Molecular mapping of a new gene Rrs4 CI 11549 for resistance to barley scald (Rhynchosporium secalis)

Doubled haploid (DH) progeny from a cross between the scald susceptible barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar Ingrid and the resistant accession CI 11549 (Nigrinudum) was evaluated for resistance in the pathogen Rhynchosporium secalis (Oudem) J.J. Davis. Two linked and incompletely dominant loci confer resistance CI 11549 against isolate 4004. One is an allele at the complex Rrs1 locus on chromosome 3H close to the centromere; the other is located 22 cM distally on the long arm. The latter locus is designated Rrs4. In BC₃-lines into Ingrid from CI 2222 (another Nigrinudum) resistance seems governed by one locus close to the telomeric region of chromosome 7H, probably allelic to Rrs2. In neither case did we find any trace of the recessive gene rh8 reported to be present in Nigrinudum. Various resistance donors of Ethiopian origin designated as Nigrinudum, Jet or Abyssinian were identical to a great extent with respect to markers, but differed in resistance to different isolates of scald or in barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance. The implications for their use as differentials in scald tests and screening of germplasm collections are discussed.     

Selection for rate of development and pupal weight in ‘Cnephasia’ jactatana: A genetic tool for quality improvement

Selection for fast and slow rate of pupation over three successive generations in Cnephasia jactatana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) produced a fast strain that pupated 2 days earlier than the slow strain. Selection for pupal weight was asymmetrical with the light selection having more effect than the heavy selection. The larval critical weight (L_CW), the larval maximum weight (L_MW) and the latent feeding period were not affected by any of the selections. Slow and light selections resulted in longer pre-pupal periods than fast, heavy or the laboratory population. Fecundity was reduced in females from slow and light selections. Selection in insects is discussed as a possible genetic tool for overall quality improvement.Résumé La sélection pour la rapidité d'apparition des chrysalides de C. jactatana Walker produit en 3 générations une lignée rapide qui se nymphose 2 jours avant la lente. La sélection pour le poids des chrysalides est asymétrique, ayant plus d'effet sur la sélection développement lent que sur la sélection développement rapide. Le poids critique larvaire (L_CW), le poids larvaire maximal (L_MW) et la période latente d'alimentation ne sont pas modifiés par ces sélections. Les lignées lente et légère ont des périodes prénymphales plus longues que les lignées rapide et lourde, ou la souche de laboratoire. Les fécondités des lignées lente et légère sont réduites. Les sélections associées des insectes sont examinées comme outil génétique potentiel permettant d'améliorer les performances globales.     

Diplosporous embryo-sac formation and the degree of diplospory inAllium tuberosum

Summary To obtain information on the dynamic and quantitative aspects of displospory in a facultative apomict,Allium tuberosum (2n = 32), we cytologically observed the entire course of female meiosis and embryosac development in cv Tender-Pole by the clearing-staining-squash method. A time-table of its course was constructed in terms of bud length and days pre-anthesis. Chromosome threads were observed in pairs at the earliest stage of meiosis, after which 32 autobivalents developed. Thus, endoreduplication must have occurred during premeiotic interphase or at the onset of female meiosis. Such endoreduplicational meiosis also occurred on the male side, though the frequency (3.9%) was much lower than that on the female side (80%). The degree of diplospory calculated as the percentage of reduplicated embryo-sac mother cells varied to some extent among six cultivars: Huhehaote and Manchuria showed the highest degree of diplospory (98%), and Kaohsiung the lowest (76%).     

The impact of domestication on the genetic variability in the orange carrot,cultivated Daucus carota ssp. sativus and the genetic homogeneity of various cultivars

Summary Isozyme analysis of wild and domesticated accessions indicated that domestication of the cultivated carrot Daucus carota ssp. sativus resulted in an insignificant reduction of all genetic variability and genetic distance estimates. Although they are less variable genetically, cultivated forms maintain a high proportion of observed heterozygosity. Relative to the overall genetic variability of the species, samples from four common cultivars Red Cored Chantenay, Scarlet Nantes, Danvers Half Long and A Plus demonstrated a high degree of genetic similarity. This is attributed to the recent development of orange cultivars and the limited gene pool utilized in their development.     

Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Restriction fragment analysis was used to examine the inheritance of lentil mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in F₁ and F₅ progeny from intrasubspecific (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) crosses and in F₁ progeny from intersubspecific (Lens culinaris ssp. orientalis x L. culinaris ssp. culinaris) crosses. Southern blots of digested parental and progeny DNA were hybridized to heterologous maize mtDNA probes specific to coxI and atp6 genes. Two restriction fragment polymorphisms separated L.c. ssp. culinaris Laird and Eston from L.c. ssp. culinaris ILL5588, and one restriction fragment polymorphism distinguished L.c. ssp. culinaris Laird and Eston from L.c. ssp. orientalis LO4. Twelve of 13 f₁ progeny and all F₅ progeny from the intrasubspecific crosses, and all F₁ progeny from intersubspecific crosses had only maternal mtDNA restriction fragments. One f₁ plant from an Eston x ILL5588 cross inherited mtDNA fragments from both parents. Nuclear DNA inheritance was biparental in all F₁ progeny.NRCC No. 38451     

Immunofluorescence localization of the epidermolytic toxin target in mouse epidermal cells and tissue

Summary An epidermolytic toxin target was observed in keratohyalin granules of sectioned epidermis by a direct fluorescence procedure using FTC-toxin, but not by an indirect procedure using sequential reaction with toxin, anti-toxin and FTC-secondary antibody. The investigation of the two procedures was extended to keratinocytes. A dispase digestion procedure yielded three fractions which corresponded to basal, spinous and granular cells according to biochemical and morphological criteria. It was shown that the direct and indirect procedures both detected the toxin target in the keratohyalin granules of granular cells, but that the indirect procedure was very insensitive. In control experiments, the profilaggrin of keratohyalin granules was detected readily in cells by a direct procedure using FTC-antiprofilaggrin but only weakly by an indirect double antibody procedure. Insensitivity to indirect procedures thus appears to be a particular property of the keratohyalin granule site. It was shown that the toxin target was readily accessible in permeable (trypsin-isolated) granular cells but inaccessible in impermeable (dispase-isolated) cells.     

Viability and activity in readily culturable bacteria: a review and discussion of the practical issues

In microbiology the terms viability and culturability are often equated. However, in recent years the apparently self-contradictory expression viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) has been applied to cells with various and often poorly defined physiological attributes but which, nonetheless, could not be cultured by methods normally appropriate to the organism concerned. These attributes include apparent cell integrity, the possession of some form of measurable cellular activity and the apparent capacity to regain culturability. We review the evidence relating to putative VBNC cells and stress our view that most of the reports claiming a return to culturability have failed to exclude the regrowth of a limited number of cells which had never lost culturability. We argue that failure to differentiate clearly between use of the terms viability and culturability in an operational versus a conceptual sense is fuelling the current debate, and conclude with a number of proposals that are designed to help clarify the major issues involved. In particular, we suggest an alternative operational terminology that replaces VBNC with expressions that are internally consistent.     

Cytogenetic analysis of structural rearrangements in three varieties of common wheat,Triticum aestivum

Summary The winter wheat varieties Starke and Cappelle Desprez and the spring wheat Chinese Spring were analysed for structural chromosome rearrangements that resulted in the formation of multivalents in F₁ hybrids. The analyses were carried out using hybrids involving euploids, monosomic and ditelosomic stocks, and double-monotelodisomic constructs. The study confirmed that Cappelle Desprez differs from Chinese Spring in a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 5B and 7B (Riley et al. 1967); a translocation involving chromosomes 3B and 3D could not be verified. Furthermore, the analysis showed that Starke differs from Chinese Spring in a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 7A and 7D. Both translocations have a coefficient of multivalent realisation of about 0.84. Further multivalents in euploid Starke, in euploid and some aneuploid stocks of Cappelle Desprez, and in euploid as well as various types of aneuploid hybrids between all three varieties could nearly all be explained hypothesizing that chromosome 2B of both Starke and Cappelle Desprez is a duplication-deficiency chromosome. In the hypothesis a part of the long arm of 2B is missing and replaced by a duplicated part of the long arm of chromosome 2D. The multivalents of this rearrangement showed an average coefficient of realisation of about 0.09.Sven Ellerström died in December 1985     

Genetic analysis of resistance to whitebacked planthopper in twenty-one varieties of rice,Oryza sativa L.

