2,396 cM on 19 linkage groups with a 0.64 cM average resolution. Comparative genomics analyses of the M. sinensis composite linkage map to the genomes of sorghum, maize, rice, and Brachypodium distachyon indicate that sorghum has the closest syntenic relationship to Miscanthus compared to other species. The comparative results revealed that each pair of the 19 M. sinensis linkages aligned to one sorghum chromosome, except for LG8, which mapped to two sorghum chromosomes (4 and 7), presumably due to a chromosome fusion event after genome duplication. The data also revealed several other chromosome rearrangements relative to sorghum, including two telomere-centromere inversions of the sorghum syntenic chromosome 7 in LG8 of M. sinensis and two paracentric inversions of sorghum syntenic chromosome 4 in LG7 and LG8 of M. sinensis. The results clearly demonstrate, for the first time, that the diploid M. sinensis is tetraploid origin consisting of two sub-genomes. This complete and high resolution composite linkage map will not only serve as a useful resource for novel QTL discoveries, but also enable informed deployment of the wealth of existing genomics resources of other species to the improvement of Miscanthus as a high biomass energy crop. In addition, it has utility as a reference for genome sequence assembly for the forthcoming whole genome sequencing of the Miscanthus genus.     

Characterization of a genetic resource collection for Miscanthus (Saccharinae,Andropogoneae, Poaceae) using AFLP and ISSR PCR

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and inter-simple sequence repeat markers were employed to characterize a genetic resource collection of Miscanthus, a grass under trial in Europe as a biomass crop. The 26 polymorphic markers produced by two ISSR fingerprinting primers were able to discriminate taxa and identify putative clones. AFLP fingerprints were fully reproducible and produced a larger number of markers for the three primer pairs tested, of which 998 were polymorphic (representing 79.3% of all bands). AFLP markers distinguished species, infra-specific taxa (varieties and cultivars) and putatively clonal material. They were also used to assess the inter-relationships of the taxa, to investigate the origin of important hybrid plants and to estimate the overall level of genetic variation in the collection. They were useful for assessing the species status of certain taxa such as M. transmorrisonensis, an endemic from Taiwan that was clearly distinct from M. sinensis; whereas other taxa of disputed species status, such as M. condensatus and M. yakushimanum were not genetically distinct from M. sinensis. The AFLP markers detected a high degree of infra-specific variation and allowed subdivisions of the genetic resource collection to be made, particularly within M. sinensis.     

小麦EST-SSR标记对几种有潜力的禾本科能源植物的可转移性研究

为了筛选出一些有用可靠的分子标记,应用于禾本科能源植物的遗传化研究及种质资源评价,检测了48对源于小麦(Triticum aestivum)EST序列的SSR引物对7种有潜力的禾本科能源植物:斑茅(Saccharumarundinaceum)、中国芒( Miscanthus sinensis)、五节芒( M.floridulus)、河八王(Narenga porphyrocoma、南荻(Triarrhena lutarioriparia)、营(Themeda villosa和香根草(Vetiveria zizanioides)的可转移性.结果表明,在48对小麦EST-SSR引物中,36对具可转移性,可转移率为75.0％.这些可转移引物在7个物种中共检测出240个位点,其中多态性位点为184个,多态位点百分率高达76.7％.每个位点的PIC变幅为0～0.370,平均为0.220.利用EST-SSR数据构建了所研究的7种禾本科植物的系统发育树,其中斑茅、河八王、南荻及营被聚为A组,中国芒和五节芒聚为B组,香根草单独聚为C组,基本与形态学分类一致.因此,小麦EST-SSR分子标记在禾本科近源物种中的可转移性较高,对禾本科能源植物的遗传育种研究具有重要的参考价值.     

The ecology and agronomy of Miscanthus sinensis, a species important to bioenergy crop development, in its native range in Japan: a review

Among several candidate perennial taxa, Miscanthus × giganteus has been evaluated and promoted as a promising bioenergy crop. Owing to several limitations, however, of the sterile hybrid, both at the taxon and agronomic production levels, other options need to be explored to not only improve M . × giganteus , which was originally collected in Japan, but to also consider the development of other members of its genus, including Miscanthus sinensis , as bioenergy crops. Indeed, there is likely much to be learned and applied to Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop from the long history of intensive interaction between humans and M. sinensis in Japan, which in some regions of the country spans several thousand years. Combined with its high amount of genetic variation, stress tolerance, biotic interactions with fauna, and function as a keystone species in diverse grasslands and other ecosystems within its native range, the unique and extensive management of M. sinensis in Japan as a forage grass and building material provides agronomists, agroecologists, and plant breeders with the capability of better understanding this species in terms of potential contribution to bioenergy crop development. Moreover, the studies described in this review may serve as a platform for future research of Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop in other parts of the world.     

