Genetic transformation of willows (Salix spp.) byAgrobacterium tumefaciens

Anin vitro transformation method has been developed for stem explants of fast-growing willow clones (Salix spp.) usingAgrobacterium tumefaciens as a vector. Transformants obtained with the strains C58 and GV3101 (pGV3851::pLD1) were selected on hormone-free medium and on medium containing kanamycin, respectively. Transformation was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and nopaline assay. Inoculation of green-house grown plants with nopaline and octopine wildtype strains and shoot or root inducing mutant strains caused undifferentiated tumors at a frequency of 0 to 80%, depending on theSalix genotype and the bacterial strain used.Abbreviations BA benzyladenine - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - Km kanamycin - NPT neomycin phosphotransferase     

Strategies for the biological control of invasive willows (Salix spp.) in Australia

Abstract  Willows ( Salix spp.) are Weeds of National Significance in Australia where a large number of taxa are naturalised in temperate regions and can cause serious environmental degradation of riparian and wetland habitats. Several species are of economic or ornamental value and conflicts of interest could arise with planning their suppression. Biological control of six willow species ( S. alba L., S. cinerea L . , S. fragilis L., S. nigra Marshall, S. viminalis L., S . x  rubens Schrank) is under consideration in Australia using three approaches based on targeting different morphological structures. A rich phytophagous biota associated with Salix in their regions of origin indicate a range of organisms are available for development as biological control agents. Implementation strategies will depend on the host species targeted for biological control, their reproductive strategies, the level of control required to reduce environmental impacts and the level of conflict of interest associated with a biological control program.     

Differentiation of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) genotypes by AFLP analyses

 Bermudagrasses (Cynodon spp.) are major turfgrasses for home lawns, public parks, golf courses and sport fields, and are widely adapted to tropical and warmer temperate climates. Morphological and physiological characteristics are not sufficient to differentiate some bermudagrass genotypes because the differences between them are often subtle and subject to environmental influence. In this study, a DNA-typing technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), was used to differentiate bermudagrass genotypes and to explore their genetic relationships. Twenty seven bermudagrass cultivars and introductions, mostly from the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Ga., were assayed by the radioactive (³²P) and the fluorescence-labeled AFLP methods. The AFLP technique produced enough polymorphism to differentiate all 27 bermudagrass genotypes, even the closely related ones. An average of 48–74 bands in the 30–600-bp size range was detected by the ³²P-labeled AFLP method. The results indicated that most of the 14 primer combinations tested in this study could be used to distinguish bermudagrass genotypes, and that some single primer-pairs could differentiate all 27 of them. To test the reliability and reproducibility of the AFLP procedure, three DNA isolations (replications) of the 27 bermudagrass genotypes were assayed using five primer pairs. Only 0.6% of the bands were evaluated differently among the three replications. One replication of one genotype (which was most likely a planting contaminant) was grouped in an unexpected cluster using the Unweighted Pair Group Mean Average (UPGMA) method. A one- or two-band difference in scoring did not change the clustering of genotypes or the replications within genotypes. The 27 genotypes were grouped into three major clusters, many of which were in agreement with known pedigrees. Trees constructed with different primer combinations using ³²P- and fluorescence-labelling formed similar major groupings. The semi-automated fluorescence-based AFLP technique offered significant improvements on fragment sizing and data handling. It was also more accurate for detection and more efficient than the radioactive labelling method. This study shows that the AFLP technique is a reliable tool for differentiating bermudagrass genotypes and for determining genetic relationships among them. Received: 28 July 1998 / Accepted: 3 November 1998     

Inoculation of willows (Salix spp.) with ectomycorrhizal fungi on mined boreal peatland

Inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi was explored as a means to improve productivity of experimental short-rotation plantations of the willowsSalix viminalis andSalix dasyclados for biomass production on surface-mined peatlands in northern Finland. Both willow species formed ectomycorrhizas withAmanita spp.,Cortinarius purpurascens, Entoloma nidorosum, otherEntoloma spp.,Hebeloma crustuliniforme, H. pusillum, Laccaria bicolor, andPaxillus involutus in greenhouse experiments.Field trials on a mined peatland site revealed (after one growing season) statistically significant growth stimulation after inoculation due to mycorrhiza formation in both willow species: plants inoculated withEntoloma were sometimes twice as large as control plants. However, such effects were observed only in plots receiving normal phosphate fertilization as opposed to low phosphate application, and were not consistent from season to season. With the inoculum of other species (Cortinarius, Hebeloma andPaxillus) some evidence of growth enhancement was found in the field, but these results were sometimes attributable to non-symbiotic effects of inoculation.     

