Representation in the genome and in other inheritance systems

There is ongoing controversy as to whether the genome is a representing system (Sterelny K., Smith K.C. and Dickson M. 1996. Biol. Philos. 11: 377–403; Griffiths P.E. 2001. Philos. Sci. 68: 394–412). Although it is widely recognised that DNA carries information, both correlating with and coding for various outcomes, neither of these implies that the genome has semantic properties like correctness or satisfaction conditions (Godfrey-Smith P. 2002. In: Wolenski J. and Kajania-Placek K. (eds), In the Scope of Logic, Methodology, and the Philosophy of Sciences, Vol. II. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp. 387–400). Here a modified version of teleosemantics is applied to the genome to show that it does indeed have semantic properties – there is representation in the genome. The account differs in three respects from previous attempts to apply teleosemantics to genes. It emphasises the role of the consumer of representations (in addition to their mode of production). It rejects the standard assumption that genetic representation can be used to explain the course of an organism’s development. And it identifies the explanatory role played by representational properties of the genome. A striking consequence of this account is that other inheritance systems could also be representational. Thus, a version of the parity thesis is accepted (Griffiths P.E. 2001. Philos. Sci. 68: 394–412). However, the criteria for being an inheritance system are demanding, so semantic properties are not ubiquitous.     

辣椒果色相关研究进展

辣椒是全球广泛种植的高经济价值茄科作物之一。在辣椒的各个经济性状中果色是最直观的重要性状之一。由于辣椒果色丰富多彩,目前已经成为研究果色遗传的一种模式植物。辣椒青熟果色与老熟果色存在差异且遗传、分子调控机制不同,本文将就辣椒这两个时期果色的遗传及分子调控机制研究做一个综述。     

小麦干尖叶的遗传研究初报

小麦干尖叶是近年在小麦育种中所发现的一种叶部坏死性状,直接影响小麦的产量。本文以具有干尖叶与正常叶这一相对性状的部分小麦品种(系)为基本材料,采用正反杂交、正反回交及杂种后代分析和异源细胞质替换,首次对干尖叶的遗传及性状传递规律进行了研究。结果表明:干尖叶性状与一般杂种坏死与黄化截然不同, 并非仅杂种所具有,能作为纯系稳定遗传; 其表型受核内一对主效显性基因所控制,即使采用异源细胞质替换, 以特定质核互作也难以克服这一性状的对外表达,只有通过杂交与后代选择,纯化与稳定隐性正常叶方可克服。 Abstract:In this paper,the inheritance and transmission law of the character for wheat leaf-tip necrosis were firstly investigated with the contrasting character of leaf-tip necrosis and normal leaf in wheat varieties for basic test materials by reciprocal crosses and backcrosses,hybrid progeny analysis and aliencytoplasm substitution.The results indicated that the wheat leaf-tip necrosis is abviously different from the hybrid necrosis and hybrid chlorosis.It is not only expressed in hybrid but also stable inheritance as pureline.Its phenotype is conditioned by a pair major dominant gene.It is not overcome even if special interaction of nucleus-cytoplasm after alien cytoplasm substitution.Only be the varieties or lines with normal leaf obtained by crossing and selecting stable normal leaf character with recessive gene.     

The inheritance of shovel shape in maxillary central incisors

The aim of this study is to investigate the inheritance of the shovel shape of maxillary permanent central incisors. The material collected on Hailuoto Island, off the western coast of Finland, consists of 319 dental casts. The genealogical data are from the parish register. The genetic method is based on the incidence of the trait in the sibships as compared to that in the whole population sample. The results suggest that the trait is hereditary, and transmitted by a single intermediate autosomal gene, although more complex models of inheritance are also acceptable.     

