Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. and their possible relationship with Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz as revealed by AFLP analysis

The AFLP method was used to study the inter-population variability of eight populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. as well as three populations of Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz. In these studies a clear distinction was found between two phenotypes of E. caninus collected in the same locality. It also appeared that two populations of E. caninus representing the “pauciflorum” morphotype were clustered together, similarly as two populations of E. caninus exhibiting morphotype “caninus”. Additionally, the populations of the “pauciflorum” type were clustered together with all samples of H. europaeus. Furthermore, the same approach was applied to analyze the intra-population variability of E. caninus. The populations ranged from nearly uniform to as diverse as the samples collected from different localities. In some populations of this species the presence of off-type plants was revealed. Our data indicate the predominantly self-pollinating character of E. caninus and the possible genetic relationship between of E. caninus and H. europaeus. It is the second paper from the series: Biodiversity of wild Triticeae (Poaceae) in Poland, the first is: Mizianty M. 2005. Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (l.) L. based on morphology. Pl. Syst. Evol. 251: 199–216.     

陕西、宁夏部分地区小麦族植物资源调查、收集与分类鉴定

2002年8月对陕西、宁夏部分地区分布的小麦族(Triticeae)植物进行了调查与收集,共收集小麦族植物6属、16种、145个居群,并对每一物种及其居群的分布区、生境、海拔、2n染色体数目等进行了分析。同时,对所收集材料的可利用性、调查收集的基本单元以及小麦族植物的保护进行了讨论。     

小麦族中间鹅观草不同居群的形态多样性分析

小麦族（Triticeae）植物的野外调查、收集通常是以形态学为依据的。为了探讨小麦族植物在野外调查、收集的科学取样策略,本项研究以小麦族具有自花授粉习性的3个中间鹅观草（Roegneria sinica．vat．media Keng）居群、每个居群30个单株为材料,对11个形态学性状的多样性进行了分析。结果表明,3个居群的总遗传多样性指数为1．991,遗传多样性主要集中于居群内（91．76％）,而居群间的遗传变异（8．24％）相对较小;不同取样梯度下的遗传多样性指数随单株取样数目的增加呈现增大趋势,但当取样数目达到18株时,遗传多样性指数达到最高值。上述结果说明,对于小麦族自花授粉植物野外调查、收集时,应以居群为单位,而且每一居群至少应调查、收集18个单株,才能代表居群的遗传多样性。以形态学为依据的取样策略的建立,对于指导野外调查、收集具有现实意义。     

短柄草与麦类作物的比较基因组学研究进展

麦类作物是人类主要的食物来源,其遗传改良对于保障世界粮食生产具有重要作用。获得麦类作物的基因组和功能基因组信息是作物遗传育种学家解析种质资源高产及抗逆机理,并准确选择目标性状、实现分子设计育种目标的有效途径。目前,二穗短柄草（Brachypodium distachyum）是早熟禾亚科中唯一完成全基因组测序的植物。以二穗短柄草为模式植物,利用比较基因组学方法获得早熟禾亚科中基因组庞大而复杂的麦类作物的相关信息,必将加速麦类作物的遗传改良进程。本文重点介绍近十年来短柄草在麦类作物比较基因组学方面的研究进展。     

麦类作物原位杂交影响因素的研究

为了更好地利用原位杂交技术进行麦类作物外源染色体的检测和基因定位,对麦类作物原位杂交的影响因素进行了研究。（１）利用缺口转译法对克隆的ＤＮＡ 片段进行生物素标记,即节省时间,又可以获得较高的标记效率;对麦类作物的基因组ＤＮＡ,宜采用随机寡核苷酸引物标记法进行生物素标记,适当延长标记时间可以提高标记效率。（２）共变性法比较适宜麦类作物的原位杂交,分别变性法如掌握不当易使染色体产生膨胀现象,变性温度过高也会使黑麦（Ｓｅｃａｌｅ ｃｅｒｅａｌ）染色体的轮廓模糊不清。（３）应根据麦类作物亲本之间的亲缘关系决定封阻ＤＮＡ 的使用浓度,并利用生物素标记的簇毛麦（Ｈａｙｎａｌｄｉａ ｖｉｌｌｏｓａ）基因组ＤＮＡ 为探针,从普通小麦（Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ ａｅｓｔｉｖｕｍ ）－簇毛麦双二倍体的染色体中识别了簇毛麦的染色体。（４）麦类作物的原位杂交受洗脱强度的影响很大,利用甲酰胺进行洗脱可以获得背景清晰的原位杂交带型。随着原位杂交技术分辨率的不断提高,该技术还将用于单拷贝基因的染色体定位     

Linkage relationships among stress-induced genes in wheat

Linkage relationships among genes responding to water-deficit, salt stress, and heat shock were investigated in diploid wheat, Triticum monococcum L. The position of these gene loci relative to closely linked markers and the centromeres is reported. It is proposed to continue to use the present T. monococcum mapping population and the genetic maps based thereon as a framework for future determination of relationships among other genes related to environmental stress in the tribe Triticeae.     

