The novel 5bp deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of bovine <Emphasis Type="Italic">ACRP30</Emphasis> gene

ACRP30 gene was located nearby the QTL affecting the marbling, ribeye muscle area and fat thickness on the BAT1 in Angus. In this study, a 5bp deletion mutation within the bovine ACRP30 gene was firstly detected and confirmed in 991 cattle by PCR-SSCP, DNA sequencing and direct PCR amplification. The deletion mutation was appeared in Qinchuan, Nanyang, Jiaxian and Hasake, but was not found in Jinnan, Chinese Holsteins and Angus. The association of the deletion polymorphism with growth traits (including birth weight, body weight, average daily gain and body sizes in different growth periods (6/12/18/24 month-old)) was analyzed in 224 Nanyang cattle. No signification association of the deletion polymorphism with growth traits were observed (P > 0.05). The deletion was located in the promoter region and it resulted in a new putative CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β response element (C/EBP-RE).     

Allelic Polymorphism Detected in the Bovine FTO Gene

Studies in humans have independently identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene associated with obesity in multiple populations. It was shown that FTO participated in the regulation of energy homeostasis and associated with increased lipolytic activity in adipocytes. To ascertain whether there were mutations in the bovine FTO gene, this study investigated the variation of the FTO gene through PCR-SSCP and sequencing. Five synonymous mutations, two missense mutations, and three intronic SNPs were identified in 614 cattle from five independent populations. Haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium (LD) coefficients of these SNPs in three Chinese indigenous cattle breeds were analyzed. Two LD blocks were found in the Qinchuan and Nanyang cattle breeds and three LD blocks were found in the Jiaxian cattle breed, suggesting the possibility of a recombination hotspot between exon 5 and intron 5 of the bovine FTO gene. The variations detected here might have an impact on the FTO gene activity and function.     

Perspectives of biotechnological production of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-ribose and its purification

l-Ribose is a non-natural and expensive sugar that can be used as an important intermediate for the synthesis of l-nucleoside analogues, which are used as antiviral drugs. In contrast to chemical production, biotechnological methods can produce l-ribose from biomass under environmentally friendly conditions. In this mini-review, various strategies for synthesizing l-ribose by applying microorganisms and their enzymes are discussed, including microbial biotransformation and biocatalysis by engineering bacteria. Furthermore, subsequent isolation-and-purification techniques, as an integral step in the whole process, are accordingly described, containing the especial introduction of a promising strategy of l-ribose separation. Particularly, further researches and outlook for the improvement of l-ribose preparation was solely stressed. Compared with each method, this mini-review provides a panorama of respective advantages and disadvantages existing in them.     

Novel SNPs of the Bovine LEPR Gene and Their Association with Growth Traits

In this study, polymorphism in the bovine LEPR gene exon 4 was detected by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing methods in 653 individuals from five Chinese cattle breeds. Two haplotypes (M and N), three observed genotypes (MM, MN, and NN), and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (NC_007301:g.26767T>C, NC_007301:g.26805C>T, NC_007301:g.27050A>G, NC_007301:g.27063G>A, NC_007301:g.27079G>A) were detected. The frequencies of haplotypes M and N in the five breeds were 0.661-0.747 and 0.253-0.339, respectively. The SNP locus was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Nanyang, Jiaxian red, Angus, and Jinnan cattle (P > 0.05) and was in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium in Qinchuan cattle (P < 0.05). Polymorphism of the LEPR gene was shown to be associated with growth traits in the Nanyang breed. The SNP in the bovine LEPR gene had significant effects on body height, body length, body weight, heart girth, and average daily gain at 6 and 12 months old (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Therefore, these results suggest that the LEPR gene is a strong candidate gene that affects growth traits in cattle.     