Summary The inheritance of resistance to whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Horvath) was studied in 21 rice varieties. Reactions of F₁; F₂ and F₃ progenies of the crosses of 21 resistant varieties with the susceptible variety TN 1 revealed that a single dominant gene governs resistance in Mushkan 41, Santhi, Siahnakidar 195, SM2-34, Tirisurkh 251, Zirijowaian 245, 18, 24A, 39, 76 S, 78, 180, 213 B, 267, 293, CI 6037-4, NP97, S39 JKW and Bansphul. In varieties 65 and 274 A, resistance is governed by one dominant and one recessive gene which segregate independently of each other. Tests for allelism with the Wbph 1 gene originally identified in N 22 revealed that the dominant gene present in all the test varieties is the same as Wbph 1. Further studies are required to determine the allelic relationships of the recessive gene found in varieties 65 and 274 A.     

The “Bantu Clinic”: A Genealogy of the African Patient as Object and Effect of South African Clinical Medicine, 1930–1990

This paper is about power, medicine andthe identity of the African as a patient of westernmedicine. From a conventional perspective and asencoded in the current quest for wholeness thatcharacterises South African biomedical discourse, theAfrican patient – like any other patient – has alwaysexisted as an authentic and subjectified being, whosetrue attributes and experiences have been denied bythe mechanistic, reductionistic and ethnocentricpractices of clinical medicine. Against this liberalhumanist perspective on the body as ontologicallyindependent of power, this paper offers a Foucaultianreading of the African patient as – like any otherpatient – contingent upon the force relations immanentwithin and relayed through the clinical practices ofbiomedicine. A quintessential form of disciplinarymicro-power, these fabricate the most intimaterecesses of the human body as manageable objects ofmedical knowledge and social consciousness to makepossible the great control strategies of repression,segmentation and liberation that are the usual focusof conventional investigations into the place andfunction of medicine in society. Since the 1930s whenthe African body first emerged as a discrete object ofa secular clinical knowledge, these have repeatedlytransformed the attributes and identity of the Africanpatient, and the paper traces this archaeology ofSouth African clinical perception from then until the1990s to show how its quest for wholeness is not anend point of discovery or liberation, but merelyanother ephemeral crystallization of socio-medicalknowledge in a constantly changing force field ofdisciplinary power.     

Patterns of direct and indirect embryogenesis from mesophyll protoplasts of Medicago sativa

Clones of three cultivars of Medicago sativa (Rambler, Regen S and Rangelander) were used as sources of mesophyll protoplasts. Although all three clones readily produced protoplasts, the subsequent development patterns in culture varied greatly among genotypes, with protoplasts from Regen S and Rambler forming calli which could be induced to form embryos, and protoplasts from Rangelander undergoing direct embryogenesis. Protoplasts of Regen S exhibited high rates of division while those of Rangelander tended to aggregate with only a few cells per aggregate surviving. The surviving cells gave rise to proembryos within the aggregates; these proembryos developed into differentiated embryos after 5–7 weeks of culture. Based on the initial protoplast population, the efficiency of embryo formation averaged 0.13% and ranged from 0.001–0.4%. Observations during the early stages of culture indicated that cell aggregation was a prerequisite for direct embryogenesis.     

