Public perceptions of reproductive biotechnologies: the case of farm animal breeding and reproduction in France and the United Kingdom

Results of previous qualitative and quantitative stages of the research project demonstrated that, although consumers had poor knowledge about breeding and reproduction procedures, they were concerned about the impact of breeding practices on their food items. They acknowledged breeding and reproduction to be at the very core of animal-based food chain process. Since however modern breeding programmers beg so much for genetics, their practices increasingly raised consumer concerns. This paper presents results of a research addressing this issue and based on interviews of livestock breeders and specialized scientists. This research was undertaken within the frame of an EU funded project (Sustainable Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Project, 2000-2003). Interviews were performed according to the methodology of focus groups and results were used to prepare a discussion guide, including definitions of breeding techniques such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, in vitro fertilization, and molecular genetics. Farm animal breeding and reproduction methods raised high level of concerns in conventional terms like safety, healthiness and quality of food, factory farming and related consequences on environment, international issues, and cost. Several propositions were presented that deal with modern farm animal breeding and reproduction, EU regulation of breeding procedures, education of consumers on breeding methods, and labelling of products on breeding and reproduction grounds.     

国内辣椒雄性不育育种及分子生物学研究进展

辣椒是常异花授粉植物,杂种制种成本较高。利用雄性不育育种可以降低杂种成本,近年来成为育种单位及科研院所研究的热点。介绍了国内开展辣椒雄性不育育种的情况,阐述了有关辣椒雄性不育研究的进展,涉及已被利用的遗传类型、不育系的来源和恢复系的研究,对近年来开发的不育和保持基因标记、恢复基因标记、基因的克隆进展进行了描述,为国内辣椒育种研究者提供参考。     

“甘蔗复合群”能源植物遗传育种研究进展

“甘蔗复合群”是一类极具生物能源开发潜力的禾本科C4植物。近年来由于世界能源危机的影响和植物遗传育种研究的发展,国内外学者对“甘蔗复合群”植物资源评价和能源育种研究越来越重视。本文介绍了“甘蔗复合群”的基本概念、属种分类及核心类群等研究背景。同时以甘蔗属和芒属核心资源为例,从“甘蔗复合群”能源植物遗传育种的角度综述了国内外相关研究进展。旨在总结前人的理论研究成果和杂交育种实践经验,探讨相关类群在植物系统分类和种质资源利用中存在问题与对策,为我国“甘蔗复合群”能源植物的应用基础研究和产业化开发利用提出建议。     

野百合的研究概况

野百合（Lilium brownii F．E．Brown ex Miellez）是一种常用的百合属杂交亲本。介绍了野百合在细胞学、组织培养、杂交育种等方面的研究概况,为野百合的进一步研究和开发利用提供参考。     

抗虫基因研究及在芸薹属作物上的应用

芸薹属作物属十字花科,包括多种重要的蔬菜和油料作物。该类作物易受病虫害侵袭,造成品质和产量严重受损。化学方法防治害虫不仅破坏环境而且费用昂贵,所以培育抗虫品种成为既经济又环保的措施之一。但由于目前抗虫资源匮乏,难以通过常规育种培育出抗虫的品种,植物基因工程技术的应用,能加快育种进程,提高育种效率。简要介绍近年来抗虫基因的发掘及其在芸薹属中的应用进展。     

A long winter for the Red Queen: rethinking the evolution of seasonal migration

This paper advances an hypothesis that the primary adaptive driver of seasonal migration is maintenance of site fidelity to familiar breeding locations. We argue that seasonal migration is therefore principally an adaptation for geographic persistence when confronted with seasonality – analogous to hibernation, freeze tolerance, or other organismal adaptations to cyclically fluctuating environments. These ideas stand in contrast to traditional views that bird migration evolved as an adaptive dispersal strategy for exploiting new breeding areas and avoiding competitors. Our synthesis is supported by a large body of research on avian breeding biology that demonstrates the reproductive benefits of breeding‐site fidelity. Conceptualizing migration as an adaptation for persistence places new emphasis on understanding the evolutionary trade‐offs between migratory behaviour and other adaptations to fluctuating environments both within and across species. Seasonality‐induced departures from breeding areas, coupled with the reproductive benefits of maintaining breeding‐site fidelity, also provide a mechanism for explaining the evolution of migration that is agnostic to the geographic origin of migratory lineages (i.e. temperate or tropical). Thus, our framework reconciles much of the conflict in previous research on the historical biogeography of migratory species. Although migratory behaviour and geographic range change fluidly and rapidly in many populations, we argue that the loss of plasticity for migration via canalization is an overlooked aspect of the evolutionary dynamics of migration and helps explain the idiosyncratic distributions and migratory routes of long‐distance migrants. Our synthesis, which revolves around the insight that migratory organisms travel long distances simply to stay in the same place, provides a necessary evolutionary context for understanding historical biogeographic patterns in migratory lineages as well as the ecological dynamics of migratory connectivity between breeding and non‐breeding locations.     

