Induced mutations in foxtail millet (Setaria italica Beauv.)

Summary Chlorophyll mutations induced by gamma rays, EMS and DES were studied in foxtail millet (Setaria italica), using two cultures, MU-1 (bristled) and MU-2 (non-bristled). No major differences in the mutagenic response of the two cultures were observed. The treatments included four doses of gamma rays (10Kr, 20Kr, 30Kr, 40Kr) and four durations (6 hrs, 12 hrs, 18 hrs, 24 hrs) each of EMS (0.1%) and DES (0.1%). The combined treatments of gamma rays + EMS and gamma rays + DES were also given.Frequencies of chlorophyll mutations were recorded by three different methods, viz. (a) mutations per cent M₁ plants, (b) mutations per cent M₁ spikes and (c) mutants per cent M₂ plants. No significant differences in the results obtained by these three methods were observed. The frequencies and spectrum of mutations are discussed.Chlorina type were most frequent andviridoalbina least frequent.Striata and virescens were also quite common.Albinos, reported frequently in other crops, were found to be less frequent in foxtail millet during the present study. Number of sectors per spike were also determined from segregation ratios and only one sector per spike was found at all doses. Efficiency and effectiveness of mutagens were also determined and discussed. The results are also discussed with respect to mutagen specificity.     

Genetic variability of foxtail millet (Setaria italica P. Beauv.)

Summary The genetic diversity of a world collection of foxtail millet strains (Setaria italica) and some samples of wild populations (Setaria viridis) was studied by means of electrophoresis on five enzymes (10 loci) Est, Acph, Got, Mdh, Pgd. In spite of an overall limited polymorphism, the diversity appeared to be clearly regionalized. The wild populations collected in France and China introduced new genetic variability to the cultivated forms. However, the interregional diversity within both species was greater than the between species (S. viridis/S. italica) diversity.     

Construction of RFLP-based maps of foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.

 An RFLP-based map consisting of 160 loci was constructed in an intervarietal cross of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.], Longgu 25×Pagoda Flower Green. The map comprises nine linkage groups, which were aligned with the nine foxtail millet chromosomes using trisomic lines, and spans 964 cM. The intraspecific map was compared to an interspecific map, constructed in a S. italica×S. viridis cross. Both the order of the markers and the genetic distances between the loci were highly conserved. Deviations from the expected 1 : 2 : 1 Mendelian segregation ratios were observed in both the intra- and inter-specific populations. The segregation data indicate that chromosome VIII in the Longgu 25×Pagoda Flower Green cross carries a gene that strongly affects gamete fertility. Received: 18 December 1996 / Accepted: 4 August 1997     

Development and utilization of novel intron length polymorphic markers in foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.)

Introns are noncoding sequences in a gene that are transcribed to precursor mRNA but spliced out during mRNA maturation and are abundant in eukaryotic genomes. The availability of codominant molecular markers and saturated genetic linkage maps have been limited in foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.). Here, we describe the development of 98 novel intron length polymorphic (ILP) markers in foxtail millet using sequence information of the model plant rice. A total of 575 nonredundant expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences were obtained, of which 327 and 248 unique sequences were from dehydration- and salinity-stressed suppression subtractive hybridization libraries, respectively. The BLAST analysis of 98 EST sequences suggests a nearly defined function for about 64% of them, and they were grouped into 11 different functional categories. All 98 ILP primer pairs showed a high level of cross-species amplification in two millets and two nonmillets species ranging from 90% to 100%, with a mean of ～97%. The mean observed heterozygosity and Nei's average gene diversity 0.016 and 0.171, respectively, established the efficiency of the ILP markers for distinguishing the foxtail millet accessions. Based on 26 ILP markers, a reasonable dendrogram of 45 foxtail millet accessions was constructed, demonstrating the utility of ILP markers in germplasm characterizations and genomic relationships in millets and nonmillets species.     

Genetic structure of landraces in foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.) revealed with transposon display and interpretation to crop evolution of foxtail millet

Although the origin and domestication process of foxtail millet (Setaria italica subsp. italica (L.) P. Beauv.) has been studied by several groups, the issue is still ambiguous. It is essential to resolve this issue by studying a large number of accessions with sufficient markers covering the entire genome. Genetic structures were analyzed by transposon display (TD) using 425 accessions of foxtail millet and 12 of the wild ancestor green foxtail (Setaria italica subsp. viridis (L.) P. Beauv.). We used three recently active transposons (TSI-1, TSI-7, and TSI-10) as genome-wide markers and succeeded in demonstrating geographical structures of the foxtail millet. A neighbor-joining dendrogram based on TD grouped the foxtail millet accessions into eight major clusters, each of which consisted of accessions collected from adjacent geographical areas. Eleven out of 12 green foxtail accessions were grouped separately from the clusters of foxtail millet. These results indicated strong regional differentiations and a long history of cultivation in each region. Furthermore, we discuss the relationship between foxtail millet and green foxtail and suggest a monophyletic origin of foxtail millet domestication.     