Correspondence of ectomycorrhizal diversity and colonisation of willows (Salix spp.) grown in short rotation coppice on arable sites and adjacent natural stands

Willows (Salix spp.) are mycorrhizal tree species sometimes cultivated as short rotation coppice (SRC) on arable sites for energy purposes; they are also among the earliest plants colonising primary successional sites in natural stands. The objective of this study was to analyse the degree of colonisation and diversity of ectomycorrhizal (EM) communities on willows grown as SRC in arable soils and their adjacent natural or naturalized stands. Arable sites usually lack ectomycorrhizal host plants before the establishment of SRC, and adjacent natural or naturalized willow stands were hypothesized to be a leading source of ectomycorrhizal inoculum for the SRC. Three test sites including SRC stands (Salix viminalis, Salix dasyclados, and Salix schwerinii) and adjacent natural or naturalized (Salix caprea, Salix fragilis, and Salix?×?mollissima) stands in central Sweden were investigated on EM colonisation and morphotypes, and the fungal partners of 36 of the total 49 EM fungi morphotypes were identified using molecular tools. The frequency of mycorrhizas in the natural/naturalized stands was higher (two sites) or lower (one site) than in the corresponding cultivated stands. Correspondence analysis revealed that some EM taxa (e.g. Agaricales) were mostly associated with cultivated willows, while others (e.g. Thelephorales) were mostly found in natural/naturalized stands. In conclusion, we found strong effects of sites and willow genotype on EM fungi formation, but poor correspondence between the EM fungi abundance and diversity in SRC and their adjacent natural/naturalized stands. The underlying mechanism might be selective promotion of some EM fungi species by more effective spore dispersal.     

AFLP and RAPD analyses of genetic diversity of wild and/or weedy Guizotia (Asteraceae) from Ethiopia

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to provide estimates of the comparative genetic variation within and among populations of various Guizotia taxa with the goal of conserving and utilizing their genetic diversity. The percentage of polymorphic loci (P(S)) ranged from 28.5%-90% (AFLP) and 85.6%-99.6% (RAPD). The overall gene diversity estimate () has shown slight variation among taxa ranging from 0.32-0.37 (AFLP) and from 0.22 to 0.28 (RAPD). The within population diversity of "Chelelu" and "Ketcha" was found to be unexpectedly high. Both parameters used to estimate population differentiation (G(ST) and F(ST)) revealed the highest population differentiation G. zavattarii in followed by G. arborescens. Genetic variation among populations within a taxon was highly significant for all the five taxa as revealed by AMOVA (P<0.0001). The need for immediate conservation activities for G. arborescens and G. zavattarii, and factors that contribute to the existing genetic variability and population genetic structures are discussed.     

Studying genetic diversity in inbred sunflower lines by RAPD and isoenzyme analyses

Genetic diversity of 30 inbred sunflower lines was examined by RAPD and isozyme analyses. The inbred lines were shown to be highly polymorphic by RAPD markers. The line distribution on genetic similarity dendrograms based on the RAPD and isozyme data was analyzed. High effectiveness of RAPD analysis for differentiating genotypes of inbred sunflower lines was demonstrated.     

利用AFLP和SSAP研究短芒大麦突变系种群遗传多样性

利用AFLP和SSAP分子标记,研究了松嫩平原4个以耐盐突变体为主要组成的短芒大麦(Hordeum brevisubulatium(Trin.)Link)种群的遗传多样性和种群遗传结构。由于2种分子标记原理稍有不同,获得分析结果显现出微小差异,但2种方法的结果仍保持了极显著的相关性(r=0.88,P<0.01)。AFLP和SSAP检测结果表明,短芒大麦种群多态位点比率P分别为23.3%和37.7%;Shannon多样性指数分别为0.10和0.14;Nei基因多样性指数分别为0.07和0.09;基因分化系数Gst分别为0.49和0.44。表明,各短芒大麦种群虽以单一突变种为主要组成,但经多年的种植,种群内已具有较高的遗传多样性。AMOVA和聚类分析结果也表明,虽然种群间遗传差异较大,但种群遗传变异仍主要存在于种群内。     

