Variations of tandem repeat, regulatory element, and promoter regions revealed by wheat-rye amphiploids.

To better understand the evolution of allopolyploids, 4 different combinations between wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.) including 12 F1 hybrids and 12 derived amphiploids were analyzed and compared with their direct parental plants by PCR analysis using 150 wheat SSR (single sequence repeat) markers and by FISH analysis using a rye-specific repetitive sequence (pSc200) as a probe. Nine SSR markers amplified rye-specific fragments whose sizes ranged from 471 bp to 1089 bp. These fragments contain regulatory elements and (or) promoters. Some of these fragments were amplified from all 24 progenies, while others were amplified from a subset of the progenies. The disappearance of rye-specific fragments from some progenies was caused by sequence elimination or DNA modification. Marker Xgwm320 amplified a new fragment (403 bp), a rye-specific tandem repeat, from some of the progenies. Twenty-eight SSR markers displayed microsatellite variation in progenies derived from 'Chinese Spring' x 'Jinzhou-heimai', but none of the 150 SSR markers displayed microsatellite variation in the progenies derived from the other three combinations. FISH signals of pSc200 were eliminated from one telomere/subtelomere of 4 chromosomes of 'Kustro' during allopolyploidization and expanded in amphiploids derived from 'Chinese Spring' x 'AR106BONE'. Thus, allopolyploidization in wheat-rye can be accompanied by rapid variation of tandem repeats, regulatory elements, and promoter regions. The alterations of repetitive sequence pSc200 indicate coordination between the constituent genomes of the newly formed amphiploids. Different genetic backgrounds of parents appear to affect genome changes during allopolyploidization.     

西藏飞蝗（Locusta migratoria tibetensis Chen）耐寒性理化指标

西藏飞蝗是青藏高原上的一种重要害虫.近年来, 西藏飞蝗在西藏、青海玉树以及川西高原上危害十分严重.通过对该虫各发育阶段过冷却能力测定,研究了各发育阶段虫体内生理生化物质与过冷却能力之间的关系,揭示了该虫耐寒性规律.结果表明,西藏飞蝗蝗卵的过冷却点和结冰点为最低,分别为-22.02℃和-16.36℃.在1～4龄蝗蝻期,过冷却点随体内水分、糖原和脂肪含量随着虫体的发育而升高,其过冷却点分别为-9.28℃、-8.51℃、-7.18℃、-6.46℃;到5龄蝗蝻时,虫体脂肪和糖原含量达最高值,过冷却点下降为-8.07℃.讨论了虫体脂肪、糖原和甘油含量变化与其耐寒力之间的关系.     

Effect of siRNA targeted against MKK4 on myostatin-induced downregulation of differentiation marker gene expression

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway was reported to be involved in myostatin signaling and MKK4 was suggested as the only upstream kinase for myostatin-induced JNK activation, implying that MKK4 is a suitable target of RNA interference (RNAi) for blocking myostatin activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted against MKK4 on myostatin-induced downregulation of differentiation marker gene expression. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that the level of MKK4 expression was efficiently reduced by MKK4-specific siRNA. Western blot assays showed that knockdown of MKK4 attenuated the myostatin-induced downregulation of MyoD and myogenin expression.     

Dissecting the Matrilineal Components of Tongjiang Cattle from Southwest China

Tongjiang cattle are a local cattle population of Sichuan Province, China, numbering approximately half a million in 2005. They have long been grouped into the Bashan breed, although they have a unique breeding history and phenotypic characteristics, as well as a restricted geographic distribution. Morphologically, they can be divided into two groups based on the basic coat color (black and russet). In order to dissect the matrilineal components of Tongjiang cattle and to compare the body size traits of the two morphological groups, we measured five body size traits among 59 Tongjiang cattle samples and further sequenced the mtDNA D-loop sequence of 54 individuals. Among the 54 mtDNAs, 37 (68.5%) were Bos taurus types and 17 (31.5%) were Bos indicus types. Four known B. taurus haplogroups (T1–T4) and one B. indicus haplogroup (I1) were detected in these samples. Two body size traits differed significantly (P < 0.05) between the black group and the russet group, although the two groups possessed similar matrilineal genetic structure. This is the first report to identify all four B. taurus haplogroups in one local Chinese cattle population. Our results suggest that the contribution of different matrilineal lineages to Chinese cattle might be more complex than we originally thought.     

Relationships among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leymus</Emphasis> species assessed by RAPD markers

The DNA genetic diversity of 40 accessions of genus Leymus was analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 352 products were amplified by 34 10-mer arbitrary primers, among which 337 products (95.74 %) were found to be polymorphic. 5–14 polymorphic bands were amplified by each polymorphic primer, with an average of 9.91 bands. The data of 352 RAPD bands were used to generate Jaccard’s similarity coefficients and to construct a dendrogram by means of UPGMA. Great genetic diversity in genus Leymus was observed, the genetic diversity among the different species more abundant than that of the different accessions, and the different accessions in a species or the species from the same areas were clustered together.     