Quantitative genetic diversity and conservation strategies for an allogamous annual species,Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy (Poaceae)

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy is a weedy annual diploid (2n = 14, VV genomes) allogamous grass species (Poaceae, Triticeae). Genetic variation for 12 traits was studied in 43 natural populations (31 from Italy and 12 from Croatia and Montenegro of former Yugoslavia) grown in a common field environment in California. Although 7 of 12 traits followed the theoretical prediction that a larger proportion of genetic variation was distributed within populations than among populations, exceptions were found for spike length, plant height, and days to flag-leaf emergence, heading, and anthesis. Covariate analysis showed that developmentally closely related characters were more likely correlated at both population and family within population levels. Geographically closer populations shared more genetic similarity than distant populations as indicated by mean coefficients of variation and cluster analysis of the Euclidean distances among populations. As few as five populations, each population with five or more half-sib seeds taken randomly from 5 plants, is expected to capture more than 95% of the total genetic variation of this species in the region sampled, but sampling a much larger number of seeds per population (> 1000) for long-term storage would supply research and plant breeding needs for several decades. If seed regeneration is required, populations can be sampled from clusters having similar genetic variation, and grown in reproductive isolation or bulked seed samples from all populations of each cluster group can be grown in isolation. The former is recommended if population integrity is desired while the latter is sufficient to provide genetic resources for plant-breeding purposes.     

The wheat wcs120 gene family. A useful model to understand the molecular genetics of freezing tolerance in cereals

Winter, as compared with spring cereals, possess better acclimation mechanisms that allow them to overwinter and survive freezing temperatures. This difference is genetically programmed and involves a complex genetic system. To understand the nature of this system and its regulation by low temperature, genes associated with freezing tolerance in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) were identified and characterized. Among these, the wcs120 gene family encodes a group of proteins ranging in size from 12 to 200 kDa. As shown by biochemical, immunohistochemical, molecular and genetic analyses, this gene family is specific to the Poaceae, highly abundant and coordinately regulated by low temperature. Furthermore, accumulation of WCS protein is directly correlated with the development of freezing tolerance. These analyses also revealed a regulatory control of the vernalization process over low temperature gene expression in winter cereals. Recent studies suggest that the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of these genes involve negative regulatory factors that are modulated by phosphorylation.     

Effect of leaf structure and water status on carbon isotope discrimination in field-grown durum wheat

The relationships between leaf and kernel carbon isotope discriminations (Δ) and several leaf structural parameters that are indicators of photosynthetic capacity were studied in durum wheat grown in the field under three water regimens. A set of 144 genotypes were cultivated in two rain-fed trials, and 125 of these were grown under supplementary irrigation before heading. Total chlorophyll and nitrogen (N) contents, the dry mass per unit leaf area (LDM, the reciprocal of specific leaf area) and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) were measured in penultimate leaves and Δ of mature kernels was also analysed. Both LDM and N per unit area showed significant (P≤ 0.001) negative correlation (r=–0.60 and r=–0.36, respectively) with leaf Δ in the wettest trial. Little or no correlation was found for any structural parameter and leaf Δ in the rain-fed trials. In contrast, in the two rain-fed trials LDM was the parameter with the strongest positive correlation (P≤ 0.001) with kernel Δ (r= 0.47 and 0.30) and grain yield (r= 0.43 and 0.29), whereas no correlation was found in the irrigation trial. These correlations, rather than representing a causal link between the amount of photosynthetic tissue and Δ, were probably indirect associations caused by a parallel effect of water status and phenology on leaf structure, grain Δ and yield. Correlations across trials (i.e. environments) between leaf structure and either Δ and yield were very high, although also spurious. Our results suggest that LDM should be used to cull segregating population differences in leaf Δ based on the internal photosynthetic capacity only in the absence of drought. Selecting for kernel Δ and grain yield on the basis of LDM is worthwhile for rain-fed trials.     

麦类作物多胚的研究 Ⅰ.麦类作物多胚的自然发生

用青海高原自然条件下种植的小麦不同种、杂种、幼胚培养后代,大麦、黑麦和小黑麦的种子作发芽试验,从普通小麦及其杂种、幼胚离体培养后代和大麦中,出现了多胚苗。５９个小麦品种中只有高原６０２及２９０个普通小麦品种间杂种吸８个、１８个幼胚培养后代中有２个出现了双胚苗,出现频率虽低,但能遗传。