Overwintering problems of newly established Miscanthus plantations can be overcome by identifying genotypes with improved rhizome cold tolerance

Miscanthus , a perennial rhizomatous C₄ grass, is a potential biomass crop in Europe, mainly because of its high yield potential and low demand for inputs. However, until recently only a single clone, M. × giganteus , was available for the extensive field trials performed across Europe and this showed poor overwintering in the first year after planting at some locations in Northern Europe. Therefore, field trials with five Miscanthus genotypes, including two acquisitions of Miscanthus × giganteus , one of M. sacchariflorus and two hybrids of M. sinensis were planted in early summer 1997 at four sites, in Sweden, Denmark, England and Germany. The field trials showed that better overwintering of newly established plants at a site was not apparently connected with size or early senescence. An artificial freezing test with rhizomes removed from the field in January 1998 showed that the lethal temperature at which 50% were killed (LT₅₀) for M. × giganteus and M. sacchariflorus genotypes was −3.4 °C. However, LT₅₀ in one of the M. sinensis hybrid genotypes tested was −6.5 °C and this genotype had the highest survival rates in the field in Sweden and Denmark. Although the carbohydrate content of rhizomes, osmotic potential of cell sap and mineral composition were not found to explain differences in frost tolerance adequately, moisture contents correlated with frost hardiness (LT₅₀) in most cases. The results obtained form a basis for identifying suitable Miscanthus genotypes for biomass production in the differing climatic regions of Europe.     

芒不同基因型愈伤组织诱导及分化的差异

芒(Miscanthus sinensis)具较高的生物学产量, 是一种极具发展前景的纤维素类能源植物。以芒的8种不同基因型幼穗为外植体, 进行了组织培养研究。结果表明, 不同基因型芒在愈伤组织诱导率、胚性愈伤组织诱导率和胚性愈伤组织分化率等方面均存在显著差异。W89和W70均具较高的愈伤组织诱导率, 分别为91.7%和89.1%; W69的外植体几乎全部褐化, 且未能诱导出愈伤组织。W89、W70和W17的胚性愈伤组织分化率较高, 达50%以上。另外, 发现愈伤组织诱导率与细胞壁木质素含量间呈显著的负相关。该研究建立了稳定且有效的再生体系, 并初步确定W89和W70可作为芒组织培养的理想材料, 为芒的遗传转化、定向改良和良种快繁提供了技术支持。     

台湾相思林和芒草草丛中薇甘菊枝构件的分枝格局及其生物量

外域杂草薇甘菊 (Mikaniamicrantha)具有极强的分枝能力。在枝构件水平上 ,对生长在台湾相思 (Acaciaconfusa)群落和芒草 (Miscanthussinensis)群落中的薇甘菊枝构件的分枝格局和生物量分配的比较分析得出 :1)同芒草群落相比 ,台湾相思群落中薇甘菊各级枝的分枝数、分枝密度和分枝率都低 ,而分枝长度则较长 ;2 )台湾相思群落中薇甘菊以第一级分枝为主 ,而在芒草群落中则以第二级分枝为主 ;3)台湾相思林中薇甘菊枝构件的叶面积率、比叶面积和比茎长及叶片生物量分配显著大于芒草草丛 ;4)两个群落中薇甘菊枝构件的节间长和比叶柄长没有显著差异。这些结果说明薇甘菊枝构件对环境条件变化具不同响应。     

《芒属种质资源描述规范和数据标准》的制定

目前芒属植物被视为最有前景的木质纤维素能源作物,在中国、美国、日本和欧洲国家得到了广泛研究和利用。但截至目前依然没有统一的芒属植物种质资源描述规范,一定程度上阻碍了其信息的共享与交流。鉴于此,本研究通过开展芒属植物种质资源描述和数据制定技术标准研究,旨在为芒属能源作物品种的选育、审定与推广提供科学规范的依据。本文论述了芒属种质资源描述规范、数据标准与数据质量控制规范的制定原则、方法与内容,对于促进整合全国芒属种质资源,规范芒属种质资源的收集、保存、评价具有指导作用。     

