Genomic polymorphism in consecutive generation rice plants from seeds on board a spaceship and their relationship with space HZE particles

Dry rice seeds (Oryza sativa,subspecies indica)were sandwiched between nuclear track detectors,aboard the Chinese spaceship Shenzhou-3 for seven days.The seeds were recovered and the genomic polymorphism in 201 plants developed from these seeds was studied using random amplified polymorphism DNA analysis.When compared with plants from ground-based control seeds,the genomic polymorphic bands were amplified in 30.2% of the plants from the seeds exposed in space.The results for sequencing and SNP analyses of the polymorphic bands verified the single nucleotide variations in these plants.Genomic polymorphisms in the consecutive generations of individual plants of the seeds from space were also discovered.Seven seeds receiving hits of HZE (high atomic number and high energy)particles from space were selected for further analyses and variable genomic polymorphisms were detected in all plants that developed from these seeds.Among them,the embryos of three seeds were hit at least once,and mutants with significant changes in agronomic traits were only found in later generations of these seeds.This result implies that the HZE particles of space are effective in inducing the changes of plant genome of inherited phenotypes.     

空间搭载水稻种子后代基因组多态性及其与空间重离子辐射关系的探讨

神舟三号飞船搭载带核径迹辐射探测器的水稻种子装置,回收后应用随机扩增多态性DNA(randomamplified polymorphic DNA,RAPD)技术,分析了201粒升空种子长出植株的基因组多态性。在检测的189个基因座位范围内,30.2%的植株中发现与地面对照不同的扩增带,单株的多态性座位数为1￣25。特异扩增带的测序及单核苷酸多态性(single-nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)分析进一步证明了空间搭载水稻种子确实可导致当代植株基因组发生变异。同一技术分析个别种子连续世代的基因组多态性,结果显示,当代的部分多态性可遗传至后代。7粒受空间高原子序数、高能粒子轰击的种子,在当代植株均显示不同程度的基因组多态性,从胚受粒子击中的3粒种子后代中,筛选出农艺性状明显变异的突变株系,初步暗示了空间高能重离子辐射对诱导基因组的多态性,乃至遗传性表型变异的有效性。     

Genetic stability of cryopreserved shoot tips of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubus</Emphasis> germplasm

Questions often arise concerning the genetic stability of plant materials stored in liquid nitrogen for long time periods. This study examined the genetic stability of cryopreserved shoot tips of Rubus germplasm that were stored in liquid nitrogen for more than 12 yr, then rewarmed and regrown. We analyzed the genetic stability of Rubus grabowskii, two blackberry cultivars (“Hillemeyer” and ‘Silvan’), and one raspberry cultivar (“Mandarin”) as in vitro shoots and as field-grown plants. No morphological differences were observed in greenhouse-grown cryopreserved plants when compared to the control mother plants. In the field, cryopreserved plants appeared similar but were more vigorous than mother plants, with larger leaves, fruit, and seeds. Single sequence repeats (SSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses were performed on shoots immediately after recovery from cryopreservation and on shoots subcultured for 7 mo before analysis. Ten SSR primers developed from “Marion” and “Meeker” microsatellite-enriched libraries amplified one to 15 alleles per locus, with an average of seven alleles and a total of 70 alleles in the four genotypes tested. No SSR polymorphisms were observed between cryopreserved shoots and the corresponding mother plants regardless of subculture. Although no polymorphisms were detected in shoots analyzed immediately after recovery from cryopreservation, AFLP polymorphisms were detected in three of the four Rubus genotypes after they were subcultured for 7 mo. Field-grown plants from the polymorphic shoot tips of R. grabowskii and ‘Silvan’ displayed the same AFLP fingerprints as their corresponding mother plants. Only long-cultured in vitro shoot tips displayed polymorphisms in vitro, and they were no longer detected when the plants were grown ex vitro. The transitory nature of these polymorphisms should be carefully considered when monitoring for genetic stability.     

