Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Musa balbisiana

This is the first report of targeted development of B genome microsatellite markers in Musa. A total of 44 sequences with microsatellites were isolated from an enriched library of Musa balbisiana cv. ‘Tani’ (BB genome). Of these, 25 were polymorphic when screened on 14 diverse diploid and triploid Musa accessions. The number of alleles detected by each marker ranged between one and seven. All 25 microsatellite markers generated amplification products in all species and genome complements. These new microsatellite markers fill an important gap for diversity assessment and linkage mapping studies in plantain (AAB) and cooking banana (ABB).     

Limited genetic divergence among Australian alpine Poa tussock grasses coupled with regional structuring points to ongoing gene flow and taxonomic challenges

Background and Aims

While molecular approaches can often accurately reconstruct species relationships, taxa that are incompletely differentiated pose a challenge even with extensive data. Such taxa are functionally differentiated, but may be genetically differentiated only at small and/or patchy regions of the genome. This issue is considered here in Poa tussock grass species that dominate grassland and herbfields in the Australian alpine zone.

Methods

Previously reported tetraploidy was confirmed in all species by sequencing seven nuclear regions and five microsatellite markers. A Bayesian approach was used to co-estimate nuclear and chloroplast gene trees with an overall dated species tree. The resulting species tree was used to examine species structure and recent hybridization, and intertaxon fertility was tested by experimental crosses.

Key Results

Species tree estimation revealed Poa gunnii, a Tasmanian endemic species, as sister to the rest of the Australian alpine Poa. The taxa have radiated in the last 0·5–1·2 million years and the non-gunnii taxa are not supported as genetically distinct. Recent hybridization following past species divergence was also not supported. Ongoing gene flow is suggested, with some broad-scale geographic structure within the group.

Conclusions

The Australian alpine Poa species are not genetically distinct despite being distinguishable phenotypically, suggesting recent adaptive divergence with ongoing intertaxon gene flow. This highlights challenges in using conventional molecular taxonomy to infer species relationships in recent, rapid radiations.     

彩色马蹄莲品种‘Parfait’多倍体诱导及其生物学特征变化

以彩色马蹄莲品种‘Parfait’（Zantedeschiahybrid‘Parfait’）离体丛生芽块为实验材料,对其多倍体诱导过程中秋水仙素和二甲基亚砜（DMSO）浓度以及浸泡时间进行分析,并比较了多倍体与二倍体植株在叶形指数、气孔特征、叶绿素含量和染色体数的差异,最终通过回归分析确定最佳诱导条件。结果显示：随秋水仙素质量体积分数的提高及浸泡时间的缩短,各处理组的丛生芽存活率逐渐增加且均低于对照,而多倍体诱导率逐渐降低且均显著高于对照。综合考虑丛生芽存活率和多倍体诱导率等因素,根据回归分析确定‘Parfait’多倍体诱导的最佳条件为：丛生芽块在含质量体积分数0.20%秋水仙素和体积分数0.10%DMSO的MS液体培养基中浸泡24h,多倍体诱导率可达50.02%。比较分析结果表明：多倍体植株的叶片长度、厚度和长宽比分别为二倍体植株的1.23、1.19和2.93倍,保卫细胞的长度和宽度以及每气孔叶绿体数分别为二倍体植株的1.90、1.96和2.03倍,叶绿素a和总叶绿素含量分别为二倍体植株的1.28和1.17倍;但多倍体植株的叶宽和气孔密度均较小,分别仅为二倍体植株的42.08%和61.55%。除叶绿素b含量外,多倍体植株的其他生物学特性均与二倍体植株差异显著。染色体计数结果显示：获得的多倍体大多为四倍体,染色体数为2n=64,同时还得到了一些嵌合体和六倍体。研究结果表明：彩色马蹄莲品种‘Parfait’多倍体植株的多数生物学特性优于二倍体植株,且其对环境的适应性更强。     

Role of parasite load and differential habitat preferences in maintaining the coexistence of sexual and asexual competitors in fish of the Cobitis taenia hybrid complex