Uncovering the genetic diversity of yams (Dioscorea spp.) in China by combining phenotypic trait and molecular marker analyses

Yam is an important edible tuber and root plant worldwide; China as one of the native places of yams has many diverse local resources. The goal of this study was to clarify the genetic diversity of the commonly cultivated yam landraces and the genetic relationship between the main yam species in China. In this study, 26 phenotypic traits of 112 yam accessions from 21 provinces in China were evaluated, and 24 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 29 sequence‐related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were used for the genetic diversity analysis. Phenotypic traits revealed that Dioscorea opposita had the highest genetic diversity, followed by D. alata, D. persimilis, D. fordii, and D. esculenta. Among the 26 phenotypic traits, the Shannon diversity indexes of leaf shape, petiole color, and stem color were high, and the range in the variation of tuber‐related traits in the underground part was higher than that in the aboveground part. All accessions were divided into six groups by phenotypic trait clustering, which was also supported by principal component analysis (PCA). Molecular marker analysis showed that SSR and SRAP markers had good amplification effects and could effectively and accurately evaluate the genetic variation of yam. The unweighted pair‐group method with arithmetic means analysis based on SSR‐SRAP marker data showed that the 112 accessions were also divided into six groups, similar to the phenotypic trait results. The results of PCA and population structure analysis based on SSR‐SRAP data also produced similar results. In addition, the analysis of the origin and genetic relationship of yam indicated that the species D. opposita may have originated from China. These results demonstrate the genetic diversity and distinctness among the widely cultivated species of Chinese yam and provide a theoretical reference for the classification, breeding, germplasm innovation, utilization, and variety protection of Chinese yam resources.     

In vitro propagation of willows (Salix spp.), European mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.)

Willows were rapidly propagated by repeated division of cultured rooted shoots into a larger number of nodal segments. Rapid clonal propagation of mountain-ash and black locust was achieved by induction of shoots from axillary buds and a multiple shoot culture was used for rapid multiplication. Excised shoots were rooted in an agar medium with a low concentration of auxin and rooted plantlets were transplanted to soil.     

Characterization of genetic diversity of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in Daucus varieties by RAPD and AFLP

The genetic diversity of nuclear genomes of five Daucus species and seven Daucus carota L. subspecies involving 26 accessions was characterized with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). AFLP produced more than four times as many discrete bands per reaction compared with RAPD analysis, while both AFLP and RAPD basically led to similar conclusions. The dendrograms constructed with both RAPD and AFLP revealed that all accessions of D. carota were grouped into a major cluster delimited from other Daucus species, in good agreement with the classification by morphological char-acteristics. All accessions of cultivated carrots [(D. carota ssp. sativus (Hoffm.) Arcang.] were clustered in the same group while the variation within D. carota was relatively extensive. Genetic diversity of mitochondrial genomes was also documented with RAPD for the same accessions. The mitochondrial dendrogram differed from that of the nuclear genome, suggesting that nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of some accessions had separate evolutionary histories. Received: 20 September 1997 / Revision received: 19 January 1998 / Accepted: 28 March 1998     

基于RAPD、ISSR和AFLP对西瓜枯萎病菌遗传多样性的评价

利用RAPD、ISSR和AFLP分子标记技术对50个西瓜枯萎病菌株进行了分析。结果表明,21个RAPD引物、21个ISSR引物和21对AFLP引物分别对供试菌株扩增出113、134和389条带,三种分子标记的遗传相似系数比较一致,均可揭示西瓜枯萎病菌的遗传变异特点。三种分子标记产生的聚类分析结果存在一定差异,其中RAPD类群与生理小种和地理来源之间均不存在明显关系;而AFLP和ISSR类群与生理小种之间存在一定相关性,与菌株的地理来源关系不明显。     

