Response of wheat restricted‐tillering and vigorous growth traits to variables of climate change

The response of wheat to the variables of climate change includes elevated CO₂, high temperature, and drought which vary according to the levels of each variable and genotype. Independently, elevated CO₂, high temperature, and terminal drought affect wheat biomass and grain yield, but the interactive effects of these three variables are not well known. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of elevated CO₂ when combined with high temperature and terminal drought on the high‐yielding traits of restricted‐tillering and vigorous growth. It was hypothesized that elevated CO₂ alone, rather than combined with high temperature, ameliorates the effects of terminal drought on wheat biomass and grain yield. It was also hypothesized that wheat genotypes with more sink capacity (e.g. high‐tillering capacity and leaf area) have more grain yield under combined elevated CO₂, high temperature, and terminal drought. Two pairs of sister lines with contrasting tillering and vigorous growth were grown in poly‐tunnels in a four‐factor completely randomized split‐plot design with elevated CO₂ (700 µL L^?1), high day time temperature (3 °C above ambient), and drought (induced from anthesis) in all combinations to test whether elevated CO₂ ameliorates the effects of high temperature and terminal drought on biomass accumulation and grain yield. For biomass and grain yield, only main effects for climate change variables were significant. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased grain yield by 24–35% in all four lines and terminal drought significantly reduced grain yield by 16–17% in all four lines, while high temperature (3 °C above the ambient) had no significant effect. A trade‐off between yield components limited grain yield in lines with greater sink capacity (free‐tillering lines). This response suggests that any positive response to predicted changes in climate will not overcome the limitations imposed by the trade‐off in yield components.     

Analyses of volatiles produced by the African fruit fly species complex (Diptera,Tephritidae)

Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae and Ceratitis rosa are polyphagous agricultural pests originating from the African continent. The taxonomy of this group (the so-called Ceratitis FAR complex) is unclear. To clarify the taxonomic relationships, male and female-produced volatiles presumably involved in pre-mating communication were studied using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) followed by multivariate analysis, and gas chromatography combined with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). GC×GC-TOFMS analyses revealed sex specific differences in produced volatiles. Male volatiles are complex mixtures that differ both qualitatively and quantitatively but share some common compounds. GC-EAD analyses of male volatiles revealed that the antennal sensitivities of females significantly differ in the studied species. No female volatiles elicited antennal responses in males. The results show clear species-specific differences in volatile production and provide complementary information for the distinct delimitation of the putative species by chemotaxonomic markers.     

Morphological study of alar androconia in Celastrina butterflies

Morphological studies of androconia were performed for 13 Celastrina species using a digital microscope with Z‐stacking mode. Whereas C. ladon lacked androconia, the remaining 12 species were found to possess fan‐shaped androconia on the dorsal wing surfaces. The androconia of these species shared the following common features: smaller size than standard color‐producing scales, absence of dentate termini and presence of crossrib perforations. In addition, some species were characterized by unique microstructures in their androconia. The androconia of C. argiolus iynteana possessed a rounded lamellar contour, while those of C. lavendularis himilcon and C. echo cinerea were tapered on the basal end. The average number of longitudinal ridges of C. argiolus ladonides and C. filipjevi (17.1) were greater than the average number of 12 species (14.3). These results suggest that the morphological traits of androconia in microdomain, such as the shape of the lamellar form and the average number of longitudinal ridges, are useful to identify species in the genus Celastrina.     

Comparative morphology study of the male genitalia in the tribe Astathini from China (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The male genitalia of 13 species from four genera of Astathini were described and analyzed. The result showed that five genital characters, such as shape of the apex of 8th abdominal tergaum and sternum, ratio of the length of lateral lobes to tegmen, can be used to identify genera of Astathini; six characters, such as ratio of the length of lateral lobes to tegmen, ratio of the length of roof to lateral lobes, shape of the apex of ventral plate of median lobe, can be used to identify species in Bacchisa.     

中国特产2种濒危水韭雄性发育的比较研究

采用透射电镜和光镜比较观察了中华水韭和云贵水韭雄配子体及其精子的发育特征。结果显示:(1)2种水韭的雄配子体的寿命只有15~30d,终生都在小孢子壁内发育。(2)雄配子体只含有1个原叶体细胞、1个精子器壁细胞和4个精细胞,前2个细胞内含有丰富的营养物质。(3)精子由精核、微管带、鞭毛、细胞质等4部分构成。(4)中华水韭雄配子体发生率为4.5%,平均每个雄配子体产生0.46个精子,精子游动速度约53μm/s,寿命8min;云贵水韭雄配子体发生率和产精量略高于中华水韭,但精子游动速度和寿命略低于中华水韭。研究认为,中国水韭濒危的主要原因之一是雄配子体产精率低、受到生殖生态限制、水污染对精子的危害等;雄性特征表明水韭在石松类中占有较高的进化地位;结合前人的研究成果绘出了水韭雄配子体的发育模式。     

辣椒雄性不育系葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因的克隆及表达分析

为了深入研究辣椒雄性不育与能量代谢之间的关系,该研究以辣椒近缘物种番茄的葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因(G6PDH)同源序列为基础,采用电子克隆的方法克隆出辣椒CaG6PDH基因。利用荧光定量PCR技术,对辣椒雄性不育系9704A与其保持系9704B花蕾发育的不同阶段,以及保持系9704B不同组织(茎、叶、花、果皮、胎座、种子)中CaG6PDH基因进行表达分析。结果表明:两系中获得的CaG6PDH基因的编码序列一致,全长1 533bp,编码510个氨基酸残基;辣椒CaG6PDH基因在保持系不同组织中表达量存在差异,胎座中表达量最高,茎中表达量最低;辣椒CaG6PDH基因的表达量在花蕾发育的不同阶段雄性不育系均高于保持系,此种差异在小孢子发育的单核期与成熟期尤为明显,这种差异可能使雄性不育系能量代谢供应出现异常,从而影响小孢子的正常发育而导致雄性败育。     