Inheritance of high palmitic acid content in the seed oil of sunflower mutant CAS-5

 Sunflower genotypes with increased levels of palmitic acid (C16 : 0) in the seed oil could be useful for food and industrial applications. The objective of the present study was to determine the inheritance of the high C16 : 0 content in the sunflower mutant line CAS-5 (>25% of the total oil fatty acids). This mutant was reciprocally crossed with the lines HA-89 (5.7% C16 : 0) and BSD-2-691 (5.4% C16 : 0), the latter being the parental line from which CAS-5 was isolated. No maternal effect for the C16 : 0 content was observed from the analysis of F₁ seeds in any of the crosses. The inheritance study of the C16 : 0 content in F₁, F₂ and BC₁F₁ seeds from the crosses of CAS-5 with its parental line BSD-2-691 indicated that the segregation fitted a model of two alleles at one locus with partial dominance for the low content. The analysis of the fatty acid composition in the F₂ populations from the crosses with HA-89 revealed a segregation fitting a ratio 19 : 38 : 7 for low (<7.5%), middle (7.5–15%), and high (>25%) C16 : 0 content, respectively. This segregation was explained on the basis of three loci (P1, P2, P3) each having two alleles showing partial dominance for low content. The genotypes with a high C16 : 0 content were homozygous for the recessive allele p1 and for at least one of the other two recessive alleles, p2 or p3. This model was further confirmed with the analysis of the F₃ and the BC₁F₁ generations. It was concluded that both the recessive alleles p2 and p3 were already present in the BSD-2-691 line, the allele p1 being the result of a mutation from P1. This genetic study will facilitate breeding strategies associated with the incorporation of the high C16 : 0 trait into agronomically acceptable sunflower hybrids. Received: 30 March 1998 / Accepted: 13 August 1998     

Fertility,Inheritance and Amino Acid Analysis of Lysine Plus Threonine-Resistant Mutant Progenies of Maize

Sixth generation of mutant maize seed homozygous for lysine plus threonine resistancewhich was derived from the resistant callus cultures has been harvested. The resistance could be inherited stably. The fertility, however, was very poor. The resistant homozygotes have been obtained by backcross of the wild type with the resistant plants (W77-R3019 ×R0), and their fertility could be parlty recovered after selection for the resistant plants from backcross progenies. Genetic analysis showed that the resistance inherited as a single dominant nuclear allele. All of the free amino acids except phenylalan inc in the homozygote are increased by 4 folds. and free essential amino acids by 5 folds which are higher than those in the wild types. Total amino acids increased by 5.53%. The dramatic increase (11 times) in free threonine adds up the total threonine by 17.73%. Difference of the protein content between the homozygote and wild type was not obvious. These results show that selection for the resistance to lysine plus threonine in maize and other cereals is probably very useful for improving their value of protein nutrition.     

杉木叶绿体和线粒体遗传的研究

利用ＰＣＲ技术分别以亲本杉木（Ｃｕｎｎｉｎｇｈａｍｉａｌａｎｃｅｏｌａｔａ（Ｌａｍｂ．）Ｈｏｏｋ．）、柳杉（ＣｒｙｐｔｏｍｅｒｉａｆｏｒｔｕｎｅｉＨｏｏｉｂｒｅｎｋ）和杉木×柳杉杂种的总ＤＮＡ为模板,扩增了叶绿体ｔｒｎＬｔｒｎＦ和线粒体ＣｏｘⅢ基因片段,比较了这些扩增片段的限制性内切酶ＡｌｕⅠ,ＤｄｅⅠ,ＨｉｎｆⅠ,ＭｓｅⅠ和ＲｓａⅠ的酶切片段多态性,结果表明：Ｆ１代的叶绿体ＤＮＡ为母系遗传,而线粒体ＤＮＡ为父系遗传。杉木线粒体ＤＮＡ父系遗传方式与杉科其他植物一致,而叶绿体ＤＮＡ母系遗传则为在松柏类植物中首次发现。     

