RNAi-mediated resistance to Potato spindle tuber viroid in transgenic tomato expressing a viroid hairpin RNA construct

Because of their highly ordered structure, mature viroid RNA molecules are assumed to be resistant to degradation by RNA interference (RNAi). In this article, we report that transgenic tomato plants expressing a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) construct derived from Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) sequences exhibit resistance to PSTVd infection. Resistance seems to be correlated with high-level accumulation of hpRNA-derived short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in the plant. Thus, although small RNAs produced by infecting viroids [small RNAs of PSTVd (srPSTVds)] do not silence viroid RNAs efficiently to prevent their replication, hpRNA-derived siRNAs (hp-siRNAs) appear to effectively target the mature viroid RNA. Genomic mapping of the hp-siRNAs revealed an unequal distribution of 21- and 24-nucleotide siRNAs of both (+)- and (–)-strand polarities along the PSTVd genome. These data suggest that RNAi can be employed to engineer plants for viroid resistance, as has been well established for viruses.     

水稻蒸煮品质相关QTL定位及候选基因分析

挖掘与稻米蒸煮品质相关的数量性状基因座(quantitative trait locus, QTL)，分析候选基因，并通过遗传育种手段改良稻米蒸煮品质相关性状，可有效提升稻米的口感。以籼稻华占(Huazhan, HZ)、粳稻热研2号(Nekken2)及由其构建的120个重组自交系(recombinant inbred lines, RILs)群体为实验材料，测定成熟期稻米的糊化温度(gelatinization temperature, GT)、胶稠度(gel consistency, GC)和直链淀粉含量(amylose content, AC)。结合高密度分子遗传图谱进行QTL定位，共检测到26个与稻米蒸煮品质相关的QTLs (糊化温度相关位点1个、胶稠度相关位点13个、直链淀粉含量相关位点12个)，其中最高奇数的可能性(likelihood of odd, LOD)值达30.24。通过实时荧光定量PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, qRT-PCR)分析定位区间内候选基因的表达量，发现6个基因在双亲间的表达量差异显著，推测LOC_Os04g20270和LOC_Os11g40100的高表达可能会极大地提高稻米的胶稠度，而LOC_Os01g04920和LOC_Os02g17500的高表达以及LOC_Os03g02650和LOC_Os05g25840的低表达有助于降低直链淀粉含量。这些结果为培育优质水稻新品种奠定了分子基础，并为揭示稻米蒸煮品质的分子调控机制提供了重要的遗传资源。     

Meiotic behavior and pollen morphology variation in Centaurium pulchellum (Gentianaceae)

Centaurium pulchellum is an annual herb native to Europe, but introduced in South America, where it is widely used in the preparation of digestive infusions and bitter drinks. In this species, a wide variation in the aperture pattern of pollen grains was reported and has been attributed to environmental factors or irregularities at meiosis. For this reason, cytological and palynological studies have been undertaken on two different populations. The pollen grain analysis showed that some types are more frequent within each population, but the most common forms were the typical 3-colporate and 4-colporate. The cytological analysis revealed that the analyzed populations of C. pulchellum have chromosome number 2n = 36. The presence of tetravalents at meiosis strongly suggests that these populations are autotetraploid based on x = 9. The meiotic behavior showed a significant percentage of irregularities in different phases: off-plate bivalents, precocious segregation, laggard chromosomes, bridges, and cytomixis. However these irregularities are not related to the variation in the aperture pattern of pollen grains. The heteromorphism in the pollen grains observed in C. pulchellum could be a normal condition to which the species is well adapted.