Evidence for the Formation of the Male Gynogenetic Fish

The females and unexpected males of gynogenetic red crucian carps (GRCC) with the 1:1 sex ratio were found in the progeny of the distant crossing of red crucian carp (RCC; ♀, 2n?=?100) × blunt snout bream (BSB; ♂, 2n?=?48). The females and males of GRCC were fertile, and they mated each other to generate the red crucian carps (GRCC₁) and another variational gray crucian carps (GGCC). The GRCC and their offspring were proved to be diploids (2n?=?100) with one to three microchromosomes by examining the chromosomal metaphases. The evidences for the male’s genetic effect in GRCC were provided by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization, Sox-HMG DNA markers, and microsatellite DNA markers. The genotypic variances of GRCC resulted in their phenotypic variances which were quite different from their maternal parent. It was concluded that the formation of the male gynogenetic fish in GRCC resulted from the genetic leakage of the paternal fish in the form of the microchromosomes including the paternal male-determining gene. After being activated by the sperm of BSB, which was inactivated and finally degraded but left the microchromosomes, the egg of RCC, in which the 50 chromosomes were spontaneously doubled to 100 chromosomes, developed into the diploid male gynogenetic fish. The formation of the bisexual GRCC and their progeny indicated that the distant hybridization could generate the bisexual diploid gynogenetic fish with genetic variation derived from the paternal fish, which is of great significance in both fish genetic breeding and evolutionary biology.     

人工雌核发育鲢的遗传多样性及异源遗传物质整入的RAPD分析

运用RAPD技术对连续二代人工雌核发育鲢的遗传多样性及异源遗传物质的整入进行了分析 ,结果表明 :一代雌核发育鲢 ,个体间遗传相似度为 0 94 5— 0 995 6 ,多样性指数为 0 175 ;二代雌核发育鲢 ,个体间遗传相似度为0 96 15— 1 0 0 ,平均为 0 985 2 ,多样性指数为 0 0 6 2。研究揭示经过连续二代人工雌核发育后 ,其遗传多样性明显减少 ,种质进一步纯化。通过对雌核发育鲢二代、亲本鲢和雄鲤的RAPD扩增比较 ,发现雌核发育鲢含有少数与父本相同的特异DNA扩增带 ,而亲本鲢没有 ,在基因水平上表明雌核发育鲢整入了雄鲤的遗传物质     

Sex ratios in offspring of sex-reversed sea bass and the relationship between growth and phenotypic sex differentiation

Groups of sexually undifferentiated sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax were fed with the androgen 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during sex differentiation. MT treatment increased males from 79±3% in the controls (the usual 3:1 male:female sex ratio of cultured sea bass) to 100±0%, implying that in the treated groups one out of each five resulting males was a masculinized female (neomale). Thirteen males from the MT treated groups were taken as the parental generation and their sperm used to individually fertilize a pool of eggs from unrelated females. The probability of having at least one neomale was 95% and most probably two or three of the males used were neomales. The offspring from each family were reared separately under the same environmental conditions. Samples were taken at 11 and 15 months of age, during and after sex differentiation, respectively. Results showed that females predominated among the larger fish whereas males and undifferentiated fish predominated among the smaller ones. Intersexes exhibited an intermediate size. All fish with a body length smaller than 12 cm were undifferentiated. These results suggest that sex differentiation is more dependent on length than on age. At 15 months, sex ratios were male-biased in all families, except one (females ranged from 5 to 50%) and only two families had sex ratios not significantly different from 1:1, suggesting that the mechanism of sex determination in the sea bass is not of a XX/XY or ZW/ZZ type since no family exhibited a female-biased progeny, as would be expected from both types. Results support the hypothesis that factors other than genetic, i.e., environmental, may act epigenetically on the sex determination mechanisms of sea bass, as has been demonstrated in other fishes.     

