Quantitative genetic parameters of agronomic and quality traits in a global germplasm collection reveal excellent breeding perspectives for Jatropha curcas L.

Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) is an undomesticated plant, which has received great attention in recent years for its potential in biofuel production and in greening and rehabilitation of wastelands. Yet the absence of improved cultivars and the lack of agronomic knowledge are limiting factors for successful jatropha cultivation. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the perspectives of a worldwide jatropha breeding program and specifically to (i) estimate variance components and heritabilities for agronomic and quality traits in the early phase of cultivation; (ii) assess phenotypic and genetic correlations among those traits; and (iii) discuss strategies for breeding high yielding jatropha cultivars. Data on various traits was collected from 375 jatropha genotypes, which were tested at seven locations during the first 3 years of growth. The accumulated seed yields and the seed yields per harvest year differed significantly among the testing locations. The estimates of genetic and genotype‐by‐environment interaction variances were significant and estimates of heritabilities were high for all yield parameters. The estimates of genetic correlations indicated a strong association among yield parameters. Oil yield was strongly correlated with seed yield and only weakly with oil content in seeds. The perspectives of a jatropha breeding program are excellent. Improved cultivars, definition of favorable environmental factors and refinement of agronomic management practices are needed to secure sustainable jatropha cultivation.     

广西地方稻种资源核心种质构建和遗传多样性分析

以丁颖分类体系分组原则与组内逐层聚类取样方法,对8609份广西地方栽培稻资源表型数据信息进行分析,通过对表型保留比例等评价指标的多重比较确定核心种质总体取样比例,构建出占总体样本5%(414份)的广西地方栽培稻资源初级核心种质。初级核心种质能代表总体遗传变异的89%。用34对SSR分子标记对初级核心种质进行遗传多样性分析,结果表明:广西地方栽培稻资源有较高的遗传多样性(等位基因数A为4.91,Nei’s多样性指数为0.574)。就Nei’s遗传多样性指数而言,粳稻高于籼稻,晚稻高于早稻,水稻高于陆稻,糯稻高于粘稻;来自桂中的稻种资源具有最高的遗传多样性。研究最终利用SSR数据,把414份初级核心种质压缩50%后形成209份核心种质,核心种质基因保留比例达到98%以上,有效代表了广西地方栽培稻资源多样性水平。     

Importance of genetic characterization and conservation of plant genetic resources: The breeding system and genetic diversity of wild soybean (Glycine soja)

Abstract Plant genetic resources play an important role in the improvement of cultivated plants. To characterize and evaluate the ecological and reproductive features of wild soybean ( Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc.), which is the most probable ancestor of cultivated soybean ( G. max (L) Merr.), the breeding system and genetic diversity of G. soja were investigated. The extent of natural cross-pollination of G. soja was estimated in four populations along the Omono River in Akita Prefecture, Japan by examining allozyme variation. Although it has been previously believed that G. soja is autogamous, as is cultivated soybean, the mean multilocus outcrossing rate ( t m) estimate was 13%. These values are much higher than the outcrossing rate previously reported for both G. soja and G. max . Frequent visits by honeybees and carpenter bees to flowers were also observed, which supported this conjecture. Furthermore, to evaluate the genetic variation of G. soja as a genetic resource, the genetic structure of 447 populations over Japan were analyzed. Wild soybean populations had a higher degree of variation of isozyme loci. The G ST coefficient of gene differentian values among the sites within the district were particularly high, revealing that the isozyme genotype was greatly different among site populations and homogeneous within the sites. The genetic differentiation among nine districts was observed in the allele frequencies of a few loci, indicating that geographic isolation in the wild soybean population was effectively created through the distance between the districts. The difference in the allele frequency among the districts may be produced under genetic drift. Finally, the importance of the preservation of natural plant populations and the habitats of wild progenitors (i.e. the in situ conservation of plant genetic resources) was emphasized.     