基于RAPD、ISSR和AFLP对西瓜枯萎病菌遗传多样性的评价

利用RAPD、ISSR和AFLP分子标记技术对50个西瓜枯萎病菌株进行了分析。结果表明,21个RAPD引物、21个ISSR引物和21对AFLP引物分别对供试菌株扩增出113、134和389条带,三种分子标记的遗传相似系数比较一致,均可揭示西瓜枯萎病菌的遗传变异特点。三种分子标记产生的聚类分析结果存在一定差异,其中RAPD类群与生理小种和地理来源之间均不存在明显关系;而AFLP和ISSR类群与生理小种之间存在一定相关性,与菌株的地理来源关系不明显。     

Hydroponic screening of willows (Salix L.) for lead tolerance and accumulation

Lead tolerance and accumulation in five willow clones were investigated using a nutrient film technique. Plants were exposed to 0, 48, 121, 169, or 241 microM Pb for 14 days. Tolerance indices (TI) and critical toxicity thresholds (EC50) were determined for five willow clones. SX61 had the highest TI values (92%) in the 48 and 121 microM Pb treatments, as well as the highest EC50 threshold values (70.5 microM for roots, 155.9 microM for aboveground tissue), indications of a high degree of tolerance to Pb. This clone also developed the highest biomass of all the clones tested. We found significant variation in willows' lead accumulation. The highest Pb content in roots (24 mg plant(-1)) and aboveground tissue (7.6 mg plant(-1)) was recorded in the 48 microM Pb treatment in SX61. Based on high biomass, TI, ECso, and Pb content in plant tissues, SX61 holds promise for phytoextraction of lead.     

Comparing AFLP, RAPD and RFLP markers for measuring genetic diversity in melon

Three different types of molecular markers, RAPD, AFLP and RFLP were used to measure genetic diversity among six genotypes of Cucumis melo L. Each line represented a different melon genotype: Piel de Sapo, Ogen, PI161375, PI414723, Agrestis and C105. A number of polymorphic RAPD, AFLP and RFLP bands were scored on all materials and the genetic similarity measured. Clustering analysis performed with the three types of markers separated the genotypes into two main groups: (1) the sweet type, cultivated melons and (2) the exotic type, not cultivated melons. While the data obtained suggest that all three types of markers are equally informative, AFLPs showed the highest efficiency in detecting polymorphism. Received: 30 December 1999 / Accepted: 24 January 2000     

Evaluation of genetic variation in the daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) using AFLP markers

The daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) is one of the most economically important ornamental plant species in commerce. Interestingly, it is also one of the most heavily bred crops during the past 60 years. Since the American Hemerocallis Society began acting as the official registry of daylily cultivars in 1947, more than 40 000 registrations have been processed. In order to determine the effects of intensive breeding on cultivar development, and to study relationships among different species, genetic variation in the daylily was estimated using AFLP markers. Nineteen primary genotypes (species and early cultivars) and 100 modern cultivars from different time periods were evaluated using 152 unambiguous bands (average 79% polymorphism rate) derived from three AFLP primer combinations. Overall, pairwise similarity estimates between entries ranged between 0.618 and 0.926 (average=0.800). When comparing cultivar groups from different time periods (1940–1998), genetic similarity was initially increased, compared to the primary diploid genotypes, remained constant from 1940 to 1980, and then steadily increased as breeding efforts intensified and hybridizers began focusing on a limited tetraploid germplasm pool derived by colchicine conversion. Among modern (1991–1998) daylily cultivars, genetic similarity has increased by approximately 10% compared to the primary genotypes. These data were also used to evaluate recent taxonomic classifications among daylily species which, with a few minor exceptions, were generally supported by the AFLP data. Received: 15 March 2000 / Accepted: 13 June 2000     

Evaluation of genetic diversity in Piper spp using RAPD and SRAP markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) analysis were applied to 74 individual plants of Piper spp in Hainan Island. The results showed that the SRAP technique may be more informative and more efficient and effective for studying genetic diversity of Piper spp than the RAPD technique. The overall level of genetic diversity among Piper spp in Hainan was relatively high, with the mean Shannon diversity index being 0.2822 and 0.2909, and the mean Nei's genetic diversity being 0.1880 and 0.1947, calculated with RAPD and SRAP data, respectively. The ranges of the genetic similarity coefficient were 0.486-0.991 and 0.520-1.000 for 74 individual plants of Piper spp (the mean genetic distance was 0.505 and 0.480) and the within-species genetic distance ranged from 0.063 to 0.291 and from 0.096 to 0.234, estimated with RAPD and SRAP data, respectively. These genetic indices indicated that these species are closely related genetically. The dendrogram generated with the RAPD markers was topologically different from the dendrogram based on SRAP markers, but the SRAP technique clearly distinguished all Piper spp from each other. Evaluation of genetic variation levels of six populations showed that the effective number of alleles, Nei's gene diversity and the Shannon information index within Jianfengling and Diaoluoshan populations are higher than those elsewhere; consequently conservation of wild resources of Piper in these two regions should have priority.     