Virulence and molecular typing of Vibrio harveyi strains isolated from cultured dentex,gilthead sea bream and European sea bass

Vibrio harveyi was isolated from internal organs or ulcers of diseased and apparently healthy gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) cultured in several fish farms located on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The prevalence of the bacterium was significantly higher in European sea bass than in gilthead sea bream, and was closely related to the season in both fish species, occurring almost exclusively on warm months (June to November). After phenotypic characterization, a selection of forty five isolates from gilthead sea bream, sea bass, and several isolates previously obtained from common dentex (Dentex dentex) of the same area, were molecularly typed by automated ribotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Cluster analysis of data established 8 RAPD types and 13 ribotypes among wild isolates, and the combination of both techniques allowed to define fourteen different groups and a clear discrimination of all outbreaks and samplings. Several strains isolated from diseased gilthead sea bream and sea bass and also from asymptomatic sea bream, were tested for virulence in both fish species by intracoelomic injection. All the isolates (11) were pathogenic for sea bass, with nine out of the eleven LD50 values ranging from 1.5 x 10(5) to 1.6 x 10(6) cfu/fish. Gilthead sea bream was unaffected by the seven tested strains, even by those more virulent for sea bass, and only one strain caused a 10% mortality at 4.2 x 10(7) cfu/fish. This is the first report on virulence of V. harveyi for sea bass.     

A microsatellite linkage map of the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax L

A genetic linkage map of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) was constructed from 174 microsatellite markers, including 145 new markers reported in this study. The mapping panel was derived from farmed sea bass from the North Adriatic Sea and consisted of a single family including both parents and 50 full-sib progeny (biparental diploids). A total of 162 microsatellites were mapped in 25 linkage groups. Eleven loci represent type I (coding) markers; 2 loci are located within the peptide Y (linkage group 1) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (linkage group 6) genes. The sex-averaged map spans 814.5 cM of the sea bass genome. The female map covers 905.9 cM, whereas the male map covers only 567.4 cM. The constructed map represents the first linkage map of European sea bass, one of the most important aquaculture species in Europe.     

Growth, gonadal development and sex ratios of meiogynogenetic diploid sea bass

Gynogenesis showed little effect on general physiology and gonadal development in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax . Meiogynogenetic fish showed well-developed gonads indicating low occurrence of developmental imbalances even after gynogenesis induction in this species. In addition, the proportion of sexes of meiogynogenetic sea bass was similar to the diploid controls in two independent trials, which did not deviate significantly from a 1:1 male: female sex ratio. Even considering some environmental influence on sex differentiation, as has been previously demonstrated, the fact that the proportion of sexes was similar between gynogenetic and control diploids essentially eliminates the possibility that in the sea bass the females are the homogametic sex. Although the mechanism of sex determination of this species still remains unknown, even after gynogenesis induction, the genetic mechanism of the ZW/ZZ type could probably operate in the sea bass.     

利用向日葵重组自交系构建遗传图谱

以向日葵自选系K55为母本、K58为父本杂交组合,通过单粒传得到的187个F_5：6代重组自交系群体为作图材料,联合应用SSR和AFLP标记构建遗传连锁图谱。经过78对SSR引物和48对AFLP引物组合选择性扩增,分别得到341和1119条带,共1460条,分别获得多态性条带184条和393条,共577条多态性条带,占所有条带的39.52%。SSR和AFLP标记各有84个和108个多态性标记偏离孟德尔分离比例(P=0.05),共192个偏分离标记。采用JoinMap4.0软件进行连锁分析,构建了1张总长度为2759.4 cM、包含17个连锁群、连锁495个多态性标记的遗传图谱,其中偏分离标记170个,标记间的平均图距为5.57 cM。每个连锁群上分布有5~72个标记,长68.88~250.17 cM。本图谱为向日葵永久性图谱,为向日葵重要性状QTL定位和基因克隆奠定基础。     

Culture performance of different strains and crosses of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) reared under controlled conditions at Eilat, Israel

The European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of the most important commercial marine fish species in the Mediterranean basin. However, broodstock domestication and selective breeding on a production scale have yet to be exploited. We reared progeny of sea bass from three different strains and their crosses throughout the entire growth cycle to market size. Data sets were analyzed to assess whether culture performance differs among different strains and crosses reared under controlled laboratory conditions using both separate and communal rearing techniques. Strains and crosses of sea bass varied significantly for traits of economic interest such as growth, survival, body composition, sex ratio, sexual maturation patterns of males, and frequencies of body shape abnormalities. Lack of evidence for substantial heterosis for growth among reciprocal crosses was also detected. Significant sexual dimorphism for length and weight was evident in all strains and crosses. At market size, the resulting weight advantages of females varied between strains and crosses; overall average weight advantage for females was about 39%. Length and weight of individual fish were strongly correlated during different time intervals. This may be useful for the choice of selection criteria, raising the possibility that the response to selection for weight at market time may be achieved by conducting selection on young fish. Generally, the results showed a high culture potential of sea bass strains originating from the southeastern areas of the Mediterranean Sea, suggesting that these domesticated strains can be exploited in future selective breeding programs.     