Histological Evidence for Different Spread of Fusarium crown rot in Barley Genotypes with Different Heights

Based on visual assessment of disease severity, previous studies reported that tall genotypes tend to be more severely affected by Fusarium crown rot (FCR) in wheat and barley. To clarify whether tall and dwarf genotypes have different susceptibility to FCR or whether it takes longer for Fusarium pathogens to infect dwarf genotypes, histological analyses were conducted with two pairs of near isogenic lines (NILs) for a semi‐dwarfing gene in barley. This analysis showed that F. pseudograminearum hyphae were detected earlier and proliferated more rapidly during the time‐course of FCR development in the tall isolines. Histological analysis showed that cell densities of the dwarf isolines were significantly higher than those of the tall isolines due to reduced lengths and widths of cells, and FCR severity was strongly correlated with cell density. An analysis with real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detected a higher amount of F. pseudograminearum in the tall isolines at each of the time points assessed during FCR development. These results support the hypothesis that the increased cell density associated with dwarf genes could act as a physical barrier to the spread of FCR in cereals.     

Effect of plant oils on quality parameters of Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) reared on liquid larval diet

Liquid larval diets have been developed for several tephritid fruit flies including Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Frogatt) (Q‐fly). In liquid diets, wheat germ oil (WGO) is usually added to improve performance in some quality parameters of reared flies, especially flight ability. However, for some flies, other plant oils may be more readily available, cheaper or produce flies of superior performance. In the present study, four alternative types of plant oils – rice bran, canola, vegetable, and sesame – were incorporated into a fruit fly liquid larval diet to replace the currently used wheat germ oil and their efficacy on the quality parameters of reared Q‐fly was compared to diets containing wheat germ oil or no oil. The quality parameters included: total pupal yield (N), pupal recovery (%), larval duration (days), pupal weight (mg), adult emergence (%), adult fliers (%), rate of fliers (%), sex ratio (%), F₁ egg/female/day and egg hatching (%). There were significant differences among treatments in performance of Q‐fly. Vegetable oil appeared better in terms of total pupal yield, percentage of pupal recovery, percentage of adult emergence, percentage of fliers, mean egg/female/day and % F₁ egg hatch compared with other oil treatments, especially from that of WGO treated diet. The result suggests that WGO can be substituted with rice bran and vegetable oil to improve the liquid larval diet for rearing of B. tryoni, with vegetable oil being the best replacement.     

Y chromosome haplotype distribution of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Northern Europe provides insight into population history and recovery

High‐resolution, male‐inherited Y‐chromosomal markers are a useful tool for population genetic analyses of wildlife species, but to date have only been applied in this context to relatively few species besides humans. Using nine Y‐chromosomal STRs and three Y‐chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphism markers (Y‐SNPs), we studied whether male gene flow was important for the recent recovery of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Northern Europe, where the species declined dramatically in numbers and geographical distribution during the last centuries but is expanding now. We found 36 haplotypes in 443 male extant brown bears from Sweden, Norway, Finland and northwestern Russia. In 14 individuals from southern Norway from 1780 to 1920, we found two Y chromosome haplotypes present in the extant population as well as four Y chromosome haplotypes not present among the modern samples. Our results suggested major differences in genetic connectivity, diversity and structure between the eastern and the western populations in Northern Europe. In the west, our results indicated that the recovered population originated from only four male lineages, displaying pronounced spatial structuring suggestive of large‐scale population size increase under limited male gene flow within the western subpopulation. In the east, we found a contrasting pattern, with high haplotype diversity and admixture. This first population genetic analysis of male brown bears shows conclusively that male gene flow was not the main force of population recovery.     

Are extra‐pair males different from cuckolded males? A case study and a meta‐analytic examination

Traditional models for female extra‐pair matings assume that females benefit indirectly from extra‐pair mating behaviour. Under these so‐called adaptive models, extra‐pair males are hypothesized to have more compatible genotypes, larger body size, exaggerated ornaments or to be older than cuckolded males. Alternatively, (‘nonadaptive’) models that consider female extra‐pair matings to be a by‐product posit that female extra‐pair mating can be maintained even if there is no benefit to females. This could happen if, for example, males gained fitness benefits from extra‐pair mating, while female and male extra‐pair mating behaviours were genetically correlated. Extra‐pair males are also expected to be older and larger if this improves their ability to convince or coerce females to mate. We investigated whether a female's extra‐pair mates differed from her cuckolded mate in both genetic and phenotypic traits by analysing data from an insular house sparrow population. We found that extra‐pair males were older than cuckolded males, consistent with both models. However, in contrast to the expectations from from adaptive models, extra‐pair and cuckolded males were of similar genetic relatedness, and hence expected compatibility, with the female, and had comparable body size and secondary sexual traits. We also updated previous meta‐analyses examining differences between extra‐pair and cuckolded males. The meta‐analytic results matched results from our house sparrow case study. Although we cannot completely exclude indirect benefits for females, nonadaptive models may better explain female extra‐pair matings. These neglected alternative models deserve more research attention, and this should improve our understanding of the evolution of mating systems.