Using microsatellites,isozymes and AFLPs to evaluate genetic diversity and redundancy in the cassava core collection and to assess the usefulness of DNA-based markers to maintain germplasm collections

The cassava core collection was selected to represent, with minimum repetitiveness, the potential genetic diversity of the crop. The core (630 accessions) was chosen from the base collection (over 5500 accessions) on the basis of diversity of origin (country and geographic), morphology, isozyme patterns and specific agronomic criteria. To asses the genetic diversity of the core, 521 accessions were typed with four microsatellite loci. Allele diversity and frequency, and size variance of dinucleotide repeats (Rst statistic) were estimated. Microsatellite allele numbers and frequencies varied among countries: Colombia and Brazil had the largest number of different alleles across all loci. Mexico also had a high number, ranking fifth after Peru, Costa Rica and Venezuela (which tied). Unique alleles were present in accessions from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela and Paraguay. A small number (1.34%) of potential duplicates were identified through isozyme and AFLP profiles. Thus, the present results indicated that traditional markers have been highly effective at selecting unique genotypes for the core. Future selections of cassava germplasm sets can be aided by DNA-based markers to ensure genetically representative, non-redundant samples. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Identification of mega‐environments in Europe and effect of allelic variation at maturity E loci on adaptation of European soybean

Soybean cultivation holds great potential for a sustainable agriculture in Europe, but adaptation remains a central issue. In this large mega‐environment (MEV) study, 75 European cultivars from five early maturity groups (MGs 000–II) were evaluated for maturity‐related traits at 22 locations in 10 countries across Europe. Clustering of the locations based on phenotypic similarity revealed six MEVs in latitudinal direction and suggested several more. Analysis of maturity identified several groups of cultivars with phenotypic similarity that are optimally adapted to the different growing regions in Europe. We identified several haplotypes for the allelic variants at the E1, E2, E3 and E4 genes, with each E haplotype comprising cultivars from different MGs. Cultivars with the same E haplotype can exhibit different flowering and maturity characteristics, suggesting that the genetic control of these traits is more complex and that adaptation involves additional genetic pathways, for example temperature requirement. Taken together, our study allowed the first unified assessment of soybean‐growing regions in Europe and illustrates the strong effect of photoperiod on soybean adaptation and MEV classification, as well as the effects of the E maturity loci for soybean adaptation in Europe.     

植物的交配系统与濒危植物的保护繁育策略

植物的交配系统在理论上被视为影响种群遗传结构最为显著的因素之一。在具体实践中,指导着遗传育种和濒危植物的保护。本文首先剖析了交配系统及其相关的概念,并简要回顾交配系统研究的历史、重要的理论模型和方法。然后说明交配系统与种群遗传结构的具体关系,进而讨论交配系统在濒危植物进化与适应中的作用。最后说明交配系统的信息在就地与迁地保护中的重要性。     

Genetic structure and a selected core set of Brazilian soybean cultivars

Soybean is one of the most valuable and profitable oil crop species and a thorough knowledge of the genetic structure of this crop is necessary for developing the best breeding strategies. In this study, a representative collection of soybean cultivars recommended for farming in all Brazilian regions was genotyped using 27 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. A total of 130 alleles were detected, with an average allelic number of 4.81 per locus. These alleles determined the core set that best represented this soybean germplasm. The Bayesian analysis revealed the presence of two clusters or subgroups within the whole collection (435 soybean cultivars) and the core set (31 entries). Cultivars of similar origin (ancestral) were clustered into the same groups in both analyses. The genetic diversity parameters, based on the SSR loci, revealed high similarity between the whole collection and core set. Differences between the two clusters detected in the core set were attributed more to the frequency of their ancestors than to their genetic base. In terms of ancestry, divergent groups were presented and a panel is shown which may foster efficient breeding programs and aid soybean breeders in planning reliable crossings in the development of new varieties.     

Comparative analysis of core collection sampling methods for mandarin germplasm based on molecular and phenotypic data

Gene banks have been established to conserve the genetic diversity of crop species. Large germplasm collections lead to management problems (space, maintenance costs, etc.), especially in collections involving species with recalcitrant seeds that must be maintained as growing plants. Core collections (CCs) are thus developed to reduce the size of large germplasm collections while keeping the maximum variability. This also facilitates fine phenotypic evaluation. In this study, several software packages (DARwin, PowerMarker and MSTRAT) and methods (Max length subtree, M strategy, simulated annealing and MinSD) were compared to define a mandarin (Citrus reticulata) CC. One hundred and sixty‐seven accessions were sampled from two germplasm collections, which were genotyped with 50 SSR, 24 InDel and 68 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. All the CC obtained were tested for the maintenance of the genetic variability parameters (Ho and He) of the initial collection, the level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and the phenotypic diversity retention. The Max length subtree function from DARWin seemed to be the most appropriate method for establishing a CC in C. reticulata. It maintained 96.82% of the allelic richness and 17.96% of the size of the initial collection with only 30 accessions. Besides it did not increase the LD (r² value) of the initial collection and retained the vast majority of the phenotypic variability. However, a CC with 70 accessions would be more helpful for genetic association studies.     