病毒dUTPase研究进展

脱氧尿苷焦磷酸酶（dUTP pyrophosphatase,dUTPasc）广泛存在于真核、原核细胞和病毒等生物有机体中,通过催化水解脱氧尿苷三磷酸（dUTP）,减少尿嘧啶在DNA合成中的错误掺入,降低细胞中的dUTP／dTTP比例,保证DNA复制的正确性和顺利进行。病毒编码的dUTPasc具有种属特异性,且与病毒的毒力和高效复制密切相关。本文就dUTPase的生物学功能、分类特征、表达调控、分布定位及病毒dUTPase功能的研究进展进行了概述,为深入开展dUTPase功能研究提供理论基础。     

TGF-β/Smads信号转导通路的研究进展

转化生长因子（TGF）-β超家族成员的重要生物学功能正日益引起人们的重视。受体介导的胞内信号转导研究近年有较大进展,特别是Smads蛋白介导的信号转导通路为阐明TGF-β超家族的作用机理提供了一条重要线索。TGF-β/Smads信号的转导受到机体严密的调控,并与其他信号通路存在着广泛的交叉对话效应。综述了对TGF-β/Smads信号转导通路的机制、调控,及其在维持机体正常生理功能和疾病发生中的作用的研究进展。     

Length variation of i-type low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit genes in diploid wheats

Allelic variation of the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) is associated with the significant differences of dough quality in bread and durum wheat, and has been widely evaluated at protein level in wheat and its relatives. In this study, a PCR primer set, targeting the high variable repetitive domains, was employed to assay the length variation of i-type LMW-GS genes in the A-genomes of diploid wheats, the diploid progenitors of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat. A total of 71 accessions of diploid wheats, belonging to two wild and one cultivated species, were investigated. The higher variations of repetitive length in i-type LMW-GS genes were found in diploid wheats with Nei’s genetic variation index (H) of 0.834. The two wild species, T. boeoticum and T. urartu, were found to possess the similar degree of variability, with the Nei’s genetic variation index of 0.806 and 0.783, respectively. Less variation was detected in T. monococcum (H = 0.680), a cultivated species domesticated from T. boeoticum. The sufficient variation found in this study could be used as valuable source for the enrichment of genetic variations and the alteration of flour-processing properties of the cultivated wheat. To our knowledge, it was the first time that an analysis of length variation targeting a particular group of genes of LMW-GS complex multigene families was conducted. This article was submitted by the authors in English.     

Patterns of pigment changes in apple fruits during adaptation to high sunlight and sunscald development

Reflectance spectra of four apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars were studied and chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin and flavonoid content in sunlit and shaded peel was determined. In all cases sunlit peel accumulated high amounts of phenolics (flavonoid glycosides). Adaptation to strong sunlight of an apple cultivar with limited potential for anthocyanin biosynthesis (Antonovka) was accompanied by a decrease in chlorophyll and a significant increase in total carotenoid content. The increase in carotenoids also took place in sunlit sides of the Zhigulevskoye fruits, accumulating high amounts of anthocyanins, but chlorophyll content in sunlit peel was higher than that in shaded peel. Significant increases in carotenoids and anthocyanins were detected during fruit ripening when chlorophyll content fell below 1.5–1.8 nmol cm^–2. Chlorophyll in sunlit fruit surfaces of both cultivars was considerably more resistant to photobleaching than in shaded (especially of Zhigulevskoye) sides. Induced by sun irradiation, the photoadaptive responses were cultivar-dependent and expressed at different stages of fruit ripening even after storage in darkness. The development of sunscald symptoms in susceptible apple cultivars (Granny Smith and Renet Simirenko) led to a dramatic loss of chlorophylls and carotenoids, which was similar to that observed during artificial photobleaching. The results suggest that apple fruits exhibit a genetically determined strategy of adaptation of their photoprotective pigments to cope with mediated by reactive oxygen species photodynamic activity of chlorophyll under strong solar irradiation. This includes induction of synthesis and accumulation of flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids that could be expressed, if necessary, at different stages of fruit development     

川西高山典型自然植被土壤动物多样性

为了解川西高山不同自然植被类型下土壤动物的多样性差异,于2008年8月至2009年6月对该地区代表性植被--针叶林、灌木林和草甸下的土壤动物群落进行调查.从3种植被下共捕获土壤动物48343只,隶属于7门16纲31目117科.不同植被类型的大型土壤动物优势类群差异较大,其土壤动物类群数存在显著差异(P＜0.05).3种植被下土壤动物个体密度与类群数的垂直分布均具有明显表聚性.针叶林苔藓层的土壤动物个体密度与类群数极显著高于凋落物层和土壤层（P＜0.01）.不同植被下土壤动物密度 类群指数(DG)存在极显著差异(P＜0.01).大型土壤动物生物量在6月达到最大值.Jacard相似系数显示:受干扰草甸的土壤动物群落与其他植被相似程度最低.表明植被类型对土壤动物群落结构特征影响显著;坡向、海拔以及干扰等因素对土壤动物群落结构也有影响.