玉米孤雌生殖单倍体诱导及加倍机理研究新进展

玉米单倍体技术的应用可以大大缩短自交系选育年限,加快育种进程,提高选育效率,尤其是孤雌生殖单倍体技术的广泛应用,能够在高效加倍的基础上快速选育稳定的纯系。本文较全面地综述了近年来关于玉米孤雌生殖诱导产生单倍体的机理及单倍体染色体加倍分子机制的研究新进展,旨在为单倍体技术更广泛的应用提供一定的理论依据。     

High-priority research directions in genetics and the breeding of the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in the 21st century

High-priority research directions for the genetics and breeding of the sugar beet in the 21st century were developed with consideration of the available scientific achievements of domestic and foreign scholars. These directions unite the classical and molecular approaches to solving the problems of increasing the effectiveness of sugar beet breeding carried out on a genetic basis, and they correspond to the contemporary level of scientific research. Seven such directions are proposed.     

Breeding ecology of the Seychelles Black Parrot Coracopsis barklyi

Knowledge of breeding ecology is required for many conservation interventions. The Seychelles Black Parrot Coracopsis barklyi, endemic to the island of Praslin, is vulnerable to extinction. We aimed to improve understanding of C. barklyi breeding ecology to aid conservation planning. We present the results of four years of research, including nesting cavity characteristics and availability, reproductive success, breeding parameters, parental behaviour and reproductive strategy. Thirty-six breeding attempts were studied over the four seasons. Nests were mainly located in Coco de Mer palms Lodoicea maldivica. Deeper cavities with more canopy cover were preferred. There may be a shortage of high-quality nesting cavities in intensive breeding seasons. Average clutch size was 2.2 eggs, incubation period was c. 15 d and egg fertility was 71%. Rats were key nest predators, causing the failure of up to 33% of breeding attempts. The probability of nest success was 53%. At least 57% of fledglings survived their first year. This species breeds cooperatively and practices a highly unusual side-by-side copulation. We discuss the implications of the results in the context of former, ongoing and potential conservation measures for C. barklyi including translocation, invasive species management, nest box provisioning, habitat restoration and further research.     

Breeding and management of BB rats by the aid of the computer program BB RADABA.

In the process of breeding laboratory animals for experimental research a host of data will be produced. Our computer program BB RADABA permits the management of breeding and experimental data as well as planning of experiments and evaluation of experimental results. More than one year of practical work with this program has shown that BB RADABA provides a better survey over the data, moreover it is able to supply objective recommendations of suitable breeding pairs and had the advantage of graphic and statistic data presentation.     

Scientific Theory and Agricultural Practice: Plant Breeding in Germany from the Late 19th to the Early 20th Century

The paper deals with the transformation of plant breeding from an agricultural practice into an applied academic science in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Germany. The aim is to contribute to the ongoing debate about the relationship between science and technology. After a brief discussion of this debate the first part of the paper examines how pioneers of plant breeding developed their breeding methods and commercially successful varieties. The focus here is on the role of scientific concepts and theories in the agricultural innovation process. The second part turns towards the strategies by which agronomists tried to establish plant breeding as an academic discipline and themselves as the new experts for breeding research and varietal development. Again, the focus is on the interplay of scientific theory and agricultural practice. It is argued that in order to better understand the transformation of plant breeding into an applied academic science we have to take different levels into account, i.e. the levels of organizations, individuals and objects, at which science and technology interact.     

中国肉牛分子与基因修饰育种研究进展

随着世界肉牛产业科技的快速发展,我国肉牛产业的整体水平得到明显提高并取得丰硕成果。肉牛育种技术实现了由常规杂交育种向分子标记辅助育种、全基因组选择育种和基因组修饰育种的技术跨越,揭示出大量与生长发育、肉质品质、繁殖与疾病等相关的候选基因与分子标记,并逐步应用于肉牛育种实践。与生长发育性状相关的基因或分子标记主要集中在生长激素基因、生肌调节因子家族、肌肉生长抑制因子和胰岛素样生长因子等;参与肉质形成的基因主要集中在脂肪酸运输与沉积相关信号通路、钙蛋白酶信号通路、生肌调节因子家族与肌肉生长抑制因子等;繁殖性状相关基因或分子标记主要集中在GnRH-FSHR-LH、生长分化因子9、催乳素受体和FoxO1等;抗病相关基因主要有MHC基因家族、TOLL样受体4基因等。目前,利用精准基因编辑技术已培育出促生长发育与提高肉品质的肉牛育种新材料。本文总结了近年来我国在肉牛分子与基因组修饰育种领域取得的研究进展,以期为我国肉牛遗传育种技术研究提供参考和借鉴。     