Development of SCAR marker for simultaneous identification of Miscanthus sacchariflorus, M. sinensis and M. x giganteus

The sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker for simultaneous identification of Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus sinensis, and Miscanthus x giganteus was developed. In this study, it was attempted for the first time to develop the SCAR marker for detecting the molecular phenotypes among Miscanthus species. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA technique was applied for this study and one fragment which is unique to M. sacchariflorus was identified and then sequenced. Based on the specific fragment, one SCAR primer pair designated as MS62-5F and MS62-5R was designed to amplify an approximately 1,000 bp DNA fragment within the sequenced region. Diagnostic PCR was performed using the primer pair. Using this SCAR marker, approximately 1,000 bp and 1,200 bp DNA fragments were obtained in M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis, respectively. Moreover, M. x giganteus was obtained both bands at the same time. The result showed that this SCAR marker can clearly distinguish the M. sacchariflorus, M. sinensis, and M. x giganteus, respectively.     

Bioethanol production from dedicated energy crops and residues in Arkansas, USA

Globally, one of the major technologic goals is to achieve cost-effective lignocellulosic ethanol production from biomass feedstocks. Lignocellulosic biomass of four dedicated energy crops [giant reed (Arundo donax L.), elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach), Miscanthus × giganteus (Illinois clone), and (clone Q42641) {hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. and Miscanthus sacchariflorus (Maxim)}, Hack. called giant miscanthus, and sugarcane clone US 84-1028 (Saccharum L. spp. hybrid)] and residues from two crops [soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) litter and rice (Oryza sativa L.) husk] were tested for bioethanol production using cellulose solvent-based lignocellulose fractionation (CSLF) pretreatment and enzymatic (cellulase) hydrolysis. Giant miscanthus (Illinois), giant reed, giant miscanthus (Q42641), elephantgrass, and sugarcane all yielded higher amount of glucose on a biomass dry weight basis (0.290-0.331 g/g), than did rice husk (0.181 g/g) and soybean litter (0.186 g/g). To reduce the capital investment for energy consumption in fermentation, we used a self-flocculating yeast strain (SPSC01) to ferment the lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates. Bioethanol production was ～0.1 g/g in dedicated energy crops and less in two crop residues. These methods and data can help to develop a cost-effective downstream process for bioethanol production.     

基于RNA-seq的能源植物芒转录组分析

芒(Miscanthus sinensis Anderss)是多年生C4草本植物,可为能量和纤维素产品生产提供高品质的木质纤维素材料,是一种理想的能源植物。采用Illumina Hi Seq?2000高通量测序技术,对芒花芽和叶芽进行转录组分析。经拼接组装共获得98 326个Unigene,序列平均长度822 bp,N50为1 337 bp。将Unigene序列与NR、NT、Swiss-Prot、KEGG、GO和COG数据库进行比对(Evalue1e-5),共有74 134条Unigene获得了基因注释,占总Unigene的75.40%。其中,通过GO功能分类,45 507个Unigene映射到GO不同的功能节点上;通过KEGG pathways分析,共有36 710个Unigene参与了128个代谢通路;比对到同源序列比例最高的物种分别为高粱(37 731,60.86%)、玉米(16 258,26.22%)、水稻(3 065,4.94%),共占所有同源序列的92.02%。此外,获得了芒C4关键酶相关基因24个。这些注释信息的完成为芒功能基因及相关候选基因的发掘提供了重要依据。     

Rapid selection and identification of Miscanthus genotypes with enhanced glucan and xylan yields from hydrothermal pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Because many Miscanthus genotypes can be cultivated with relatively high productivity and carbohydrate content, Miscanthus has great potential as an energy crop that can support large scale biological production of biofuels. RESULTS: In this study, batch hydrothermal pretreatment at 180 °C for 35 min followed by enzymatic hydrolysis was shown to give the highest total sugar yields for Miscanthus x giganteus cv. Illinois planted in Illinois. High throughput pretreatment at 180 °C for 35 min and 17.5 min followed by co-hydrolysis in a multi-well batch reactor identified two varieties out of 80 that had significantly higher sugar yields from pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis than others. The differences in performance were then related to compositions of the 80 varieties to provide insights into desirable traits for Miscanthus that enhance sugar yields. CONCLUSIONS: High throughput pretreatment and co-hydrolysis (HTPH) rapidly identified promising genotypes from a wide range of Miscanthus genotypes, including hybrids of Miscanthus sacchariflorus/M. sinensis and Miscanthus lutarioriparius, differentiating the more commercially promising species from the rest. The total glucan plus xylan content in Miscanthus appeared to influence both mass and theoretical yields, while lignin and ash contents did not have a predictable influence on performance.     