Combining genetic engineering and traditional breeding to provide elevated resistance in potatoes to Colorado potato beetle

The sustainable deployment of resistant crop varieties is a critical issue for the implementation of biotechnology in crop pest management. Feeding, biomass accumulation, and mortality were evaluated for susceptible, insecticide‐resistant, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry 3A‐selected Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) larvae fed on: cultivated potato, a Solanum chacoense line expressing leptine glycoalkaloids, a transformed line expressing Bt toxin, or the leptine line transformed to express Bt toxin. Larvae selected for resistance to Bt‐Cry3A performed better on Bt foliage, but not as well on the leptine foliage, compared to susceptible or insecticide‐resistant larvae. Neither leptine nor Bt toxin completely inhibited the feeding and growth of 3rd and 4th instars of all three strains of Colorado potato beetle. However, for all three strains of Colorado potato beetle on leptine + Bt foliage, feeding was almost zero, growth was zero or negative, and mortality was near 100%.     

云南地方稻核心种质氮磷高效性

采用盆栽试验以红壤设置不施磷（有效磷0．02mg·kg^-1）和施磷（有效磷69．76mg·kg^-1）、不施氮（有效氮156．7mg·kg^-1）和施氮（232．18mg·kg^-1）4种处理,以16个形态性状的相对指标用SPSS软件分析了来自云南省16个州548份云南稻核心种质氮磷高效的地带性特征,结果表明：低有效磷胁迫下云南稻核心种质形态性状生态差异磷效应明显高于氮效应;提出了茎蘖数、秆重、生物产量、根重、全株重和穗重共6个相对指标既可作为云南稻核心种质磷高效和氮高效基因型筛选的理想指标,又能反映州市间核心种质氮磷高效的地带性特征。聚类分析显示云南16个州市稻核心种质氮高效和磷高效特性划分为3个地带性区域,并与山脉水系、土壤肥力、生态因子和遗传多样性有关。     

Diversity of genetic backgrounds modulating the durability of a major resistance gene. Analysis of a core collection of pepper landraces resistant to Potato virus Y

The evolution of resistance‐breaking capacity in pathogen populations has been shown to depend on the plant genetic background surrounding the resistance genes. We evaluated a core collection of pepper (Capsicum annuum) landraces, representing the worldwide genetic diversity, for its ability to modulate the breakdown frequency by Potato virus Y of major resistance alleles at the pvr2 locus encoding the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Depending on the pepper landrace, the breakdown frequency of a given resistance allele varied from 0% to 52.5%, attesting to their diversity and the availability of genetic backgrounds favourable to resistance durability in the plant germplasm. The mutations in the virus genome involved in resistance breakdown also differed between plant genotypes, indicating differential selection effects exerted on the virus population by the different genetic backgrounds. The breakdown frequency was positively correlated with the level of virus accumulation, confirming the impact of quantitative resistance loci on resistance durability. Among these loci, pvr6, encoding an isoform of eIF4E, was associated with a major effect on virus accumulation and on the breakdown frequency of the pvr2‐mediated resistance. This exploration of plant genetic diversity delivered new resources for the control of pathogen evolution and the increase in resistance durability.     

Genetic diversity and conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources

Biodiversity refers to variation within the living world, while genetic diversity represents the heritable variation within and between populations of organisms, and in the context of this paper, among plant species. This pool of genetic variation within an inter-mating population is the basis for selection as well as for plant improvement. Thus, conservation of this plant genetic diversity is essential for present and future human well-being. During recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the importance of adopting a holistic view of biodiversity, including agricultural biodiversity, conservation for sustainable utilization and development. These principles have been enshrined in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Plan of Action of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The emphasis is now to understand the distribution and extent of genetic diversity available to humans in plant species, so that the genetic diversity can be safely conserved and efficiently used. It is generally recognized that plant genetic diversity changes in time and space. The extent and distribution of genetic diversity in a plant species depends on its evolution and breeding system, ecological and geographical factors, past bottlenecks, and often by many human factors. Much of the large amount of diversity of a species may be found within individual populations, or partitioned among a number of different populations.A better understanding of genetic diversity and its distribution is essential for its conservation and use. It will help us in determining what to conserve as well as where to conserve, and will improve our understanding of the taxonomy and origin and evolution of plant species of interest. Knowledge of both these topics is essential for collecting and use of any plant species and its wild relatives. In order to mange conserved germplasm better, there is also a need to understand the genetic diversity that is present in collections. This will help us to rationalize collections and develop and adopt better protocols for regeneration of germplasm seed. Through improved characterization and development of core collections based on genetic diversity information, it will be possible to exploit the available resources in more valuable ways.     