Effect of photoperiod on in vitro tuberization of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Single-node cuttings of potato cultivars Jemseg, Katahdin, Russet Burbank and Superior were cultured on a multiplication medium containing MS salts and no growth regulators. Cultures were exposed to 8 h (SD) and 16 h (LD) photoperiodic regimes. The subsequent plantlets were excised and single node cuttings from each photoperiodic regime were placed under SD or LD on a second medium containing growth regulators which promoted tuberization. Production of microtubers was strongly influenced by genotype and by photoperiodic treatments. Superior produced stunted plantlets and some microtubers under SD conditions in the multiplication medium. The number of microtubers formed by Jemseg was not influenced by photoperiod. However, Katahdin and Russet Burbank formed fewer microtubers under LD-LD conditions compared to LD-SD, SD-SD and SD-LD regimes. Compared with the other regimes, LD-SD photoperiod generally promoted microtuber formation with larger diameters and significantly (p<0.05) greater fresh weight. The intensity of the tuberization stimulus was affected by daylength, and this was characterized by microtubers with secondary tubers, the growth of more than one axillary microtuber, and microtubers subtended by stolons. The maturity group of the potato cultivars and photoperiodic regime in vitro strongly influenced the production of microtubers. These results can be employed to adapt light regimes for multiplication and tuberization to the specific requirements for cultivars from different maturity groups, and thus increase the efficiency of potato multiplication protocols.     

Nuclear and cytoplasmic gene control of resistance to loose smut (Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr.) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Summary Using disomic chromosome substitution lines based on the susceptible wheat cultivar Chinese Spring, loose smut resistance of wheat cultivars Hope and Thatcher was shown to be conferred in each case by a single dominant major gene carried on chromosome 7 A (Hope) or 7 B (Thatcher). Partial resistance was determined by genes on an additional eight Hope or seven Thatcher chromosomes, and similarities were evident between the partial resistance genotypes ofHope and Thatcher. Chinese Spring exhibited a mean infection value of approximately 50%, indicating a significant level of partial resistance, which was found to be due, in part, to genes on the homoeologous chromosome arms 1 As, 1 Es and 1 Ds, and to cytoplasmic genes. Substitution of the Chinese Spring nucleus into the cytoplasm of Aegilops squarrosa, Ae. variabilis or Ae. mutica resulted in increased susceptibility to Ustilago tritici. Several alloplasmic lines of the resistant wheat cultivars Selkirk and Chris exhibited race-specific susceptibility to U. tritici.     

Diallel analysis of tiller number at different growth stages in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Summary The genetics of tiller number at different development stages in rice was studied in a 6 x 6 diallel cross set involving six indica rice varieties in which a large difference of phenotypes existed. Estimates of genetic parameters following Hayman's method showed significant additive and nonadditive gene action, and the latter appeared to be solely due to dominance. High tillering ability was inherited as a partial dominant character conditioned by two or more blocks of genes, and var H1459 had more dominant genes, whereas Zhu-Yun-Luo had more recessive ones. Combining ability analysis by Griffing's method also indicated significance of both additive and nonadditive effects, but the former was more important than the latter. H1459 and Bi-Yu-Zao-Luo were good general combiners, and their hybrids H1459 x Le-Yi and Zhu-Yun-Luo x Bi-Yu-Zao-Luo were better crosses for combining an optimum tiller number with high percentage of productive tiller. An identical polygenic system appeared to be responsible for the genetic control of both tiller number at the different growth stages and the terminal character, productive tiller number. However, with growth of the plant, relative contributions of nonadditive gene action and environmental factors to the variation decreased, while those of additive gene action increased. Selection for high tillering ability, therefore, should be exercised at peak tillering or later stages.     

Organogenesis from ‘Passe Crassane’ and ‘Old Home’ pear (Pyrus communis L.) protoplasts and isoenzymatic trueness-to-type of the regenerated plants