Synthetic polyploid production of Miscanthus sacchariflorus,Miscanthus sinensis,and Miscanthus x giganteus

Plants from the genus Miscanthus are potential renewable sources of lignocellulosic biomass for energy production. A potential strategy for Miscanthus crop improvement involves interspecific manipulation of ploidy levels to generate superior germplasm and to circumvent reproductive barriers for the introduction of new genetic variation into core germplasm. Synthetic autotetraploid lines of Miscanthus sacchariflorus and Miscanthus sinensis, and autoallohexaploid Miscanthus x giganteus were produced in tissue culture from oryzalin treatments to seed‐ and immature inflorescence‐derived callus lines. This is the first report of the genome doubling of diploid M. sacchariflorus. Genome doubling of diploid M. sinensis, M. sacchariflorus, and triploid M. x giganteus to generate tetraploid and hexaploid lines was confirmed by stomata size, nuclear DNA content, and chromosome counts. A putative pentaploid line was also identified among the M. x giganteus synthetic polyploid lines by nuclear DNA content and chromosome counts. Comparisons of phenotypic performance of synthetic polyploid lines with their diploid and triploid progenitors in the greenhouse found species‐specific differences in plant tiller number, height, and flowering time among the doubled lines. Stem diameter tended to increase after polyploidization but there were no significant improvements in biomass traits. Under field conditions, M. x giganteus synthetic hexaploid lines showed greater phenotypic variation, in terms of plant height, stem diameter, and tiller number, than their progenitor lines. Production of synthetic autopolyploid lines displaying significant phenotypic variation suggests that ploidy manipulation can introduce useful genetic diversity in the limited Miscanthus germplasm currently available in the United States. The role of polyploidization in the evolution and breeding of the genus Miscanthus is discussed.     

芒草中总黄酮的提取工艺研究及其挥发油成分的鉴定

以黄酮提取率为指标,采用超声辅助法研究了芒草中黄酮类化合物的提取工艺。最佳提取条件为:乙醇浓度70%、料液比1∶30、提取温度70℃、提取时间40 min、提取级数3次,在此条件下测得南荻中总黄酮含量为7.24 mg/g,并在此条件下测定了芒草10个品系中总黄酮含量为4.16~7.84 mg/g,且在不同品系间的差异均达到极显著水平。采用气质联用技术鉴定奇岗六倍体、‘GMG121’、芒杂中的挥发油成分,从中共鉴定出28种成分。本研究对芒属植物的遗传育种以及开发和综合利用具有重要意义。     

Variability and adaptability of Miscanthus species evaluated for energy crop domestication

A growing body of evidence indicates that second‐generation energy crops can play an important role in the development of renewable energy and the mitigation of climate change. However, dedicated energy crops have yet to be domesticated in order to fully realize their productive potential under unfavorable soil and climatic conditions. To explore the possibility of domesticating Miscanthus crops in northern China where marginal and degraded land is abundant, we conducted common garden experiments at multiple locations to evaluate variation and adaptation of three Miscanthus species that are likely to serve as the wild progenitors of the energy crops. A total of 93 populations of Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and Miscanthus lutarioriparius were collected across their natural distributional ranges in China and grown in three locations that represent temperate grassland with cold winter, the semiarid Loess Plateau, and relatively warm and wet central China. Evaluated with growth traits such as plant height, tiller number, tiller diameter, and flowering time, the Miscanthus species showed high levels of genetic variation within and between species. There were significant site × population interactions for almost all traits of M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis, but not M. lutarioriparius. The northern populations of M. sacchariflorus had the highest establishment rates at the most northern site owing to their strong cold tolerance. An endemic species in central China, M. lutarioriparius, produced not only the highest biomass of the three species but also higher biomass at the Loess Plateau than the southern site near its native habitats. These results demonstrated that the wild species harbored a high level of genetic variation underlying traits important for crop establishment and production at sites that are colder and drier than their native habitats. The natural variation and adaptive plasticity found in the Miscanthus species indicated that they could provide valuable resources for the development of second‐generation energy crops.     