Comparison of different methods to construct a core germplasm collection in woody perennial species with simple sequence repeat markers. A case study in cherimoya (Annona cherimola, Annonaceae), an underutilised subtropical fruit tree species

Although molecular markers are becoming the tool of choice to develop core collections in plants, the examples of their use in woody perennial species are very scarce. In this work, we used simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker data to develop a core collection in an underutilised subtropical fruit tree species, cherimoya ( Annona cherimola , Annonaceae), from an initial collection of 279 genotypes from different countries. We compared six alternative allocation methods to construct the core collection, four not based upon the similarity dendrogram [random sampling, maximisation strategy (M strategy) and simulated annealing algorithm maximising both genetic diversity and number of SSR alleles] and two based on dendrogram data (logarithmic strategy and stepwise clustering). The diversity maintained in each subset was compared with that present in the entire collection. The results obtained indicate that the use of SSRs together with the M strategy is the most efficient method to develop a core collection in cherimoya. In the best subset, with 40 accessions, all the SSR alleles present in the whole collection were recovered and no significant differences in frequency distribution of alleles for any of the loci studied or in variability parameters ( H _O, H _E) were recorded between the core and the whole collection.     

生境片断化对植物种群遗传结构的影响及植物遗传多样性保护

生境片断化是指大而连续的生境变成空间隔离的小种群的现象。生境片断化对植物种群遗传效应包括生境片断化过程中的取样效应及其后的小种群效应（遗传漂变、近交等）。理论研究表明,生境片断化后,植物种群的遗传变异程度将降低,而残留的小种群间的遗传分化程度将升高。然而对一些植物的研究表明,生境片断化对植物种群的遗传效应要受其他一些因素的影响,如世代长度、片断化时间、片断种群的大小、基因流的改变等。最后,针对生境     

Using genetic diversity information to establish core collections of Stylosanthes capitata and Stylosanthes macrocephala

Stylosanthes species are important forage legumes in tropical and subtropical areas. S. macrocephala and S. capitata germplasm collections that consist of 134 and 192 accessions, respectively, are maintained at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Cerrados (Embrapa-Cerrados). Polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic diversity and population structure with the aim to assemble a core collection. The mean values of H_O and H_E for S. macrocephala were 0.08 and 0.36, respectively, whereas the means for S. capitata were 0.48 and 0.50, respectively. Roger’s genetic distance varied from 0 to 0.83 for S. macrocephala and from 0 to 0.85 for S. capitata. Analysis with STRUCTURE software distinguished five groups among the S. macrocephala accessions and four groups among those of S. capitata. Nei’s genetic diversity was 27% in S. macrocephala and 11% in S. capitata. Core collections were assembled for both species. For S. macrocephala, all of the allelic diversity was represented by 23 accessions, whereas only 13 accessions were necessary to represent all allelic diversity for S. capitata. The data presented herein evidence the population structure present in the Embrapa-Cerrados germplasm collections of S. macrocephala and S. capitata, which may be useful for breeding programs and germplasm conservation.     

Molecular population genetics and phenotypic sensitivity to ethanol for a globally diverse sample of the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae

New genomic resources and genetic tools of the past few years have advanced the nematode genus Caenorhabditis as a model for comparative biology. However, understanding of natural genetic variation at molecular and phenotypic levels remains rudimentary for most species in this genus, and for C. briggsae in particular. Here we characterize phenotypic variation in C. briggsae’s sensitivity to the potentially important and variable environmental toxin, ethanol, for globally diverse strains. We also quantify nucleotide variation in a new sample of 32 strains from four continents, including small islands, and for the closest‐known relative of this species (C. sp. 9). We demonstrate that C. briggsae exhibits little heritable variation for the effects of ethanol on the norm of reaction for survival and reproduction. Moreover, C. briggsae does not differ significantly from C. elegans in our assays of its response to this substance that both species likely encounter regularly in habitats of rotting fruit and vegetation. However, we uncover drastically more molecular genetic variation than was known previously for this species, despite most strains, including all island strains, conforming to the broad biogeographic patterns described previously. Using patterns of sequence divergence between populations and between species, we estimate that the self‐fertilizing mode of reproduction by hermaphrodites in C. briggsae likely evolved sometime between 0.9 and 10 million generations ago. These insights into C. briggsae’s natural history and natural genetic variation greatly expand the potential of this organism as an emerging model for studies in molecular and quantitative genetics, the evolution of development, and ecological genetics.     