Summary Large numbers of highly viable mesophyll protoplasts were isolated from shoot cultures of the scion cv Passe Crassane and the rootstock genotype Old Home of common pear (Pyrus communis L.). Protoplasts were cultured for both genotypes either as liquid layers or as liquid-over-agar cultures, in ammonium-free MS medium with 0.5 M mannitol, 50 mg/l casein enzymatic hydrolysate (CEH), 2.0 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BAP, plus either 0.5 mg/l IAA (for Old Home) or 2.0 mg/l IAA (for Passe Crassane). Protoplast microcalli, obtained by day 60 (Passe Crassane) or day 80 (Old Home), were transferred for further growth to ammonium-free MS medium with 2.0 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BAP. Shoot bud regeneration from the protoplastderived callus was first attempted between 100 (Passe Crassane) and 120 (Old Home) days after protoplast isolation. For Passe Crassane, shoot buds were regenerated (day 130) on a half-strength MS medium with 0.1 mg/l IBA, 0.5 mg/l BAP, 50 mg/l CEH and 20 mg/l Ca-panthotenate. For Old Home, shoot but regeneration only occurred 30 days later and on the same medium as above, which was additionally supplemented with double the concentration of the group B vitamins found in the original MS formulation and 0.05 mg/l GA₃. Following micropropagation and in vitro rooting of shoots, the plants were transferred to soil following standard procedures. Trueness-to-type of the regenerated plants was assessed by analysing their leaf isozyme banding profiles (for EST, AP, PRX, SOD, ENP, LAP, PGI, AAT, ADH, MDH and PGM) and comparing them to those corresponding to the original shoots that provided the protoplasts. No differences between the mother shoots and the protoclones were observed for any one of the 11 isozyme systems studied.     

Mutagen sensitivity and mutability in lentil

Summary Seeds of two cultivars, each of macrosperma and microsperma varietal groups of lentil were mutagenised with gamma-rays and NMU to determine their mutagen sensitivity and mutability. The increasing doeses of gamma-rays and NMU decreased germination, root and shoot length, pollen fertility and plant survival, but increased the occurrence of leaf spots. The root system was found to be more sensitive to both mutagens than the shoot. The macrosperma varietal group was more sensitive to both the mutagens than microsperma group. In microsperma group, variety Pusa-1 was more sensitive to both the mutagens than L-259, while in the macrosperma group L-1491 showed more sensitivity to the mutagens than L-1492. Radio-sensitivity corresponded positively with chemosensitivity in both varietal groups. There was a positive relationship between radio- and chemo-sensitivity of the genotypes and their mutability. The results also revealed the existence of a parallelism between radiomutability and chemo-mutability. Due to saturation in the mutational events and vigour of both diplontic and haplontic selection in the biological material, the mutation frequency either decreased or remained constant at higher doses of the mutagens.     

Genetic linkage maps of two apple cultivars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">domestica</Emphasis> Borkh.) based on AFLP and microsatellite markers

Genetic linkage maps for two apple cultivars were constructed using AFLP and SSR markers and the pseudo-testcross mapping strategy. The F₁-mapping population was produced by crossing the cultivar Braeburn to the cultivar Telamon and consisted of 257 individuals. Out of the 182 AFLP primer combinations screened, a total of 48 were selected. Using these, 463 AFLP markers segregating 1:1 in the progeny were identified, of which 231 were heterozygous in Telamon and 232 in Braeburn. Eighty-five AFLP markers present in both cultivars (3:1 segregation) were scored in the whole mapping population. Twenty-one SSR primer pairs were tested, which clearly screened 23 loci (some multi-locus markers). This resulted in the identification of 3 loci heterozygous only in Telamon (1:2:1), 5 loci heterozygous only in Braeburn (1:2:1) and 15 loci which were heterozygous in both cultivars (1:1:1:1). Two linkage maps were produced. The Telamon map comprised 259 markers (242 AFLPs and 17 SSRs) divided into 17 linkage groups. The total map length was 1039 cM with a marker density of 4.0 cM. At = 0.05, 8.9% of the mapped loci showed distorted segregation. The Braeburn map consisted of 264 markers (245 AFLPs and 19 SSRs) mapped on 17 linkage groups and spanning 1245 cM. The average distance between two markers was 4.7 cM and segregation distortion was observed for 18.6% of the mapped markers ( = 0.05). Fourty-six markers common to both maps (32 AFLPs and 14 SSRs) allowed the identification of 16 homologous linkage groups. The seventeenth pair of homologous linkage groups from Telamon and Braeburn was identified by 2 SSR markers which were in common to the genetic linkage maps of Fiesta and Discovery, two other apple cultivars.     

