Interspecific Hybridization in the Genus Dioscorea

Interspecific hybridization between Dioscorea alata (2n = 60).D. deltoidea (2n = 20), D. floribunda (2n = 36), D. composita(2n = 36), and D. friedrichsthallii (2n = 36) has revealed levelsof crossability consisting of successful crossing and normalgermination of hybrid seeds, successful crossing but poor germinationof hybrid seeds, crosses not successful due to a pre-fertilizationovular breakdown, and crosses not successful due to post-fertilizationovular breakdown. In general the three Central American species with basic chromosomenumber as 9, namely D. floribunda, D. composita, and D. friedrichsthalliiare cross compatible. In crosses involving D. floribunda withD. composita and D. floribunda with D. friedrichsthallii viablehybrids were obtained. The cross between D. friedrichsthalliiand D. composita is also successful but germination of the hybridseeds is greatly reduced. The cross of D. composita female withthe male D. friedrichsthallii was an exception to the generalcompatibility between these three species. In this cross thefertilized embryo aborted after attaining four-celled stage. The crosses between the two Old World species with basic chromosomenumber as 10, namely D. alata and D. deltoidea with each otherand with the above named three Central American species werenot successful. D. alata had pollen grains which rarely germinated.When D. alata was used as the female parent, the pollen tubesof other species grew down the style but no fertilization tookplace. The reciprocal crosses of D. deltoidea with the CentralAmerican species gave differential results. When D. deltoideawas used as the female parent no fertilization took place. However,when D. deltoidea was used as the male parent the fertilizedembryo aborted after attaining globular stage.     

甜瓜属植物种间杂交研究进展

在甜瓜属野生种Cucumis hystrix Chakr.和栽培黄瓜之间的种间杂交取得成功的基础上,简要回顾了甜瓜属植物种质资源和系统学的研究情况,然后从甜瓜属植物种间杂交的概况、种间杂交的障碍及其解决途径等三个方面,回顾和讨论了甜瓜属植物的种间杂交的研究进展,并对进一步通过种间杂交研究利用甜瓜属野生植物资源的前景进行了展望.     

Differences in Vegetative Characteristics Among Four Populations of Senecio vulgaris L. Possibly Due to Interspecific Hybridization

Leaf vegetative characteristics of Senecio vulgaris plants wereexamined for evidence of introgression by Senecio squalidus.S. vulgaris plants are shown to be more similar to S. squalidusin an area of high S. squalidus frequency than elsewhere, butthe expected greater similarity of the radiate form of S. vulgaristo S. squalidus is seen only in one of the three characteristicsstudied. A possible explanation for these latter results isgiven.     

Interspecific Hybridization as a Tool to Understand Vocal Divergence: The Example of Crowing in Quail (Genus Coturnix)

Understanding the mechanisms that lead organisms to be separated into distinct species remains a challenge in evolutionary biology. Interspecific hybridization, which results from incomplete reproductive isolation, is a useful tool to investigate such mechanisms. In birds, interspecific hybridization is relatively frequent, despite the fact that closed species exhibit morphological and behavioural differences. Evolution of behaviour is difficult to investigate on a large timescale since it does not ‘fossilize’. Here I propose that calls of hybrid non-songbirds that develop without the influence of learning may help in understanding the gradual process that leads to vocal divergence during speciation. I recorded crows produced by the European quail (Coturnix c. coturnix), the domestic Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica) and their hybrids (F1, F2 and backcrosses). Most crowing patterns were intermediate to those of the parental species; some were similar to one or the other parental species, or not present in either parental species. I also observed vocal changes in hybrid crows during the breeding season and from one year to the other. This vocal variability resembles those observed during the ontogeny of the crow in quails. It is likely that similar mechanisms involved in vocal changes during ontogeny might have driven vocal divergence in the species of Palearctic quails. I suggest that hybrid crows might have resembled those produced by intermediary forms of quails during speciation.     

Interspecific Crosses in the Genus Avena L.

Problems of crosses between various oat species are considered with regard to establishing their taxonomic positions and genomic compositions of individual species. The evolution of the genus and approaches to the search for the diploid and tetraploid ancestor of the hexaploid species are considered. Use of wild oat species in breeding is demonstrated. The results of studies of the gene pool of wild oat species are presented. These studies were performed at the Vavilov All-Russian Plant Breeding Institute with the purpose of solving problems of phylogeny and practical breeding.     