Development and genetic mapping of SSR markers in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.]

SSR markers are desirable markers in analysis of genetic diversity, quantitative trait loci mapping and gene locating. In this study, SSR markers were developed from two genomic libraries enriched for (GA)n and (CA)n of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.], a crop of historical importance in China. A total of 100 SSR markers among the 193 primer pairs detected polymorphism between two mapping parents of an F₂ population, i.e. “B100” of cultivated S. italica and “A10” of wild S. viridis. Excluding 14 markers with unclear amplifications, and five markers unlinked with any linkage group, a foxtail millet SSR linkage map was constructed by integrating 81 new developed SSR markers with 20 RFLP anchored markers. The 81 SSRs covered nine chromosomes of foxtail millet. The length of the map was 1,654 cM, with an average interval distance between markers of 16.4 cM. The 81 SSR markers were not evenly distributed throughout the nine chromosomes, with Ch.8 harbouring the least (3 markers) and Ch.9 harbouring the most (18 markers). To verify the usefulness of the SSR markers developed, 37 SSR markers were randomly chosen to analyze genetic diversity of 40 foxtail millet accessions. Totally 228 alleles were detected, with an average 6.16 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content (PIC) value for each locus ranged from 0.413 to 0.847, with an average of 0.697. A positive correlation between PIC and number of alleles and between PIC and number of repeat unit were found [0.802 and 0.429, respectively (P < 0.01)]. UPGMA analysis revealed that the 40 foxtail millet cultivars could be grouped into five clusters in which the landraces’ grouping was largely consistent with ecotypes while the breeding varieties from different provinces in China tended to be grouped together. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Genes controlling prolamin biosynthesis, Pro1 and Pro2, in foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) Beauv

Variation and genetic control of seed protein in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) were studied using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Variation in the electrophoregram of the total seed protein were detected in the range between 20 and 30 kDa which is derived from the polymorphism of five prolamin bands. The segregation for each of the bands in F2 seeds showed that these bands are governed by seven alleles at two loci, Pro1 and Pro2, which are not linked to one another. Among 271 local cultivars examined, eight out of ten possible genotypes were observed. With its level of diversity comparable to that of isozymes, the alleles conferring prolamin polymorphism are useful genetic markers.     

Ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer sequence in foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv. and its characterization and application to typing of foxtail millet landraces

We determined the sequence of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) intergenic spacer (IGS) of foxtail millet isolated in our previous study, and identified subrepeats in the polymorphic region. We also developed a PCR-based method for identifying rDNA types based on sequence information and assessed 153 accessions of foxtail millet. Results were congruent with our previous works. This study provides new findings regarding the geographical distribution of rDNA variants. This new method facilitates analyses of numerous foxtail millet accessions. It is helpful for typing of foxtail millet germplasms and elucidating the evolution of this millet.     

Geographical distribution and genetic analysis of phenol color reaction in foxtail millet,Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.

Summary Phenol color reaction was examined in a total of 376 strains of foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv., collected from different areas throughout Eurasia. Positive and negative phenotypes, and no intermediate type could be recognized by the phenol color reaction. Of 376 strains examined, 50 were positive, 319 were negative, five were mixtures of both phenotypes, and the coloration in two strains with blackish lemmata and paleae could not be distinguished. The strains that showed the positive phenotype of phenol color reaction were found in rather limited regions, while those with the negative phenotype occurred in almost all the regions. The positive phenotype occurred more frequently in the lower latitudinal regions of Asia. Genetic analysis of the F₁ and F₂ generations between the two phenotypes showed that the phenol color reaction is controlled by a single gene, and that the positive phenotype is dominant.Contribution No. 28 from the Plant Germ-plasm Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)     

Phytolith analysis for differentiating between foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and green foxtail (Setaria viridis)