Efficacy of a Listonella anguillarum (syn. Vibrio anguillarum) vaccine for juvenile sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

The efficacy of a commercial bivalent Listonella anguillarum (serotype 01 and 02) vaccine (MICROViB, Microtek International) was tested on prime- and booster-immersion vaccinated sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles. We carried out 2 challenge tests on the prime-vaccinated fish, 50 and 90 d after initial vaccination. A second group of fish received a booster vaccination 60 d after the prime vaccination, and were tested with a single challenge 30 d later. Relative percent survival (RPS) was 92 and 84% (both p < 0.01) among the prime-vaccinated fish on the first and second challenges, respectively. The RPS of the booster-vaccinated sea bass was 100% (p < 0.01). Antibody titres were tested only among 10 prime-vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated (control) sea bass, 60 d post-immunisation, and were found to rise to 1/32 in the vaccinated fish. Our results demonstrate that MICROViB immersion vaccine can effectively protect juvenile sea bass from L. anguillarum infection.     

转基因抗虫棉SSR和AFLP遗传变异研究

利用SSR和AFLP两种分子标记技术,分析了52份转基因抗虫棉品种（系）的遗传多样性。结果表明：在61对SSR引物中,有4对引物在供试材料中表现出多态性,共扩增出102个标记,其中多态性标记25个,多态性百分率为24．51％,每对引物的扩增带数变化在17～30之间;在100对AFLP引物中,有9对引物在供试材料中产生多态性,共扩增出618个标记,多态性标记33个,占总数的5．34％,每对引物组合扩增的标记数分布于47～81之间。成对品种的欧式距离变化在2．00～5．57之间,平均值为4．21,单一品种欧氏距离的平均值分布在3．73～4．75之间,表明不同品种之间遗传差异不大。基于SSRs和AFLPs多态性数据的聚类分析,可以将供试材料划分为3个类群（SAGs）,但类群划分与品种地理来源不十分吻合。     

Induced Gynogenesis in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) Using Irradiated Sperm of Allotetraploid Hybrids

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) eggs were activated by UV-irradiated diploid sperm of allotetraploid hybrids derived from red crucian carp (♀)?×?common carp (♂) and then duplicated by cold shock in 4-6°C water for 10-12 min. Different cold shock initiation times resulted in two types of diploid gynogenetic grass carp: meiotic gynogenetic (meiG) and mitotic gynogenetic (mitG). Over a 5-year period, a total of 17,170 meiG and 1,080 mitG fry were produced and 6,862 meiG and 372 mitG grass carp survived. The gynogenetic fish were confirmed by morphological characteristics, chromosome examination, and microsatellite DNA analysis. The morphological traits of the gynogenetic grass carp were similar to those of wild diploid grass carp. Normal gynogenetic fish were identified as diploid with 48 chromosomes by chromosomal metaphases examination, while nonviable abnormal embryos were detected as haploid with 24 chromosomes. Microsatellite DNA analysis indicated that after one generation of gynogenesis, the genetic purity of meiG and mitG grass carp was significantly increased over that of wild grass carp. In addition, both meiG and mitG grass carp groups were 100% female, and 88% of these showed normal ovary development. Thus, the sex determination mechanism in female grass carp was homogamety. The ability to establish pure all-female groups of meiG and mitG grass carp should be a valuable contribution to both fish genetics and grass carp breeding.     