Interspecific Gene Flow Shaped the Evolution of the Genus Canis

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Detection of Hyperthermophilic Archaea of the Genus Desulfurococcus by Hybridization with Oligonucleotide Probes

Based on the analysis of nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA, oligonucleotide probes were designed for the detection and identification of representatives of the genus Desulfurococcus (kingdom Crenarchaeota of the domain Archaea). The detection procedure included obtaining PCR products on DNA isolated from pure cultures, enrichments, or natural samples with a designed Crenarchaeota-specific primer pair: Cren 7F (5-TTCCGGTTGATCCYGCCGGACC-3) and Cren 518R (5-GCTGGTWTTACCGCGGCGGCTGA-3). The PCR products were hybridized with Dig-11-dUTP–labeled oligonucleotide probes targeting the genus Desulfurococcus (Dco 198, 5-CGTTAACYCCYGCCACACC-3) and its species D. mobilis (Dco_mob 198, 5-CGTTAACCCCTGCCACACC-3) and D. amylolyticus (Dco_amy 198, 5-CGTTAACCCCCGCCACACC-3). With the use of these primers and probes, four new strains isolated from hydrotherms of Kamchatka and Kunashir Island were identified as members of the speciesDesulfurococcus amylolyticus. Desulfurococcus representatives were detected in several natural samples, including a sample taken from a marine hydrotherm at Kunashir Island; this demonstrates that representatives of this genus occur not only in terrestrial but also in marine environments.     

Genomic Diversity within the Genus Pediococcus as Revealed by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA PCR and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

The genomic diversity of 33 previously assigned strains from six species within the genus Pediococcus was assessed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR and pulsed-field-gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The RAPD PCR patterns produced by two separate random primers, termed P1 (ACGCGCCCT) and P2 (ATGTAACGCC), were compared by the Pearson correlation coefficient and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages clustering algorithm. Pattern variations between repeat samples set a strain discrimination threshold of less than 70% similarity. P1 and P2 primers alone and in combination produced 14, 21, and 28 distinct patterns, respectively. When each strain was assigned with a type strain with which it shared the highest level of similarity, both primers grouped 17 of the 27 strains to their proposed species. PFGE following genomic digestion with the restriction enzymes ApaI, NotI, and AscI produced 30, 32, and 28 distinct macrorestriction patterns, respectively. Specific DNA fragments within the NotI and AscI macrorestriction patterns for each strain were observed that allowed 27 of the 33 strains to be assigned to their proposed species. For example, following digestion with AscI, all Pediococcus parvulus strains were characterized by two DNA fragments, one of approximately 220 kb and another between 700 and 800 kb. The exceptions correlated with those observed with both RAPD PCR primers and included three P. damnosus and two P. pentosaceus strains that grew at temperatures regarded as nonpermissive for their proposed species but not for those with which they grouped.     

田头菇属不同分离菌株杂交研究

目的:验证杨柳田头菇菌株YAASM0711的性遗传模式,探索田头菇属不同分离菌株间的杂交结果.方法:对菌株YAASM0962、YAASM0969以及茶树菇CS45做了交配型与种间杂交研究.结果:菌株YAASM0962其性遗传模式为四极异宗结合,4种交配型比例A3B3∶A4B3∶A3B4∶A4B4为6∶10∶14∶7;菌株YAASM0969和茶树菇CS45出现偏分离现象,只有两种极性出现,2种交配型比例分别为(YAASM0969,A5B5∶A6B6)38∶35和(CS45,A7B7∶A8B8)51∶55.菌株YAASM0711与YAASM0962、YAASM0969、YAASM0967、CS45之间杂交能形成具锁状联合的双核菌丝,且除茶树菇外均能产生子实体.结论:除茶树菇CS45外其余的菌株为杨柳田头菇,它们的有性繁殖方式应该均为四极异宗结合,伴随人工的栽培,其交配因子基因之间不断的重组、插入或删除引发偏分离现象,导致极性菌株比例失调,甚至使一些极性丢失.     

Distribution of Preproatrial Natriuretic Peptide mRNA in Rat Brain Detected by In Situ Hybridization of DNA Oligonucleotides: Enrichment in Hypothalamic and Limbic Regions

The expression and distribution of mRNA encoding preproatrial natriuretic peptide (ppANP) in rat brain has been investigated by in situ hybridization of two 35S-labeled synthetic DNA oligonucleotides, based on a cDNA clone sequence that encodes rat ppANP. The highest relative concentrations of ppANP mRNA were detected in the medial preoptic hypothalamic nucleus ("anteroventral/third ventricle region") and the medial habenula. Moderate concentrations of ppANP mRNA were observed in the CA1 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, the endopiriform nucleus, the arcuate nucleus, the zona incerta, and cells of the pontine tegmental and peduculopontine nuclei. Several of these regions, including the habenula and the hypothalamic areas, have previously been reported to contain atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-like immunoreactivity, but the expression of ppANP mRNA in CA1 pyramidal cells suggests the occurrence of differential translation of ppANP mRNA into protein product in different brain regions, or the existence of different immunological forms of the peptide. The abundance of ppANP mRNA in brain was relatively low in comparison with that previously reported for many other mRNA species encoding other brain neuropeptides. These results demonstrate that ANP gene expression occurs in discrete neuronal populations of the CNS and that studies of the regulation of this expression should now be possible using quantitative in situ hybridization.     