Ganglioside-cholera toxin interactions: a binding and lipid monolayer study

Summary On t.l.c. plates ¹²⁵I-cholera toxin binds to a disialoganglioside tentatively identified as GD_lb with about 10 times less capacity than to ganglioside GM₁. Binding of labeled toxin to both gangliosides was abolished in presence of excess amounts of unlabeled B subunit. Ganglioside extracts from human or pig intestinal mucosa showed toxin binding to gangliosides GM₁ and GD_1b. In ganglioside-containing lipid monolayers the penetration of the toxin was independent of the ganglioside binding capacity.Abbreviations GM₂ Gal-NAc14Gal(3-2NeuAc)14G1c1Cer - GM₁ Gal3Ga1-NAc14Gal(32NeuAc)14G1c11Cer - GD_1a NeuAc23Ga113Gal-NAc14Gal(32NeuAc)14G1c11Cer - GD1b Gall3Gal-NAcl4Gal(32NeuAc82NeuAc)14Glc11Cer - GT_1b NeuAc23Ga113Ga1-NAcal4Gal(3-2NeuAc82NeuAc)14G1c11Cer - dpPC 1,2-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - dpPE 1,2-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine     

Immature embryo rescue,culture and seedling development of acid citrus fruit derived from interploid hybridization

Interploid sexual hybridizations were completed in 2001 and 2002 between seven lemon (Citrus limon(L.) Burm. f.) varieties, Key lime (C. aurantifolia (Cristm.) Swing), Palestine sweet lime (C. imettioides Tan.), Lakeland limequat (C. aurantifolia x Fortunella japonica (Thumb.) Swing.), and Etrog citron (C. medica L.) as diploid progenitors and four allotetraploid somatic hybrids (Key lime + Valencia orange, Hamlin orange + Femminello lemon, Valencia orange + Rough lemon, and Valencia orange+ Femminello lemon) in efforts to generate improved seedless triploid acid fruit hybrids. Efficient recovery of triploid progeny from such crosses requires embryo rescue to avoid embryo abortion due to endosperm failure. Germination of rescued genetically diverse immature embryos was induced on two culture media (EME and Gamborgs B5), with two sucrose concentrations (50 or 70 g l^–1). All media contained 0.5 g l^–1 malt extract and 4.50 M GA₃. Germination of globular, heart and torpedo shaped embryos (defined as small embryos) was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by medium and genotype. Gamborgs medium induced 82.89% germination. Of germinated embryos, 11–65% developed into normal plants with differences among crosses. Cotyledonary embryos (defined as immature embryos with fully developed cotyledons) germinated and developed into normal plants at higher rates than less-developed embryos. In efforts to improve the efficiency of plant recovery, small embryos from Todo el año × HF and Lisbon × HF crosses conducted during 2002 were rescued and cultured on three media (MS, Gamborgs, and RMA) for comparison. Media did not significantly affect the proportion of normal plant recovery.     

6′-Mercaptoguanosine-resistance is related with purF gene encoding 5′-phosphoribosyl-1′-pyrophosphate amidotransferase in inosine-5′-monophosphate overproducing Brevibacterium ammoniagenes

From the gene library constructed with the chromosomal DNA of 6-mercaptoguanosine (MGS)-resistant strain Brevibacterium ammoniagenes IPR-1, a DNA fragment which conferred MGS-resistance to the wild-type strain B. ammoniagenes ATCC6872 was cloned. The purF gene encoding 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate amidotransferase was identified from this fragment and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Wild type purF gene was also cloned by polymerase chain reaction using chromosomal DNA of ATCC6872 as the template and its sequence was determined. Two nucleotides, 583 A and 1065 A, of MGS-resistant purF gene had been changed from 583 G and 1065 G by mutagenesis, respectively. Both changes at position 583 and 1065 were proved to be responsible for MGS-resistance by site-directed mutagenesis.