A Review of Elasmobranch Reproductive Behavior with a Case Study on the Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma Cirratum

Elasmobranch reproductive behavior has been inferred from freshly caught specimens, laboratory examinations of reproductive structures and function, or determined from direct observations of captive or free swimming wild animals. Several general behaviors have been described including seasonal sexual segregation, courtship and copulation. Courtship behavior was inferred for many species from the presence of scars and tooth cuts on the female's body, and noted in more detail from underwater observations. Copulation has been directly observed in captive settings for several species of elasmobranchs in large aquaria, and in the wild for three species of urolophids and for Triaenodon obesus and Ginglymostoma cirratum. A detailed case history of nurse shark reproductive behavior is presented that may be used as a template for future work on shark reproductive behavior of other species. Our studies, using diver identifiable tags and in situ behavioral observations, provide unprecedented information on social structure and mating behavior in this species. Since 1993, 115 G. cirratum, 45 adults and 70 juveniles have been tagged in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Observations show that adult males visit the study site every year with three males dominant. Individual adult females visit the study area to mate in alternate years. Polygyny and polyandry are common. Future research on reproductive behavior of elasmobranchs should address questions on male access to females, sexual selection and dominance hierarchies.     

Survival, growth, health, and reproduction following nursery rearing compared with mother rearing in pigtailed monkeys (Macaca nemestrina)

Nursery-reared primates do not experience psychological "maternal bonding" or immunological benefits of breast milk, so they are expected to be inferior to mother-raised monkeys in growth, health, survival, reproduction, and maternal abilities. Studies of nursery-reared monkeys support aspects of this prediction for infants deprived of social contact or raised in pairs. We present colony record data on 1,187 mother and 506 nursery-raised monkeys, 2-10 yr of age, living in mixed groups. We found no group differences in survival, growth, clinical treatments for disease or bite wounds, or pregnancy outcome and neonatal deaths. Nursery males given breeding opportunities produced an average of 24 offspring. In addition to 24-hr personnel present on every day of the year, we believe that three of our procedures account for differences between our results and other reports. Our infants received 1) intensive human handling, 2) daily social interaction in a playroom, and 3) success and failure experience during learning and cognitive testing. We do not advocate rearing primates without mothers, but we conclude that these procedures are sufficient for producing physical health and adaptive juvenile and adult social skills in nursery-raised monkeys.     

In vitro plant regeneration from seed explants of wild groundnut species (Genus Arachis, Section Extranervosae)

In vitro regeneration of wild groundnut species from Section Extranervosae (Arachis villosulicarpa, A. macedoi, A. retusa, A. burchellii, A. pietrarellii, A. prostrata, A. aff. prostrata and a new species) was examined for the purpose of germplasm renewal and conservation. Seeds of different ages, stored at the seed bank of CENARGEN/EMBRAPA were either inoculated on culture medium or used as a source of embryo axis and cotyledon explants. Whole seeds failed to germinate on MS either without growth regulators (MS0) or supplemented with 10 M TDZ. Embryo axes cultured on MS0 produced only single plants. In the presence of 8.8 M BAP these explants showed multi-shoot formation. Cotyledons cultured on MS supplemented with 110 M BAP developed adventitious shoots through direct organogenesis. Plant regeneration was obtained from A. villosulicarpa, A. macedoi, A. retusa, A. burchellii and A. pietrarellii both from embryo axes and cotyledons. Explants from A. prostrata and A. aff. prostrata did not produce regenerants. Rooting of shoots was induced in the presence of 5.4 M NAA. Primary plants derived from these explants were further multiplied by culturing nodal segments on MS medium plus 2.7 M NAA.     

Mapping the geographical distribution of genetic variation in the genus Lens for the enhanced conservation of plant genetic diversity

Plant genetic resource conservation strategies, informed by an understanding of the geographical distribution of genetic variation within species, are likely to result in a wider representation of conserved diversity in ex situ gene banks and in situ genetic reserves. The main objective of this study was to map the geographical distribution of genetic variation, as revealed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs), in four wild relatives of the cultivated lentil, namely Lens culinaris ssp. orientalis, L. odemensis, L. ervoides and L. nigricans . Areas of high diversity and unique diversity were located for each taxon, and regions where further germplasm collection was most likely to yield novel genetic variation were identified. There were centres of diversity for L. culinaris ssp. orientalis in southeast Turkey and northwest Syria, and in south Syria and Jordan. A centre of diversity was found to exist in Sweida province, south Syria, for L. odemensis , and for L. ervoides along the coastal border region between Syria and Turkey stretching down along the Syrian coast. There was a centre of diversity for L. nigricans in west Turkey. Analytical techniques previously used at the species level were found to be useful at the genotypic level to objectively target areas for future collection missions, to increase diversity in ex situ collections and to target areas for in situ conservation.     

Molecular markers for resistance to Heterodera glycines in advanced soybean germplasm

Germplasm line J87-233 is resistant to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) races 1, 2, 3, 5 and moderately resistant to race 14 with resistance derived from 3 primitive sources, Peking, PI 88788 and PI 90763. F_2:3 progeny of J87-233 and SCN-susceptible Hutcheson cross were evaluated for response to SCN races 1, 2, 3, 5 and 14. Linkage groups (LG) A, B, F, G, J, M, N, S were tested with 215 genomic clones and 45 decamers for parental genotypes. QTL for race 1 and QTL for race 3 were detected on LG A2, the region of BLT65V and SCAR 548/563_{1100/1025,975.} The cluster analysis of 12 soybean cultivars and 38 plant introductions confirmed association of SCAR_{1100/1025,975} with resistance to races 1 and 3, and suggested possible DNA rearrangements that might give rise to new resistance specificities in the region. The highly significant association of K69T marker with SCN race 1 resistance in conjunction with its location, 18.5 cM from the reported QTL, exemplifies the importance of the QTL locus on LG G and suggests expansion of the linkage map in the LG G-terminal region. Detected interaction between loci on LG A2 and LG G, and also with loci on LG F and LG M, may play a significant role in the genotype-specific response to SCN. Identification of two major regions on LG A2 and LG G for SCN resistance shows their applicability to advanced germplasm, however, transmission of molecular marker alleles indicates that applied markers are not yet reliable in revealing all possible recombination events in breeding for SCN resistance.     