Genetic variation of the genus Kengyilia by ISSR markers

We investigated the genetic variation within 32 accessions distributed to 14 species and one variety by using ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) markers. The results showed that genetic variation was relatively higher among the accessions. A total of 593 bands were amplified by 12 ISSR primers, of which 535 bands (90.2%) were polymorphic. Eleven to 80 polymorphic bands were amplified from each prime, with an average of 44.6 bands. The interspecies GS (genetic similarity) value ranged from 0.430 to 0.866, and the average was 0.620. Cluster analysis showed that all accessions could be classified into 4 groups by ISSR markers. The different accessions in a species were clustered together, but they had genetic variation in molecular levels. There was obvious interspecies genetic variation. Species with similar morphological characteristics and from the same areas or neighboring geographical regions were clustered together and had close relationships. ISSR markers are useful in analyzing interspecies variation in Kengyilia. __________ Translated from Guihaia, 2006, 26 (4): 375–380 [译自: 广西植物]     

A Comparative Analysis of ISSR and RAPD Markers for Study of Genetic Diversity in Shisham (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dalbergia sissoo</Emphasis>)

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) is one of the most preferred timber tree species of South Asia. Two DNA-based molecular marker techniques, intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) and random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD), were compared to study the genetic diversity in this species. A total of 30 polymorphic primers (15 ISSR and 15 random) were used. Amplification of genomic DNA of 22 genotypes, using ISSR analysis, yielded 117 fragments, of which 64 were polymorphic. Number of amplified fragments with ISSR primers ranged from five to ten and varied in size from 180 to 1,900 bp. Percentage polymorphism ranged from 0 to 87.5. The 15 RAPD primers produced 144 bands across 22 genotypes, of which 84 were polymorphic. The number of amplified bands varied from five to 13, with size range from 180 to 2,400 bp. Percentage polymorphism ranged from 0 to 100, with an average of 58.3 across. RAPD markers were relatively more efficient than the ISSR assay. The mental test between two Jaccard’s similarity matrices gave r ≥ 0.90, showing very good fit correlation in between ISSR- and RAPD-based similarities. Clustering of isolates remained more or less the same in RAPD and combined data of RAPD and ISSR. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.734 to 0.939, 0.563 to 0.946, and 0.648 to 0.920 with ISSR, RAPD, and combined dendrogram, respectively.     

Detection of genetic variation among micropropagated tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] by RAPD analysis

Summary Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques were applied to assess genetic instability among micropropagated tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] eultivar ‘T-78’. Out of 49 random 10-mer primers, 11 generated polymorphism in four out of 17 micropropagated plants and one mother plant. A total of 221 bands, ranging from 525 bp to 2.5 kb, were produced by the 49 primers. Twenty-four were polymorphic for those four plants. However, the remaining bands were monomorphic among all plants. Polymorphism among those four plants showed an identifical banding pattern suggesting the occurrence of a single mutation. Our results demonstrated that RAPD can be used successfully to determine the genetic instability among micropropagated plants which otherwise were morphologically indistinguishable.     

Variation in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) tissue culture-derived regenerants revealed by AFLPs with methylation-sensitive enzymes

Tissue culture-derived plants of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) can develop abnormal flowers in which stamen primordia are converted into carpel-like tissues (mantled fruit). This abnormality can be heritable; individual palms may show variation in mantling and reversion to the normal phenotype over time has been observed. Four sets of ortets (mother plant used as tissue source) and ramets (regenerated plants) were compared using standard amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and AFLPs using methylation-sensitive enzymes. No polymorphisms were found when standard AFLPs were produced with ten different primer combinations. In contrast, when methylation-sensitive AFLPs were used, polymorphisms were detectable. Polymorphisms appeared as new bands in the ramets, suggesting that a reduction in methylation had occurred during tissue culture. The highest number of polymorphic bands (0.3%) was obtained when HpaII was used as the restriction endonuclease, indicating that the loss of methylation had occurred most frequently at the internal C within the HpaII recognition sequence 5’-CCGG-3’. Conversion of nine of the polymorphic bands into probes for Southern analysis confirmed that these were not due to partial digestion of the AFLP templates and showed that the majority were single-copy sequences. The exceptions were fragments showing homology to 25S ribosomal RNA genes and the chalcone synthase gene family. Examination of the Southern blots suggested that most of the single-copy sequences were partially de-methylated, and one example was found in which de-methylation affected only one allele. No polymorphism was consistently different between normal and abnormal clones in all the sets. This suggests that, whilst this method is an effective way of detecting variation in tissue culture-derived plants, different approaches will be required to identify the causal basis of the mantled fruit abnormality. Received: 25 May 2000 / Accepted: 28 August 2000     