转不可翻译PVYN CP基因烟草的抗病性分析

我们曾报道表达不可翻译PVY~N CP基因的转基因烟草抗病性是由RNA介导的,其抗病性类似于转录后的基因沉默(PTGS)。本研究以这类不同抗性的Tn代转基因烟草植株为材料,对自交后的T1代转基因植株的遗传和抗病性进行了分析,并选取部分T_1代抗病株系自交留种。对T_2代RNA介导抗病性转基因植株进行了分子分析和一系列抗病性研究。结果表明,含1-2个转基因拷贝的T_0代感病植株,在T_1代中的Km抗性分离符合单位点插入的3∶1的遗传规律;含3个或3个以上转基因拷贝的T_0代中抗或高抗植株,在T_1代中的Km抗性分离符合多位点插入的15∶1或63∶1的遗传规律。大多数T_1、T_2代转基因植株的抗病性与转基因拷贝数成正相关,转基因在T_1、T_2代植株中能够转录表达,且转基因植株之间转基因mRNA在细胞质中的积累水平与转基因植株的抗病性成负相关。转基因植株的抗病性能够在T_1、T_2代中遗传,且T_2代转基因植株的抗病性具有以下特征:1)既抗病毒粒体又抗病毒RNA的侵染,且这种抗病性不受接种物剂量的影响;2)抗病谱较窄,只对PVY的某些株系具有高度抗病性;3)与传毒方式无关,既抗摩擦接种又抗带毒蚜虫接种;4)与植株的发育阶段没有关系。     

Genetic variation and control of chloroplast pigment concentrations and related needle-level traits in Picea rubens, Picea mariana, and their hybrids: moisture and light environmental effects

Chlorophyll pigment concentrations and proportions, nitrogen (N), and needle morphology traits, are important components of growth and were examined in five hybrid index categories from controlled crosses of various crosstypes, ranging from pure black spruce (BS) [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] to pure red spruce (RS) (Picea rubens Sarg.) grown under controlled light and water environments. Black spruce had on average 10% greater total chlorophyll concentration (CHL) than RS. Red spruce had proportionately less chlorophyll a:b and CHL:CAR (carotenoid) ratios than BS. Nitrogen (N) concentrations were 1.75 and 1.60% for BS and RS, respectively. Black spruce had the lowest carbon (C):N ratio (29.7) and RS had among the highest (32.3). Interestingly, there was no difference in specific needle area among hybrid indices. Most of the chlorophyll pigment, C and N traits followed an additive inheritance model, evidenced by a near-linear relationship from BS to RS across hybrid indices. However, for CHL, CAR, and CHL:CAR ratio, parental analysis showed significant male effects and non-significant female and male × female interaction effects. Black spruce males had 15.1 and 9.6% higher CHL and CAR, respectively, than hybrid or RS males, thus showing an underlying paternally inherited genetic control. Controlling for N differences, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that sun-grown seedlings had 22.2% or 300 μg g⁻¹ lower CHL than shade-grown seedlings. Controlling for N, ANCOVA showed that the drought-grown seedlings actually had 6.7% or 100 μg g⁻¹ greater CHL than the irrigated seedlings. Sun plus drought conditions gave the lowest CHL, N, and CHL:CAR ratio of all treatments, showing an additive multi-stress effect. There was a significant hybrid index × light effect as a result of rank changes. Sun-grown RS had the lowest CHL and N values, whereas shade-grown RS had among the highest CHL and N values. Red spruce are at a competitive disadvantage compared with BS and most hybrid spruce in high light, high drought, and high light plus drought conditions. Red spruce will be strongly limited in its distribution by successional opportunities resulting from prevalent harvesting practices such as clearcutting. Silvicultural modifications and genetic restoration will be required to maintain RS on the landscape of northeastern North America.     

The Investigation on Utilization of Wild Medicinal Plants in Dietary Culture of Quanzhou,Southern Fujian

An ethnobotanical survey on the medicinal plant species marketed in Quanzhou, southern Fujian, was conducted in order to document traditional medicinal knowledge and application of medicinal plants in dietary. In addition to literature review, data was obtained using ethnobotanical tools and methods, including personal interviews during field trips, collecting herbarium specimens, and species identification by cross referencing. The results showed that: 1) There are 148 wild medicinal species, belonging to 56 plant families and 117 genera present in Quanzhou, southern Fujian. Among them, 46 species are edible wild herbs, 37 species are medicinal plants, 38 species are used as tea substituting plants or herbal tea,22 species are wild fruits, 4 species are used as spices and 1 species is used to make bean jelly; 2) The plant families which comprise a major part of the pool are Compositae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Rubiaceae, Liliaceae, Orchidaceae and Moraceae; 3) This study explored the utilization of the medicinal plants in Quanzhou area, and proposed methods to inherit the culture of using wild plants in dietary, as well as methods to conserve the edible medicinal wild plant resources.