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is one of the oldest domesticated cereal crops in Eurasia, but identifying foxtail millets, especially in charred grains, and differentiating it from its wild ancestor, green foxtail (Setaria viridis), in the archaeobotanical remains, is still problematic. Phytolithic analysis provides a meaningful method for identifying this important crop. In this paper, the silicon structure patterns in the glumes, lemmas, and paleas from inflorescence bracts in 16 modern plants of foxtail millet and green foxtail from China and Europe are examined using light microscopy with phase-contrast and a microscopic interferometer. Our research shows that the silicon structure of ΩIII from upper lemmas and paleas in foxtail millet and green foxtail can be correspondingly divided into two groups. The size of ΩIII type phytolith of foxtail millet is bigger than that from green foxtail. Discriminant function analysis reveals that 78.4% of data on foxtail millet and 76.9% of data on green foxtail are correctly classified. This means certain morphotypes of phytoliths are relatively reliable tools for distinguishing foxtail millet from green foxtail. Our results also revealed that the husk phytolith morphologies of foxtail millets from China and Eastern Europe are markedly different from those from Western Europe. Our research gives a meaningful method of separating foxtail millet and green foxtail. The implications of these findings for understanding the history of foxtail millet domestication and cultivation in ancient civilizations are significant.     

The foxtail millet (Setaria italica) terpene synthase gene family

Terpenoid metabolism plays vital roles in stress defense and the environmental adaptation of monocot crops. Here, we describe the identification of the terpene synthase (TPS) gene family of the panicoid food and bioenergy model crop foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The diploid S. italica genome contains 32 TPS genes, 17 of which were biochemically characterized in this study. Unlike other thus far investigated grasses, S. italica contains TPSs producing all three ent‐, (+)‐ and syn‐copalyl pyrophosphate stereoisomers that naturally occur as central building blocks in the biosynthesis of distinct monocot diterpenoids. Conversion of these intermediates by the promiscuous TPS SiTPS8 yielded different diterpenoid scaffolds. Additionally, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP99A17), which genomically clustered with SiTPS8, catalyzes the C19 hydroxylation of SiTPS8 products to generate the corresponding diterpene alcohols. The presence of syntenic orthologs to about 19% of the S. italica TPSs in related grasses supports a common ancestry of selected pathway branches. Among the identified enzyme products, abietadien‐19‐ol, syn‐pimara‐7,15‐dien‐19‐ol and germacrene‐d ‐4‐ol were detectable in planta, and gene expression analysis of the biosynthetic TPSs showed distinct and, albeit moderately, inducible expression patterns in response to biotic and abiotic stress. In vitro growth‐inhibiting activity of abietadien‐19‐ol and syn‐pimara‐7,15‐dien‐19‐ol against Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium subglutinans may indicate pathogen defensive functions, whereas the low antifungal efficacy of tested sesquiterpenoids supports other bioactivities. Together, these findings expand the known chemical space of monocot terpenoid metabolism to enable further investigations of terpenoid‐mediated stress resilience in these agriculturally important species.     

Variation,geographical distribution and genetical analysis of esterase isozymes in foxtail millet,Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.

Summary The esterase isozymes of 432 strains of foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv., collected from different areas throughout Eurasia, were investigated by gel isoelectric focusing. Five phenotypes were recognized, based on the combination of five major activity bands. Cross experiments among different phenotypes revealed these isozymes to be controlled by two codominant alleles and a null allele on the locus, Est-1, and three codominant alleles on another independent locus, Est-2. On locus Est-1, 388 strains had Est-1 ^a, 41 had Est-1 ^b and three had Est-1 ^null alleles. Est-1 ^a was widely distributed throughout Eurasia, while the distribution of Est-1 ^b and Est-1 ^null was distinctly restricted. On locus Est-2, 417 strains had Est-2 ^a, nine had Est-2 ^b and six had Est-2 ^c alleles. Est-2 ^a was widely distributed throughout Asia to Czechoslovakia, but was not detected in the western part of Europe. Est-2 ^b was found in all of the strains from the western part of Europe and in one of the Indian strains. Est-2 ^c was rarely found in Japan and China. The distribution of Est-2 ^a and -2 ^b might indicate some degree of phylogenetic differentiation between the Asian and the European strains. Polymorphism in both loci was observed only in Chinese strains.Contribution No. 30 from the Plant Germ-plasm Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan     

Allelic variation of the Waxy gene in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.] by single nucleotide polymorphisms

The Waxy (Wx) gene product controls the formation of a straight chain polymer of amylose in the starch pathway. Dominance/recessiveness of the Wx allele is associated with amylose content, leading to non-waxy/waxy phenotypes. For a total of 113 foxtail millet accessions, agronomic traits and the molecular differences of the Wx gene were surveyed to evaluate genetic diversities. Molecular types were associated with phenotypes determined by four specific primer sets (non-waxy, Type I; low amylose, Type VI; waxy, Type IV or V). Additionally, the insertion of transposable element in waxy was confirmed by ex1/TSI2R, TSI2F/ex2, ex2int2/TSI7R and TSI7F/ex4r. Seventeen single nucleotide polymorphims (SNPs) were observed from non-coding regions, while three SNPs from coding regions were non-synonymous. Interestingly, the phenotype of No. 88 was still non-waxy, although seven nucleotides (AATTGGT) insertion at 2,993 bp led to 78 amino acids shorter. The rapid decline of r ² in the sequenced region (exon 1–intron 1–exon 2) suggested a low level of linkage disequilibrium and limited haplotype structure. K _s values and estimation of evolutionary events indicate early divergence of S. italica among cereal crops. This study suggested the Wx gene was one of the targets in the selection process during domestication. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