Production and characterization of interspecific somatic hybrids between Brassica oleracea var. botrytis and B. nigra and their progenies for the selection of advanced pre-breeding materials

Somatic hybridization is a potential method for gene transfer from wild relatives to cultivated crops that can overcome sexual incompatibilities of two distantly related species. In this study, interspecific asymmetric somatic hybrids of Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (cauliflower) and Brassica nigra (black mustard) were obtained by protoplast fusion and their backcrossed (BC₃) and selfed (S₃) offspring were analyzed. Cytological analysis showed that the B. nigra chromosomes were successively eliminated in the backcrosses with cauliflower. The fertility of the hybrid progenies was quite different due to the asynchronous and abnormal chromosome behavior of pollen mother cells (PMC) during meiosis. Analysis of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) showed that all of these hybrids mainly had the DNA banding pattern from the two parents with some alterations. Genetically, the selfed generations were closer to B. nigra, while the backcrossed generations were closer to the cauliflower parent. Analysis of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) showed that all somatic hybrids in this study contained chloroplast (cp) DNA of the donor parent black mustard, while mitochondrial (mt) DNA showed evidence of recombination and variations in the regions analyzed. Furthermore, three BC₃ plants (originated from somatic hybrids 3, 4, 10) with 2–8 B. nigra-derived chromosomes shown by genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) displayed a more cauliflower-like morphology and high resistance to black-rot. These plants were obtained as bridge materials for further analysis and breeding.     

RAPD based genetic stability analysis among micropropagated,synthetic seed derived and hardened plants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacopa monnieri</Emphasis> (L.): a threatened Indian medicinal herb

Bacopa monnieri (L.), a highly endangered miracle medicinal herb with global interest, is one of the popular ancient Indian ayurvedic plants. With ever increasing demand for Bacopa based formulations in pharmaceutical industries, there is a need to preserve the stocks of the plant through biotechnological approaches. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting approach was applied to analyze the genetic stability of 19 different B.monnieri plants randomly selected after micropropagation, regrowth from alginate encapsulated uninodal cuttings (before and after storage at 4°C) and hardening with the mother plant (wild type). 16 arbitrary decamer primers amplified a total of 334 reproducible distinct DNA fragments ranging from 180 to 1,500 bp, of which 262 (78.4%) were monomorphic and the rest (21.5%) were polymorphic with an average of 20.8 bands per primer. The extent of polymorphism was low to moderate. Primers OPAK 14, OPM 15 and OPD 13 generated 69, 46 and 42% polymorphic patterns. Primers OPA 04, OPU 13 and OPD 08 generated 100% monomorphic pattern. Similarity matrix based on Jaccard’s coefficient revealed that pair wise values between the wild type and its analyzed plants ranged from 0.00 to 0.92 and among the micropropagated, synthetic seed derived and hardened plants, the range of genetic distance is from 0.67 to 0.92. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages cluster analysis resulted in one loose group of the wild type with three subgroups. The present study paves the way for the identification and maintenance of genetically uniform B. monnieri plants micropropagated in the lab, plants regrown from synthetic seeds and hardened in the field.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvia miltiorrhiza</Emphasis> Bge in China revealed by ISSR and SRAP