中国花楸属植物的分布及研究现状

花楸属(Sorbus L.)植物冠形多态、花色秀美、果实缤纷、四季叶色各异，具有很高的园艺观赏价值，但因属下种间杂交、多倍化和无融合生殖的存在，所以花楸属也是分类学上比较困难的一个类群。该研究通过细致整理和分析国家标本资源库和全球数字化植物标本数据库中花楸属植物标本信息，了解中国花楸属物种采集位置和野生种质资源的分布中心，构建中国花楸属植物标本数据库，为全国第一次林草种质资源的普查与收集提供参考；在明晰花楸属植物资源分布位置和生境的基础上，发现中国花楸属植物资源居世界之首且花楸属物种多分布在高海拔区域，尤其是在中国西南部的山区，分布有一半以上的中国花楸属物种，在该区域花楸属物种多种倍性并存、杂交频繁发生。然而，这是否为该属植物物种多样性丰富的关键因素，把高海拔分布的花楸属物种引种到低海拔区域能否适应以及如何适应低海拔的夏季高温尚不清楚。基于此，作者就自己的专业领域进一步检索了花楸属植物在形态分类与系统发育、适应性进化和保护遗传学、植物资源利用等方面的研究现状，梳理出花楸属植物目前研究尚未解决的问题，并进一步指出未来研究需重点关注的方向。建议未来的研究重点关注以下问题：(1)在坚实的系统...     

国外绿豆种质资源农艺性状的遗传多样性分析

以来自15个国家和地区的352份绿豆种质资源为材料,评价其5个质量性状和10个数量性状的遗传变异水平。结果表明:除美国等5个不同地区的14份材料未正常开花结荚外,其余338份材料的农艺性状具丰富的遗传变异。其中质量性状中叶形和幼茎色的遗传多样性指数最高(0.69),数量性状中荚长(2.08)和百粒重(2.07)的最高。UPGMA聚类将338份参试材料分为6大类群,各类群有其独特的性状特征,其中第5类群早熟、矮秆、大粒,可为杂交育种亲本选配提供理想亲本。亚蔬(ARC-AVRDC)(泰国)、菲律宾、印度、印度尼西亚、韩国、美国和俄罗斯等7个不同地理区域材料间具有显著的遗传变异,其中俄罗斯的遗传多样性指数最高,韩国最低;印度尼西亚的生育期较短,主茎节数、单荚粒数、单株荚数和单株产量最高,属于早熟、大粒、高产的种质,可以为我国新品种的选育提供基础材料;UPGMA聚类可将这7个不同地理区域的材料划分为3类,其中印尼和韩国的材料各被划分为一类,其他5个国家聚为第Ⅲ类,群体间的性状表现与其地理来源有一定的关系。     

405份CIMMYT引进小麦种质的遗传多样性分析

为了明确国际玉米改良中心(CIMMYT)引进普通小麦种质材料的遗传多样性特点,为其利用提供参考依据,本研究从均匀分布于小麦基因组的420对SSR引物中选择出条带清晰、多态性较好的62对引物对引自CIMMYT的405份普通小麦种质系进行遗传多样性检测。结果表明,62对SSR引物在405份CIMMYT材料中共检测到198个等位变异,每对引物检测到等位变异的数目为2~8个,平均每对SSR引物能够检测到3.19个等位变异。单个SSR引物的PIC值介于0.03~0.79之间,平均值0.48。405份CIMMYT材料A、B、D基因组之间多态性位点数和等位变异数相差不大,PIC平均值B基因组(0.53)A基因组(0.52)D基因组(0.39)。聚类分析结果显示,62对SSR引物能够将405份CIMMYT材料区分开来,在0.1285遗传距离处将供试材料分为24个类群,类型较为丰富,不同类群的材料在农艺性状和品质性状上存在差异。     

57份苎麻种质资源主要农艺性状及纤维品质鉴定评价

对57份苎麻种质的主要农艺性状和纤维品质性状进行了鉴定评价。结果筛选出高产苎麻种质10份(原麻产量≥2000 kg/hm2),纤维品质优良的种质7份(纤维细度≥2000 m/g),鲜皮出麻率≥12.5%的苎麻种质20份,炼折率超过65%的苎麻种质有10份,按照苎麻优异种质评价规范,满足高产和出麻率高2个优良指标的种质7份,满足优质和鲜皮出麻率高2个优良指标的种质1份。     

42份武夷名丛茶树资源生化成分多样性分析

对武夷山茶区42份武夷名丛茶树资源的主要生化成分进行了评价鉴定和遗传多样性分析。结果发现,武夷山茶树资源的生化成分存在丰富的多样性和变异,平均遗传多样性指数达到2.06%,平均变异系数达到22.01%。通过多变量的主成分分析,前3个主成分代表了茶树生化成分多样性的89.02%的信息。基于生化成分,把42份武夷名丛聚类划分为3个类群。3个类群除了咖啡碱含量差异不显著外,其他各生化成分均存在显著差异。第Ⅰ、Ⅱ类群大部分为适制乌龙茶的资源,第Ⅲ类群大部分为适制绿茶的资源。并从中筛选出一批生化成分特异的资源。