不同谷子（Setaria italica(L.)Beauv）品种对除草剂的耐药性

试验对34个谷子品种进行盆栽试验,研究两种土壤处理除草剂扑草净、速收对谷子安全性的影响.测定相关的生理和生化指标,通过聚类分析比较不同谷子品种之间的耐药性的差异.试验结果表明:这两种除草剂对大部分谷子的株高、叶面积有一定的抑制作用.不同除草剂对同一种谷子的生理指标影响是有差异的.大部分谷子品种对扑草净(0.07g/m2)有一定的耐药性,扑草净药剂处理后,大部分谷子品种的POD酶活性有所提高,可溶性糖含量提高,蒸腾强度、气孔导度也有一定程度的提高.大多数谷子品种施用速收(0.015g/m2)后其SOD酶活性下降,其蒸腾强度、气孔导度有所提高.同一种除草剂对不同谷子品种的生理指标影响也是不同的,对其进行聚类分析后,聚类结果各为四大类,表明不同谷子品种之间存在耐药性差异.     

不同氮供应下增强UV-B辐射对谷子叶片重要生理指标的影响

以谷子(Setaria italica(L.)Beauv.)为研究材料,从拔节期开始持续浇灌1.88、15mmol·L-12种氮供应水平营养液,从抽穗期开始对材料进行增强UV-B辐射处理(14.7μW·cm-2),研究了谷子叶片中总叶绿素、可溶性物质及紫外吸收物质的含量在开花期期间的变化。结果表明:与较高氮供应水平相比,无论是否进行增强UV-B辐射,较低氮供应水平明显降低了谷子叶中总叶绿素、可溶性蛋白的含量,但提高了其紫外吸收物质的含量;与较低氮供应水平相比,较高氮供应水平下的谷子叶中总叶绿素含量在开花期初期和中期,可溶性蛋白含量在开花期中期对增强UV-B辐射处理更敏感;氮供应水平虽然对开花期中期至末期的谷子叶片可溶性糖含量有显著影响,但在整个增强UV-B辐射处理期间,该指标对增强UV-B辐射并不敏感。上述结果表明,较低氮供应水平可促进谷子叶片在开花期期间紫外吸收物质的积累,有利于增强其抵抗UV-B辐射能力,但仍应寻求一个合理范围的氮供应水平,以平衡谷子生殖生长和提高对UV-B辐射抗性的需求。     

Ribosomal DNA variation in foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv., and a survey of variation from Europe and Asia

 Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and the structure of ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) were investigated in 117 landraces of foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv. Five RFLP phenotypes were found when the genomic DNA was digested with BamHI; these were named types I–V. Of these types I, II and III were the most frequent. Type I was mainly distributed in the temperature zone, type II in the Taiwan-Philippines Islands and type III in South Asia. Restriction mapping of the cloned rDNA and comparison with RFLP phenotypes showed that the different types originated from a polymorphism in the length within the intergenic spacer (IGS) and BamHI site changes within the IGS. Received: 28 August 1996 / Accepted: 28 February 1997     

A straight-forward seed production technology system for foxtail millet (Setaria italica)

For autogamous crops, a precondition for using heterosis is to produce sufficient pure male-sterile female parents that can be used to produce hybrid seeds. To date, cytoplasmic male sterility(CMS)and environment-sensitive genic male sterility(EGMS) have been used commercially to exploit heterosis for autogamous species. However, neither CMS nor EGMS has been established for foxtail millet(Setaria italica). Here, we report on the establishment and application of a seed production technology(SPT)...     

夏谷群体呼吸特性及其与群体光合的关系

中秆大穗型和矮秆紧凑型2种不同类型的夏谷群体呼吸速率在整个生育时期的变化呈单峰曲线,且随密度的增大而提高,抽穗开花期达最大值,紧凑型品种后期呼吸速率高于中秆大穗型品种,后期呼吸消耗大是低产的重要原因,群体呼吸日变化为一随温度而变化的单峰曲线,群体呼吸速率在冠层中的分布,依此是上3叶＞茎鞘＞中3叶＞穗＞下部叶,群体呼吸／光合的比值,两品种相近,在47％左右。