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb used as an important drug to cure cardiovascular diseases. In this work, inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, were applied to assess the level and pattern of genetic diversity in five important cultivated populations of S. miltiorrhiza. Among these populations, 120 bands were amplified by 5 ISSR primers, of which all were polymorphic, and 110 polymorphic bands (90.16%) were observed in 122 bands amplified by 6 SRAP primers. A high levels of genetic diversity at the species level was detected with Hs = 0.1951, 0.1927 respectively. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that a greater proportion of total genetic variation existed within populations (86.64 and 84.83% respectively) rather than among populations (13.36 and 15.17% respectively). Cluster analysis divided the five populations into two groups. The genetic relationships among populations have low correlation with their geographical distribution (Mantel test; r = 0.4870 and 0.5740 respectively). The study indicated that both ISSR and SRAP markers were effective and reliable for assessing the degree of genetic variation of S. miltiorrhiza. Our results suggested that random collecting, preserving and planting seeds without deliberate selection might be an efficient way to conserve genetic resources of medicinal plants. Their effective use was also discussed on the further breeding.     

Molecular phylogeny of mangroves I. Use of molecular markers in assessing the intraspecific genetic variability in the mangrove species Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae)

 Mangroves, the intertidal ecosystems occurring primarily in the tropical regions of the world, are valuable natural resources with high productivity and unique habitat value. However, the genetic structure of plant species within the mangrove ecosystem is poorly understood. The present communication is the first report on the use of molecular markers in assessing intra-site and intra-specific polymorphism in one of the mangrove species, Acanthus ilicifolius, for identifying/ detecting distinct genotypes for long-term conservation. Random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were used to elucidate the intra- and inter-population variability in this widely distributed mangrove species. In all, 48 genotypes representing eight distinct populations were analysed. A low level of polymorphism was detected at the intra-population level through both RAPD (3.8–7.3%) and RFLP (3.2–9.1%) analyses. At the inter-population level, 25 of the 73 RAPD loci (34%) detected through the use of 13 random primers and 44 of the 96 RFLP loci (45.8%) revealed through 15 probe/enzyme combinations were polymorphic. RFLP analyses were carried out using genomic clones developed from the same species. The somatic cells of the species displayed 48 chromosomes, with no numerical changes at either intra- or inter- population levels. Received: 5 June 1996 / Accepted: 8 November 1996     

Assessment of genetic variation withinBrassica campestris cultivars using amplified fragment length polymorphism and random amplification of polymorphic DNA markers

Genetic relationships were evaluated among nine cultivars ofBrassica campestris by employing random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. RAPDs generated a total of 125 bands using 13 decamer primers (an average of 9.6 bands per assay) of which nearly 80% were polymorphic. The per cent polymorphism ranged from 60–100%. AFLP, on the other hand generated a total of 319 markers, an average of 64 bands per assay. Of these, 213 were polymorphic in nature (66.8%). AFLP methodology detected polymorphism more efficiently than RAPD approach due to a greater number of loci assayed per reaction. Cultivar-specific bands were identified, for some cultivars using RAPD, and for most cultivars with AFLP. Genetic similarity matrix, based on Jaccard’s index detected coefficients ranging from 0.42 to 0.73 for RAPD, and from 0.48 to 0.925 for AFLPs indicating a wide genetic base. Cluster analyses using data generated by both RAPD and AFLP markers, clearly separated the yellow seeded, self-compatible cultivars from the brown seeded, self-incompatible cultivars although AFLP markers were able to group the cultivars more accurately. The higher genetic variation detected by AFLP in comparison to RAPD was also reflected in the topography of the phenetic dendrograms obtained. These results have been discussed in light of other studies and the relative efficiency of the marker systems for germplasm evaluation.     