Research on the improvement of turpentine practices

The age-old turpentine industry is being modernized by a three-fold research attack involving advances in extraction techniques through chemical stimulation procedures; the selection, breeding and propagation of high-yielding turpentine pines; and engineering research on equipment used in woods operations.     

青海海晏县热水滩和乌兰脑滩喜马拉雅旱獭的繁殖生物学特征

研究喜马拉雅旱獭(Marmota himalayana)繁殖生物学特征,对阐明其种群数量变动,进行数量监测以及探索动物流行病学有着实践和理论意义。国内赵中石(1982)对天山旱獭(Marmota baibacina)有过研究,而喜马拉雅旱獭尚无报道。作者于1982-1984年对青海湖东北岸热水滩地区(下称研究区,该区于1960-1979年进行了持续地灭獭工作)进行了连续3年的调查,并与未经人群干扰的乌兰脑滩地区(下称对照区)作对比,研究了喜马拉雅旱獭繁殖生物学特征。     

激光诱变育种的研究概况

阐述了激光诱变育种机理的研究进展,激光诱变在农作物、畜牧兽医、工业微生物育种上的应用及已取得的成果,并介绍了激光诱变育种的一般操作过程和激光诱变育种的研究前景。     

支链氨基酸合成调控机制及菌种选育策略研究进展

提高国内支链氨基酸产生菌的高产菌株选育水平有助于缩短与国外生产之间的差距,满足国内市场需求。根据支链氨基酸生物合成途径及代谢调节,重点阐述了合成过程中关键酶的代谢调控,介绍了诱变育种、代谢工程、基因组改组及全局转录机器工程四种育种策略的研究进展。在支链氨基酸选育方面,全局转录机器工程育种目前虽无成功实例,但具有很大的潜力,而其他育种策略在氨基酸的选育中均发挥重要作用,可供国内相关育种工作者参考使用。     

转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的研究进展

近10年来, 转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的研究取得了长足进展, 已受到国内外科学界的广泛关注。本文简要介绍并评述了有关方面的研究进展, 包括水稻的C4光合固碳基因工程、转C4固碳相关基因水稻光合和光氧化的生理特性及转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的生理育种3个方面; 提出以常规育种和生物技术相结合, 开展转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的生理育种, 是培育优质、高产超级稻的有效途径。     

转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的研究进展

近10年来,转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的研究取得了长足进展,已受到国内外科学界的广泛关注。本文简要介绍并评述了有关方面的研究进展,包括水稻的C4光合固碳基因工程、转C4固碳相关基因水稻光合和光氧化的生理特性及转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的生理育种3个方面：提出以常规育种和生物技术相结合,开展转C4光合固碳相关基因水稻的生理育种,是培育优质、高产超级稻的有效途径。     

Plumage colour variations in the Agapornis genus: a review

The genus Agapornis consists of nine small African parrot species that are globally well known as pets, but are also found in their native habitat. Illegal trapping, poaching and habitat destruction are the main threats these birds face in the wild. In aviculture, Agapornis breeding is highly popular all across the globe. Birds are mainly selected based on their plumage colour variations but very little molecular research has been conducted on this topic. There are 30 known colour variations amongst the nine species and most of these are inherited as Mendelian traits. However, to date none of the genes or polymorphisms linked to these variations have been identified or verified. Due to unethical breeding practices, the need for the development of molecular tests such as identification verification tests or species identity tests is growing. Future research is paramount to ensure the conservation of wild populations as well as aiding breeders in improving breeding strategies.     

Recent Progress Using High-throughput Sequencing Technologies in Plant Molecular Breeding

High-throughput sequencing is a revolutionary technological innovation in DNA sequencing.This technology has an ultra-low cost per base of sequencing and an overwhelmingly high data output.High-throughput sequencing has brought novel research methods and solutions to the research fields of genomics and post-genomics.Furthermore,this technology is leading to a new molecular breeding revolution that has landmark significance for scientific research and enables us to launch multi-level,multi-faceted,and multi-extent studies in the fields of crop genetics,genomics,and crop breeding.In this paper,we review progress in the application of high-throughput sequencing technologies to plant molecular breeding studies.