镁缺乏和过量胁迫对纽荷尔脐橙叶绿素荧光特性的影响

以2龄枳砧纽荷尔脐橙为材料,研究了镁缺乏和过量胁迫对叶片叶绿素含量和叶绿素荧光特性的影响。结果表明,镁缺乏胁迫导致老叶叶绿素含量显著降低,而新叶叶绿素含量无显著下降;镁过量胁迫显著抑制老叶叶绿素含量的下降,而促进了新叶叶绿素含量的降低。镁缺乏和过量均导致不同叶龄叶片的光化学效率(Fv/Fm)和相对电子传递速率(rETR)降低,但镁缺乏胁迫的影响显著大于镁过量胁迫。缺镁第4个月时,2龄秋梢、1龄春梢、1龄夏梢和晚夏梢叶的Fv/Fm分别比对照低了13.9%、12.6%、2.9%和2.0%,rETRmax值分别比对照低35.7%、56.2%、32.6%和15.2%;而镁过量胁迫叶片的Fv/Fm分别比对照低了0.5%、2.2%、3.4%和1.5%,rETRmax分别为对照的110.1%、68.8%、87.2%和84.5%。缺镁2龄秋梢、1龄春梢和1龄夏梢叶片的非光化学淬灭系数(NPQ)先升后降,热耗散能力显著下降,且显著低于镁过量胁迫。因此,在夏季高光照条件下缺镁胁迫对纽荷尔脐橙光合作用的影响显著,且大于镁过量胁迫,缺镁纽荷尔脐橙叶片易发生光抑制,产生光伤害。     

资阳香橙砧木CjSPL基因家族鉴定及表达模式分析

鳞片启动子结合类蛋白(squamosa promoter binding protein-like,SPL)家族是一类参与调控植物生长发育以及响应环境胁迫的重要转录因子,但在柑橘等多年生果树中的研究较少。本研究以柑橘一种重要的砧木——资阳香橙(Citrus junos Sieb.ex Tanaka)为材料,基于plantTFDB转录因子数据库和甜橙基因组数据库鉴定并克隆出资阳香橙15个SPL家族基因,命名为CjSPL1–CjSPL15。序列分析表明,CjSPLs的开放阅读框(open reading frame,ORF)长度为393–2865 bp,编码130–954个氨基酸;系统进化树将15个CjSPLs分为9个亚家族;基因结构和保守结构域分析预测出20个不同的保守motif和SBP基本结构域;启动子顺式作用元件分析预测出20种启动子元件,其中包含植物生长发育、非生物胁迫及次生代谢物相关元件。通过实时荧光定量PCR(real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,qRT-PCR)分析了CjSPLs在干旱、盐和低温胁迫下的表达模式,较多CjSPLs在胁迫处理后显著上调表达。本研究为后续深入研究柑橘及其他果树SPL家族转录因子功能提供参考。     

Mapping global cropland and field size

A new 1 km global IIASA‐IFPRI cropland percentage map for the baseline year 2005 has been developed which integrates a number of individual cropland maps at global to regional to national scales. The individual map products include existing global land cover maps such as GlobCover 2005 and MODIS v.5, regional maps such as AFRICOVER and national maps from mapping agencies and other organizations. The different products are ranked at the national level using crowdsourced data from Geo‐Wiki to create a map that reflects the likelihood of cropland. Calibration with national and subnational crop statistics was then undertaken to distribute the cropland within each country and subnational unit. The new IIASA‐IFPRI cropland product has been validated using very high‐resolution satellite imagery via Geo‐Wiki and has an overall accuracy of 82.4%. It has also been compared with the EarthStat cropland product and shows a lower root mean square error on an independent data set collected from Geo‐Wiki. The first ever global field size map was produced at the same resolution as the IIASA‐IFPRI cropland map based on interpolation of field size data collected via a Geo‐Wiki crowdsourcing campaign. A validation exercise of the global field size map revealed satisfactory agreement with control data, particularly given the relatively modest size of the field size data set used to create the map. Both are critical inputs to global agricultural monitoring in the frame of GEOGLAM and will serve the global land modelling and integrated assessment community, in particular for improving land use models that require baseline cropland information. These products are freely available for downloading from the http://cropland.geo-wiki.org website.