Combination of ARDRA and RAPD genotyping techniques in identification of Acinetobacter spp. genomic species

A total of 10 non-repetitive multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter strains were collected. With reference to A. calcoaceticus (ATCC23055), A. baumannii (ATCC19606), A. lwoffii (ATCC17986), and A. junii (NCTC5866),DNA fingerprint technique, amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) were carried out to identify the genomic species of Acinetobacter spp. The distances between them were calculated by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic (UPGMA). Genotypes of Acinetobacter spp. were effectively classified and an A. junii together with nine A. baumannii isolates was genomically identified. The combination of ARDRA and RAPD DNA-fingerprint technique shows high complementarity, and could be a useful tool in Acinetobacter genomic species identification. __________ Translated from Microbiology, 2007, 34(2): 303–306 [译自:微生物学通报]     

Activation of transposable elements and insertional polymorphism in Opuntia offspring as assessed by inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism markers

Activation of retrotransposon is a pivotal factor in the genesis of genetic polymorphism. Retrotransposon-based molecular markers are excellent tools for detecting genetic diversity and genomic changes associated with their activity. The objective of this study was to use IRAP markers to detect integration events of retrotransposon in Opuntia, and to compare IRAP and ISSR polymorphisms. To achieve these aims, five IRAP and five ISSR markers were analyzed on three varieties and their progenies. All IRAP primers showed an increase in the percentage of polymorphism, number of total bands, and polymorphic bands in the seedlings compared to their mother plants; that is, the offspring showed 13, 24 and 27 more bands than the mother plants from Tobarito, Montesa and Copena varieties, respectively. Conversely, sexual reproduction did not proportionally affect the variation in the number of ISSR bands, and neither did polymorphisms between mother plants and their offspring. Cluster and multivariate analyses based on IRAP and ISSR data revealed a clear separation between varieties, and there was no overlapping between seedlings of different varieties. The activation of retrotransposons in seedlings of opuntia with variable frequencies was evidenced. The presence of insertion and active retrotransposons may help to undertake studies on genetic diversity and evolution of Opuntia.     

Changes in AFLP and SSR DNA polymorphisms induced by short-term space flight of rice seeds

Differences of both amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) polymorphisms were compared between the 60-d-old rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. DH7) and F3 rice plants (SP3) derived from seed, which endured a 7-d-space flight in March 2002. Total leaf AFLP DNA bands amplified from 22 primer pairs were 537 in DH7, whereas 562 in SP3. From the total 267 SSR DNA bands generated by 267 primer pairs, 39 were polymorphic with 22 larger (56 %) or 17 smaller (44 %) fragment size bands. The greatest numbers of AFLP DNA bands were amplified by primer E1M1 in DH7 (33) and E3M1 in SP3 (35), whilst the least by E4M3 in DH7 (14) and E5M2 in SP3 (16).     

AFLP analysis of genetic diversity and relationship among some Chinese domestic ducks and wild ducks

The amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) technique was used to analyze the genome DNA polymorphism among 8 breeds of domestic ducks and 2 species of wild ducks. Nine of the 17 selected primers pairs gave reproducible polymorphic DNA amplification bands. The amplified bands ranged from 44 to 83 per primer pair. Of the 513 AFLP markers obtained, 498 were polymorphic. The proportion of polymorphic loci was 97.1%. The genetic distance (D) and similarity coefficients (GS) were calculated based on the polymorphic data. Between domestic ducks D ranged from 0.331 to 0.589, while between domestic ducks and the wild ducks, it ranged from 0.298 to 0.520 (vs. Anas Platyrhynchos) and from 0.316 to 0.522 (vs. A. Poecilorhyncha), respectively. The variance analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups of data, which indicated that both mallard and spot-billed ducks made contributions to domestic duck evolution. A dendrogram was constructed according to the D value. __________ Translated from Journal of Xiamen University (Natural Science), 2005, 44(5): 729–733 [译自: 厦门大学学报 (自然科学版), 2005, 44(5): 729–733]     