The use of dna sequencing (ITS and trnL-F), AFLP, and fluorescent in situ hybridization to study allopolyploid Miscanthus (Poaceae)

Two clones of Miscanthus, grown under the names M. ×giganteus and M. sacchariflorus, have been used in biomass trials in Europe, but neither the identity of these clones nor their origin has been established. DNA sequencing, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and chromosome studies confirm that M. ×giganteus is an allotriploid (2n = 3x = 57) combining genomes from M. sinensis (2n = 2x = 38) and M. sacchariflorus (2n = 38 or 76). Two alleles of the internal transcribed spacer of 18S-25S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) were discovered in polymerase chain reaction products of M. ×giganteus. Cloning of these revealed that one matched M. sinensis and the other M. sacchariflorus. Plastid trnL intron and trnL-F spacer sequences showed that the maternal lineage of M. ×giganteus was M. sacchariflorus. Fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH, was used to investigate genome organization in Miscanthus but was unable to differentiate between the different parental genomes present in M. ×giganteus, indicating that two parental genomes are still extremely similar at the repetitive DNA level. This study is an example in which rDNA sequences and AFLP fingerprints permit identification of the parental genomes in a hybrid, but FISH methods, at the repetitive DNA level (including genomic in situ hybridization, GISH), were unable to do so because their sequences remain too similar.     

Characterization and adaptive evolution of {alpha}-tubulin genes in the Miscanthus sinensis complex (Poaceae)

To investigate the organization of and mode of selection in the α-tubulin genes, full-length α-tubulin genes were cloned from four intraspecific taxa of Miscanthus sinensis and its close relatives M. floridulus and M. condensatus using standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid amplification of genomic ends (RAGE)-PCR strategies. Genealogical analysis of angiosperms recovered a monophyletic group of Miscanthus α-tubulin genes, which is homologous to the tua5 locus of maize. Two clusters of nearly equal frequency revealed paraphyly within each Miscanthus taxon. Between-cluster recombination was frequent. Additional evidence for co-occurrence of two haplotypes within individuals and a large-scale crossover all suggested a likely allelic relationship between the Miscanthus clusters. Given a long between-species divergence time in Miscanthus, wide occurrence of the trans-species polymorphisms in α-tubulin genes and the approximately equal frequency of each allelic type make it extremely unlikely that α-tubulin diversity has been maintained under neutrality. Balancing selection may have contributed to such an apportioning of genetic variability as well as to high levels of genetic variation in α-tubulin and higher substitution rates at synonymous sites of exons than at intron bases of M. sinensis. In addition, certain effects of demographic oscillation may have distorted the scenario of a functional locus operating under balancing selection.     

中国芒(Miscanthus sinensis)初级核心种质的构建

以555份芒(Miscanthus sinensis)种质资源为研究对象,根据26个表型性状数据,按地理来源、植物区系和单一性状进行分组,分别采用简单比例法、平方根法和多样性指数法确定组内取样数,再根据聚类和随机2种方法进行组内个体选择。依照上述方案共构建出19个具有代表性的芒初选核心种质样本库。通过平均相似系数、性状符合度、数量性状变异系数和遗传多样性指数等4项检测指标对上述19种构建方案进行比较,最终确定了按"植物区划分组+多样性指数确定取样数+聚类选择个体"为芒初级核心种质构建的最佳方案。通过此方法建立起的芒初级核心种质资源共83份,占总资源的14.95%,且新构建的初级种质资源与总资源性状符合度达到100%。     

Development of novel chloroplast microsatellite markers for Miscanthus species (Poaceae)

? Premise of the study: A set of novel chloroplast microsatellite markers (cpSSRs) was developed for the bioenergy crop Miscanthus, and their utility in cross-species amplification was evaluated. ? Methods and Results: Twenty-eight novel primers flanking cpSSR loci were designed from a complete chloroplast genome sequence of Saccharum officinarum, a species closely related to Miscanthus. These primers were then tested on eight Miscanthus species, among which 16 cpSSR loci were found to be polymorphic. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus ranged from two to seven, with an average 3.94 alleles. ? Conclusions: These cpSSR markers can be applied to all Miscanthus species and will be useful for studying Miscanthus population structure, diversity, and phylogeography.