Physiological and genetic control of the tolerance of wheat to high concentrations of boron and implications for plant breeding

Physiological and genetic studies have been undertaken to further the understanding of genetic variation in response to high concentrations of B in the soil and so facilitate the breeding of tolerant varieties for cultivation in high B regions. Genetic variation in response to high concentrations of B has been identified for a number of crop and pasture species of southern Australia, including wheat, barley, oats, field peas and annual pasture medics. The wheat variety Halberd, which was the most widely grown variety in Australia during the 1970s and early 1980s, is the most tolerant of the current Australian wheat varieties. The mechanism of tolerance for all species studied is reduced accumulation of B by tolerant genotypes in both roots and shoots. Results from experiments of uptake kinetics indicate that control of B uptake is a non-metabolic process. The response of wheat to high B supply is under the control of several major additive genes, one of which has been located to chromosome 4A.     

The genetic structure of cattle populations (Bos taurus) in northern Eurasia and the neighbouring Near Eastern regions: implications for breeding strategies and conservation

We investigated the genetic structure and variation of 21 populations of cattle (Bos taurus) in northern Eurasia and the neighbouring Near Eastern regions of the Balkan, the Caucasus and Ukraine employing 30 microsatellite markers. By analyses of population relationships, as well as by a Bayesian-based clustering approach, we identified a genetic distinctness between populations of modern commercial origin and those of native origin. Our data suggested that northern European Russia represents the most heavily colonized area by modern commercial cattle. Further genetic mixture analyses based on individual assignment tests found that native Red Steppe cattle were also employed in the historical breeding practices in Eastern Europe, most probably for incorporating their strong and extensive adaptability. In analysis of molecular variance, within-population differences accounted for approximately 90% of the genetic variation. Despite some correspondence between geographical proximity and genetic similarity, genetic differentiation was observed to be significantly associated with the difference in breeding purpose among the European populations (percentage of variance among groups and significance: 2.99%, P = 0.02). Our findings give unique genetic insight into the historical patterns of cattle breeding practices in the former Soviet Union. The results identify the neighbouring Near Eastern regions such as the Balkan, the Caucasus and Ukraine, and the isolated Far Eastern Siberia as areas of 'genetic endemism', where cattle populations should be given conservation priority. The results will also be of importance for cost-effective management of their future utilization.     

Tool for genomic selection and breeding to evolutionary adaptation: Development of a 100K single nucleotide polymorphism array for the honey bee

High‐throughput high‐density genotyping arrays continue to be a fast, accurate, and cost‐effective method for genotyping thousands of polymorphisms in high numbers of individuals. Here, we have developed a new high‐density SNP genotyping array (103,270 SNPs) for honey bees, one of the most ecologically and economically important pollinators worldwide. SNPs were detected by conducting whole‐genome resequencing of 61 honey bee drones (haploid males) from throughout Europe. Selection of SNPs for the chip was done in multiple steps using several criteria. The majority of SNPs were selected based on their location within known candidate regions or genes underlying a range of honey bee traits, including hygienic behavior against pathogens, foraging, and subspecies. Additionally, markers from a GWAS of hygienic behavior against the major honey bee parasite Varroa destructor were brought over. The chip also includes SNPs associated with each of three major breeding objectives—honey yield, gentleness, and Varroa resistance. We validated the chip and make recommendations for its use by determining error rates in repeat genotypings, examining the genotyping performance of different tissues, and by testing how well different sample types represent the queen's genotype. The latter is a key test because it is highly beneficial to be able to determine the queen's genotype by nonlethal means. The array is now publicly available and we suggest it will be a useful tool in genomic selection and honey bee breeding, as well as for GWAS of different traits, and for population genomic, adaptation, and conservation questions.