A comparative analysis of genetic diversity in blackgram genotypes using RAPD and ISSR markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to study the DNA polymorphism in elite blackgram genotypes. A total of 25 random and 16 ISSR primers were used. Amplification of genomic DNA of the 18 genotypes, using RAPD analysis, yielded 104 fragments that could be scored, of which 44 were polymorphic, with an average of 1.8 polymorphic fragments per primer. Number of amplified fragments with random primers ranged from two (OPA-13) to nine (OPK-4) and varied in size from 200 bp to 2,500 bp. Percentage polymorphism ranged from 16.6% (OPK-7) to a maximum of 66.6% (OPE-5, OPH-2, and OPK-8), with an average of 42.7%. The 16 ISSR primers used in the study produced 101 bands across 18 genotypes, of which 55 were polymorphic. The number of amplified bands varied from two (ISSR 858) to ten (ISSR 810), with a size range of 200–2,200 bp. The average numbers of bands per primer and polymorphic bands per primer were 6.3 and 3.4, respectively. Percentage polymorphism ranged from 25% (ISSR 885) to 100% (ISSR 858), with an average percentage polymorphism of 57.5% across all the genotypes. The 3-anchored primers based on poly(GA) and poly(AG) motifs produced high average polymorphisms of 54.98% and 58.32%, respectively. ISSR markers were more efficient than the RAPD assay, as they detected 57.4% polymorphic DNA markers in Vigna mungo as compared to 42.7% for RAPD markers. The Mantel test between the two Jaccards similarity matrices gave r =0.32, showing low correlation between RAPD- and ISSR-based similarities. Clustering of genotypes within groups was not similar when RAPD and ISSR derived dendrogram were compared, whereas the pattern of clustering of the genotypes remained more or less the same in ISSR and combined data of RAPD and ISSR.     

Characteristics of single- and multi-copy microsatellites from Pinus radiata

 Dinucleotide microsatellites were isolated from Pinus radiata using both a standard genomic library and libraries enriched for microsatellites. Locus-specific primers were designed to amplify 43 unique microsatellites. Thirty two of these loci had interpretable PCR patterns, 11 of which were polymorphic in a screen of 19 P. radiata individuals; all 11 polymorphic loci contained at least 17 repeats in the sequenced plasmid. Six of the eleven primer pairs amplified multiple fragments per individual (3–8), suggesting that these loci were present in multiple copies in the genome. Genotyping a 48-tree P. radiata production population with seven of the most polymorphic microsatellites revealed an average of 17 bands per locus (the multi-copy microsatellites were treated as one locus). When tested on known pedigrees, both single and multi-copy microsatellites exhibited co-dominant inheritance and Mendelian segregation. Two loci had null alleles and one locus had a high frequency of non-parental alleles, suggesting a high mutation rate. Eight of these microsatellites, including five multi-copy loci, were placed on a partially constructed P. radiata genetic map. Four of the five multi-copy microsatellites had two or more sets of alleles that mapped to the same locus, and the fifth mapped to two unlinked loci. All seven tested primer pairs amplified PCR products from other species of hard pine, three amplified products from soft-pine species, and one amplified bands in other conifers. Received: 10 November 1997 / Accepted: 5 January 1998     

Studies on somaclonal variation in Phalaenopsis

The morphological and genetic variations in somaclones of Phalaenopsis True Lady “B79-19” derived from tissue culture were evaluated. In 1360 flowering somaclones, no apparent difference was found in the shape of the leaves, whereas flowers in some somaclones were deformed. We have demonstrated that 38 selected random primers can be used to generate amplified segments of genomic DNA and to differentiate polymorphisms of somaclonal variations in Phalaenopsis. The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data indicated that normal and variant somaclones are not genetically identical. We also studied the banding patterns of aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) in young leaves of variant and normal somaclones of Phalaenopsis. With respect to AAT, three distinct banding patterns were found in normal somaclones and only two-banded phenotypes were detected in variant somaclones. In a comparison of the banding patterns of PGM isozymes, three to four bands were detected in normal somaclones and two to three bands in variant ones. Received: 15 August 1997 / Revision received: 16 February 1998 / Accepted: 1 May 1998