中国食用向日葵种质资源遗传变异的RAPD及AFLP分析

本研究采用RAPD和AFLP方法对23个中国不同地区的食用向日葵（Helianthus annuus L.)骨干品种进行了遗传变异分析,同时对两种标记系统进行了比较。26个RAPD引物产生了总计192条DNA条带,大小分布 于0.26kb-1.98kb之间,其中165条（86．12％）具有多态性,每条引物产生DNA条带的平均数为7．38。8对AFLP引物组合共产生了576条带,分布于100bp-500bp之间,其中的341条具有多态性,多态百分率为76．00％,每对引物组合产生DNA条带的平均数为72。RAPD方法检测的每位点有效等位基因数（1．76）大于AFLP（1．65）,AFLP标记位点的平均多态性信息量（PIC）（0．38）低于RAPD标记位点PIC（0．41）,但AFLP标记具有很高的多态性检测效率（Ai=38．52）。用RAPD标记分析23个食用向日葵材料的亲缘关系,Nei氏相似性系数分布在47．84％－82．06％,平均相似性系数为0．6495,而采用AFLP的Nei氏相似性系数分布在54．15％－83．52％,平均相似性系数为0．6884。RAPD数据的标准差为0．13,而AFLP数据的标准差为0．08。因此,采用RAPD和AFLP方法分析食用向日葵遗传变异,RAPD标记具有较低相似性系数和较高方差而AFLP则相反。源于两种不同标记的遗传相似矩阵的相关系数为0．51,说明采用RAPD和AFLP系统分析食用向日葵遗传变异得到的结果有一定的相关性,无论采用RAPD还是AFLP标记进行聚类分析,都将23个不同基因型的食用向日葵材料分成了三个类群。     

An amplified fragment length polymorphism map of the silkworm

The silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) is a lepidopteran insect with a long history of significant agricultural value. We have constructed the first amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genetic linkage map of the silkworm B. mori at a LOD score of 2.5. The mapping AFLP markers were genotyped in 47 progeny from a backcross population of the cross no. 782 x od100. A total of 1248 (60.7%) polymorphic AFLP markers were detected with 35 PstI/TaqI primer combinations. Each of the primer combinations generated an average of 35.7 polymorphic AFLP markers. A total of 545 (44%) polymorphic markers are consistent with the expected segregation ratio of 1:1 at the significance level of P = 0.05. Of the 545 polymorphic markers, 356 were assigned to 30 linkage groups. The number of markers on linkage groups ranged from 4 to 36. There were 21 major linkage groups with 7-36 markers and 9 relatively small linkage groups with 4-6 markers. The 30 linkage groups varied in length from 37.4 to 691.0 cM. The total length of this AFLP linkage map was 6512 cM. Genetic distances between two neighboring markers on the same linkage group ranged from 0.2 to 47 cM with an average of 18.2 cM. The sex-linked gene od was located between the markers P1T3B40 and P3T3B27 at the end of group 3, indicating that AFLP linkage group 3 was the Z (sex) chromosome. This work provides an essential basic map for constructing a denser linkage map and for mapping genes underlying agronomically important traits in the silkworm B. mori L.     

微卫星标记对牙鲆有丝分裂雌核发育家系的亲子鉴定

利用18个微卫星标记,对6个家系的26尾有丝分裂雌核发育牙鲆进行亲子鉴定,PCR扩增产物经8%非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳检测,结果表明:1个座位在母本中表现为相同的基因型,视为单态座位,其他17个座位为多态;多态座位在亲子鉴定中的累计排除概率和累计个体识别概率分别为0.9985、0.9999;根据被测个体在17个微卫星座位的基因型,最后确认26尾子代的母本,其中7尾子代在某些座位表现出与其母本不完全匹配的基因型。利用微卫星标记可确定雌核发育后代的亲子关系,从而构建牙鲆雌核发育家系系谱,对牙鲆雌核发育的深入研究具有重要意义。     

Spawning response of mature female sea bass,Lates calcarifer (Bloch), to a single injection of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue: effect of dose and initial oocyte size1

The effect of various doses of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) ranging from 1 to 100 μg/kg body weight on the spawning response of mature female sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) was tested. A single intramuscular injection of LHRHa resulted in a dose-related increase in the spawning rate (number of spawnings of each fish over four consecutive days) of mature fish. An LHRHa dose of 5 μg/kg and less induced low spawning rates of 16.7% to 37.5% or at least one spawning every four days. However, mature sea bass spawned more than once (43.8–58.3%) in four days at dose levels of 10 μg/kg and above. Hormone treatment within the dose range tested did not influence the number, fertilization and hatching rates of spawned eggs. The influence of initial oocyte size on the LHRHa-induced spawning response of mature sea bass was also examined. Sea bass with an initial oocyte diameter of 0.30–0.39 mm did not respond to the single injection of 100 μg LHRHa/kg. In contrast, LHRHa induced spawning among sea bass with an initial egg size of 0.40–0.49 mm, although two of four sea bass of the same stage of ovarian maturity spawned spontaneously. Fish having an initial oocyte size of 0.50–0.55 mm spawned with and without LHRHa treatment. Spontaneous spawning among saline-injected sea bass occurred at a later time (24–58 h post-injection) compared to fish induced to spawn by a single injection of LHRHa (8–36 h post-injection). The initial spawning response time interval for fish with an initial egg size of 0.50 mm or greater was further reduced to 8–9 h by LHRHa. These results indicate that LHRHa can successfully induce spawning in mature female sea bass which have attained a critical oocyte diameter and that the spawning response interval is reduced with a further increase in egg size beyond the critical oocyte diameter limit.     