Mortality factors and resource use of the bud-galling sawfly, Euura mucronata (Hartig), on willows (Salix spp.) in arctic Eurasia

We studied egg and larval mortality factors in arctic populations of the bud-galling sawfly, Euura mucronata (Hartig) on three willow species (Salix glauca L., S. phylicifolia L., and S. lapponum L.) and the quality of resources (shoot length of willows) required for egg-laying. The survival was independent of latitude. There was a positive correlation in survival on different willow species among sampling sites, indicating that similar, locally operating factors affected survival. Host plant-based mortality factors were dominant and caused 17.9–48.0% mortality in eggs and 6.6–44.1% mortality in larvae. Parasitoids and inquilines caused relatively low and variable rates of mortality. Parasitoids were absent from several of the northernmost populations, but caused up to 11.0% mortality at southern sites. Mortality caused by inquilines was minor in other areas except in some sites in the Taymyr Peninsula, where it varied from 0 to 23.1%. E. mucronata laid eggs on the longest shoots available. Plant vigour as measured by shoot length decreased toward the north, and densities of galls were positively correlated with plant vigour. The difference in length between galled and ungalled shoots was 2.0- to 4.6-fold. Absence of E. mucronata in the most northern populations of willows was apparently caused by insufficient shoot growth. Short shoots failed to provide sufficient resources for successful development of galls. Our results suggest that the quality of host plants is the main factor determining abundance and distribution of E. mucronata in arctic areas. Received: 10 February 1997 / Accepted: 2 May 1997     

Walnut (Juglans spp.) genetic diversity determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms

The genetic diversity of 13 Juglans species was characterized using nuclear RFLPs. Allelic frequencies among 41 Juglans populations were determined at 19 RFLP loci by hybridizing single locus probes to walnut DNAs digested with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI or HindIII. A 10-fold difference in species heterozygosity levels was seen among species in different sections of the genus. Differentiation among conspecific populations varied over threefold between species. Genetic differentiation among conspecific east Asian populations was larger than that seen among east Asian species, while the opposite trend was seen for Western Hemisphere species. Taxonomic affinities were also indicated by these results, suggesting that J. cinerea should be included as part of section Cardiocaryon rather than as a unique section, Trachycaryon. Juglans hindsii is classified as a distinct species and not a subspecies of J. californica. Strategies for germplasm preservation and species requiring marked collection efforts are given.     

Evaluation of genetic diversity among Iranian accessions of Ocimum spp. using AFLP markers

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to assess the genetic, diversity of 120 Ocimum accessions belonging to five species and varieties named: Ocimum ciliatum, Ocimum minimum, Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens, O. basilicum var. dianatnejadii and O. basilicum var. alba. Eight AFLP primer combinations revealed 150 polymorphic bands (59.5%). The highest and the lowest PIC were 0.87 and 0.81 for E-CAA/M-ACC and E-CAA/M-AGA primer combinations, respectively, with average polymorphic information content (PIC) value of 0.84 over all primer combinations. Cluster analysis based on unweighted pair group method with arithmetic Average (UPGMA) and Jaccard’s coefficient grouped the five species and varieties into two main clusters. The first cluster contained the accessions belonging to O. ciliatum and the second comprised different botanical varieties of O. basilicum and O. minimum. The means of Shannon’s diversity index and Nei’s index of genetic diversity indicated that O. basilicum had the greatest variation, while O. ciliatum showed the least variation. Nei’s genetic identity measured in five Ocimum species and botanical varieties revealed the highest identity (0.939) between O. minimum and O. basilicum var. purpurascens and the lowest genetic identity (0.611) between O. basilicum var. purpurascens and O. ciliatum. In conclusion AFLP results indicated that O. minimum should be considered as a variety of O. basilicum.