In the context of the paradoxical ubiquity of sex, we tested whether stable coexistence of sexual and asexual fish of the genus Cobitis is mediated by parasites, as asexual fish suffer more from parasitic infections because of their lower genetic variability [the Red Queen hypothesis (RQH)], or by partial niche shift of the two strains differing in mode of reproduction. We did not find a clear correlation between infection risk with a helminth parasite and the proportion of sexuals, and we found similar infection rates among sexual females and co‐occurring asexuals in general, including the most frequent clone in particular. These results suggest that the mechanisms of the RQH are not directly engaged in stabilizing this asexual complex. On the other hand, the temporally stable gradient in sexual/asexual proportions along the river correlated with gradients in environmental parameters (physicochemical water parameters, velocity, and shading of the habitat) and turnover in the fish assemblage structure. Sexual and asexual forms thus appear to prefer different habitats. The Cobitis teania asexual complex thus contributes to the view that persistence of sex may, as in many taxa, be driven by case‐specific processes. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 113 , 220–235.     

Higher seed size and germination rate may favour autotetraploids of Vicia cracca L. (Fabaceae)

The phenotypic effect of increased cell size in polyploid angiosperms has been repeatedly described; the ecological consequences of the gigas effect are, however, relatively poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of cytotype, seed weight, and inter‐population variation on seedling germination and growth in diploid and autotetraploid Vicia cracca L. in a common garden experiment. Seeds used in this study originated in the contact zone of the cytotypes in Central Europe. Tetraploids had heavier seeds than diploids and greater germination rates irrespective of seed size. Both seed weight and germination rate displayed high inter‐population variation. Further, tetraploids seem to germinate earlier and deposit fewer reserves into the seed bank than diploids. Mean above‐ground biomass and seedling height were similar in the two cytotypes of V. cracca. Nonetheless, the tallest tetraploid seedlings were taller than the tallest diploid seedlings, which may be advantageous under strong competition in dense vegetation. This study thus demonstrates that tetraploids of V. cracca may have superior competitive ability to diploids in certain habitats. It also suggests the necessity of studying multiple populations per cytotype when comparing diploids and polyploids, as the effect of population may be of similar or even higher magnitude than the effect of cytotype. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 113 , 57–73.     

秋水仙素诱变离体卷丹多倍体的研究

用0.15%秋水仙素附加2.00%二甲基亚砜诱变离体培养的卷丹小鳞茎,避光条件下摇床诱导,用组织培养结合不定芽诱导技术获得了多倍体苗,并对多倍体染色体数目进行鉴定。结果显示,诱导96 h效果最好,变异率达到54.29%。细胞学观察发现,对照为三倍体、非整倍体和极少数单倍体细胞组成的嵌合体,诱变出的4棵变异株细胞分别为染色体数目由53~72条的不同比例构成,属于典型的非整倍的异倍型嵌合体。诱变株与对照植株间幼苗叶形指数、气孔密度及气孔大小等特征差异比较明显。     

贝类非整倍体研究进展

近年来,在贝类多倍体育种研究中,人们发现了成活的非整倍体胚胎和成体,并就此开展了相关的研究.对此研究进行了综述,对非整倍体的类型、产生原因、生长发育、鉴定方法等进行探讨,并展望了非整倍体研究的前景和应用价值.     

PATTERNS OF ALLOZYME VARIATION IN DIPLOID AND TETRAPLOID CENTAUREA JACEA AT DIFFERENT SPATIAL SCALES

Abstract.— The extent and spatial patterns of genetic variation at allozyme markers were investigated within and between diploid and autotetraploid knapweeds (Centaurea jacea L. sensu lato, Asteraceae) at contrasted geographic scales: (1) among populations sampled from a diploid‐tetraploid contact zone in the northeastern part of the Belgian Ardennes, and (2) within mixed populations from that zone where diploids and tetraploids coexist. Our data were also compared with a published dataset by Sommer (1990) describing allozyme variation in separate diploid and tetraploid knapweeds populations collected throughout Europe. Genetic diversity was higher in tetraploids. In the Belgian Ardennes and within the mixed populations, both cytotypes had similar levels of spatial genetic structure, they were genetically differentiated, and their distributions of allele frequencies were not spatially correlated. In contrast, at the European scale, diploids and tetraploids did not show differentiated gene pools and presented a strong correlation between their patterns of spatial genetic variation. Numerical simulations showed that the striking difference in patterns observed at small and large geographic scales could be accounted for by a combination of (1) isolation by distance within cytotypes; and (2) partial reproductive barriers between cytotypes and/or recurrent formation of tetraploids. We suggest that this may explain the difficulty of the taxonomic treatment of knapweeds and of polyploid complexes in general.