Mottled coloration in a rainbow trout is associated with mosaicism for albinism

Within a group of rainbow trout at a commercial farm, a single individual was noted for its mottled yellow and dark skin pigmentation. This female fish was reared to sexual maturity and sublots of its eggs were crossed to rainbow trout males from golden, albino, and wild-type (dark-pigmented) strains. Development in other eggs was activated to produce diploid gynogenetic offspring. Coloration within each progeny group was scored at 10 weeks following initiation of feeding. Mottled coloration was observed in none of the progeny at this time. The phenotypes observed (palomino, albino, and/or wild type) and their proportions within progeny groups indicated that the mottled female was originally heterozygous for albinism. The fish apparently became mosaic for this trait following mutation of the wild-type allele at the albinism locus within a cell(s) early in embryonic development. Curiously, at approximately 6 months after initiation of feeding, mottled coloration became apparent in 2 fish from among 25 progeny of the cross to the golden male. No change in phenotype was noted at this time in 9 gynogenetic progeny nor in 68 progeny from the cross to the albino male. Apparently additional mutations and/or other genetic and regulatory processes affecting coloration came into play during juvenile development of these latter two fish.     

A microsatellite genetic map of the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

A consensus microsatellite-based linkage map of the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) was constructed from two unrelated families. The mapping panel was derived from a gynogenetic family of 96 haploid embryos and a biparental diploid family of 85 full-sib progeny with known linkage phase. A total of 242 microsatellites were mapped in 26 linkage groups, six markers remaining unlinked. The consensus map length was 1343.2 cM, with an average distance between markers of 6.5 +/- 0.5 cM. Similar length of female and male maps was evidenced. However, the mean recombination at common intervals throughout the genome revealed significant differences between sexes, approximately 1.6 times higher in the female than in the male. The comparison of turbot microsatellite flanking sequences against the Tetraodon nigroviridis genome revealed 55 significant matches, with a mean length of 102 bp and high sequence similarity (81-100%). The comparative mapping revealed significant syntenic regions among fish species. This study represents the first linkage map in the turbot, one of the most important flatfish in European aquaculture. This map will be suitable for QTL identification of productive traits in this species and for further evolutionary studies in fish and vertebrate species.     

An integrated restriction fragment length polymorphism--amplified fragment length polymorphism linkage map for cultivated sunflower.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) maps have been constructed for cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) using three independent sets of RFLP probes. The aim of this research was to integrate RFLP markers from two sets with RFLP markers for resistance gene candidate (RGC) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Genomic DNA samples of HA370 and HA372, the parents of the F2 population used to build the map, were screened for AFLPs using 42 primer combinations and RFLPs using 136 cDNA probes (RFLP analyses were performed on DNA digested with EcoRI, HindIII, EcoRV, or DraI). The AFLP primers produced 446 polymorphic and 1101 monomorphic bands between HA370 and HA372. The integrated map was built by genotyping 296 AFLP and 104 RFLP markers on 180 HA370 x HA372 F2 progeny (the AFLP marker assays were performed using 18 primer combinations). The HA370 x HA372 map comprised 17 linkage groups, presumably corresponding to the 17 haploid chromosomes of sunflower, had a mean density of 3.3 cM, and was 1326 cM long. Six RGC RFLP loci were polymorphic and mapped to three linkage groups (LG8, LG13, and LG15). AFLP markers were densely clustered on several linkage groups, and presumably reside in centromeric regions where recombination is reduced and the ratio of genetic to physical distance is low. Strategies for targeting markers to euchromatic DNA need to be tested in sunflower. The HA370 x HA372 map integrated 14 of 17 linkage groups from two independent RFLP maps. Three linkage groups were devoid of RFLP markers from one of the two maps.