Bifidobacterial Diversity in Human Feces Detected by Genus-Specific PCR and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

We describe the development and validation of a method for the qualitative analysis of complex bifidobacterial communities based on PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Bifidobacterium genus-specific primers were used to amplify an approximately 520-bp fragment from the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), and the fragments were separated in a sequence-specific manner in DGGE. PCR products of the same length from different bifidobacterial species showed good separation upon DGGE. DGGE of fecal 16S rDNA amplicons from five adult individuals showed host-specific populations of bifidobacteria that were stable over a period of 4 weeks. Sequencing of fecal amplicons resulted in Bifidobacterium-like sequences, confirming that the profiles indeed represent the bifidobacterial population of feces. Bifidobacterium adolescentis was found to be the most common species in feces of the human adult subjects in this study. The methodological approach revealed intragenomic 16S rDNA heterogeneity in the type strain of B. adolescentis, E-981074. The strain was found to harbor five copies of 16S rDNA, two of which were sequenced. The two 16S rDNA sequences of B. adolescentis E-981074^T exhibited microheterogeneity differing in eight positions over almost the total length of the gene.     

Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of Newly Obtained Interspecific Hybrids in the Campanula Genus

Interspecific hybridisation creates new phenotypes within several ornamental plant species including the Campanula genus. We have employed phenotypic and genotypic methods to analyse and evaluate interspecific hybridisation among cultivars of four Campanula species, i.e. C. cochleariifolia, C. isophylla, C. medium and C. formanekiana. Hybrids were analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), flow cytometry and biometrical measurements. Results of correlation matrices demonstrated heterogeneous phenotypes for the parental species, which confirmed our basic premise for new phenotypes of interspecific hybrids. AFLP assays confirmed the hybridity and identified self-pollinated plants. Limitation of flow cytometry analysis detection was observed while detecting the hybridity status of two closely related parents, e.g. C. cochleariiafolia × C. isophylla. Phenotypic characteristics such as shoot habitus and flower colour were strongly influenced by one of the parental species in most crosses. Rooting analysis revealed that inferior rooting quality occurred more often in interspecific hybrids than in the parental species. Only interspecific hybrid lines of C. formanekiana ‘White’ × C. medium ‘Pink’ showed a high rooting level. Phenotype analyses demonstrated a separation from the interspecific hybrid lines of C. formanekiana ‘White’ × C. medium ‘Pink’ to the other clustered hybrids of C. formanekiana and C. medium. In our study we demonstrated that the use of correlation matrices is a suitable tool for identifying suitable cross material. This study presents a comprehensive overview for analysing newly obtained interspecific hybrids. The chosen methods can be used as guidance for analyses for further interspecific hybrids in Campanula, as well as in other ornamental species.     

Crossability Barriers in the Interspecific Hybridization between Oryza sativa and O. meyeriana

Oryza meyeriana Baill （GG genome） is a precious germplasm in the tertiary gene pool of cultivated rice （AA genome）, and possesses important traits such as resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. However, interspeciflc crossability barrier, a critical bottleneck restricting genes transfer from O. meyeriana to cultivars has led to no hybrids through conventional reproduction. Therefore, the reasons underlying incrossability were investigated in the present report. The results showed that： （i） at 3-7 d after pollination （DAP）, many hybrid embryos degenerated at the earlier globular-shaped stage, and could not develop into the later pear-shaped stage. Meanwhile, free endosperm nuclei started to degenerate at 1 DAP, and cellular endosperm could not form at 3 DAP, leading to nutrition starvation for young embryo development; （ii） at 11-13 DAP, almost all hybrid ovaries aborted. Even though 72.22% of hybrid young embryos were produced in the interspecific hybridization between O. sativa and O. meyeriana, young embryos were not able to further develop into hybrid plantlets via culturing in vitro. The main reason for the incrossability was hybrid embryo inviability, presenting as embryo development stagnation and degeneration since 3 DAP. Some possible approaches to overcome the crossability barriers in the interspecific hybridization between O. sativa and O. meyeriana are discussed.     

Starch Gel Electrophoresis of Fructose-6-Phosphate Phosphoketolase in the Genus Bifidobacterium

Three groups of nomenspecies of the genus Bifidobacterium were distinguished by the different mobility of their fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase in starchgel electrophoresis; there is apparently a close relatedness between electrophoretic type of phosphoketolase and habitat.