Ogura CMS紫菜苔×萝卜×甘蓝型油菜杂种的获得及细胞遗传学研究

以OguraCMS紫菜苔×萝卜杂种F1(AR ,2n =19)为母本 ,以甘蓝型油菜 (AACC ,2n =38)为父本进行杂交 ,获得了 4棵杂种植株。其中 1株 (PRN 1)的花色为嵌合体 ,该植株上的花多为黄色 ,但是也有乳白色花 ,另外还有 1朵花甚至 1个花瓣上同时具有黄色和白色区域 ,其余 3株 (PRN 2、 3、 4 )都开白花。PRN 4的花药开花前退化 ,其余 3株都可以看到 3～ 6枚花药 ,能够产生部分花粉 ,但是PRN 2的花粉不能被I2 KI溶液染色。PRN 2具有 4个蜜腺 ,PRN 1和PRN 3具有 2个蜜腺 ,PRN 4无可见蜜腺。在低温下PRN 2叶色正常 ,其余 3株幼叶表现不同程度缺绿。PRN 1的染色体数目为 2n =38,染色体平均配对构型为 14 6 7Ⅰ +10 0 7Ⅱ +1 0 6Ⅲ ,其染色体组构成可能是AACR ;PRN 2的染色体数目为 2n =35 ,染色体平均配对构型为 13 89Ⅰ +8 33Ⅱ +1 33Ⅲ +0 11Ⅳ ,PRN 3的染色体数目为2n =33,染色体平均配对构型为 14 0 0Ⅰ +7 82Ⅱ +1 0 0Ⅲ +0 0 9Ⅳ。PRN 4的染色体数目未能确定。与甘蓝型油菜回交后PRN 1～ 3植株各自产生了一定数量的种子 ,而PRN 4则未产生种子。对这些杂种及其后代的遗传及育种意义进行了讨论     

The politics of biomedical platforms: controversy around the molecularization of cytogenetics in prenatal diagnosis

The introduction of a new technique based on molecular cytogenetics (the comparative genomic hybridization microarray, Chromosomal Micro-Array) in prenatal diagnosis is here used as an occasion to politically elaborate Cambrosio’s and Keating’s framework of “biomedical platform.” The uncertainty generated by molecularization leaves the field open for two different modalities of implementation: using targeted microarrays to completely replace traditional karyotyping versus using genome-wide analysis of chromosomal anomalies only in at-risk pregnancies. Retracing the global scientific controversy on this issue and, particularly, the heated debate that has taken place in Italy, the paper intends to analyze the rise of a biomedical platform in prenatal diagnosis as a multi-layered phenomenon. Diverging epistemological strategies to deal with uncertainty, professional interests, relationship between medical practice, innovation and research, and patient subjectivities interact with each other, by shedding light on the inherent political dimension in the epistemological and material of an emerging biomedical platform.     

Cranial and chromosomal geographic variation in manatees (Mammalia: Sirenia: Trichechidae) with the description of the Antillean manatee karyotype in Brazil

We employed landmark‐based 3D geometric morphometrics to assess cranial size and shape diversification in Trichechus manatus and T. inunguis to compare it with patterns among all manatee taxa (T. manatus latirostris, T. m. manatus, T. inunguis and T. senegalensis), and to analyse geographic variation within American manatee populations, using a sample of 189 skulls. Chromosome G‐ and C‐banding techniques were performed in T. m. manatus from Brazil. All taxa were statistically discriminated by skull shape. Trichechus m. manatus and T. m. latirostris have larger skulls than T. inunguis. A morphological discontinuity was noted within T. m. manatus, with the Brazilian population south of the Amazon discriminated from the T. m. manatus Caribbean and T. m. latirostris USA populations. Specimens from Suriname and Guyana had a skull shape more similar to the one from the Caribbean population. The Brazil Antillean manatee population exhibited morphological differences similar in magnitude to those found between the Amazonian and African species. Additionally, structural chromosome differences were detected between that population (chromosome pair 4 is metacentric and 10 is submetacentric) and manatees from Puerto Rico and Florida. Based on such morphological discontinuity and chromosomal divergence, we hypothesize that the Amazon River mouth may be acting as a reproductive barrier for the T. m. manatus population in Brazil, thus indicating that its taxonomic status and conservation strategies need an urgent reassessment.     

Ecological studies of polyploidy in the 100 years following its discovery

Polyploidy is a mutation with profound phenotypic consequences and thus hypothesized to have transformative effects in plant ecology. This is most often considered in the context of geographical and environmental distributions—as achieved from divergence of physiological and life-history traits—but may also include species interactions and biological invasion. This paper presents a historical overview of hypotheses and empirical data regarding the ecology of polyploids. Early researchers of polyploidy (1910s–1930s) were geneticists by training but nonetheless savvy to its phenotypic effects, and speculated on the importance of genome duplication to adaptation and crop improvement. Cytogenetic studies in the 1930s–1950s indicated that polyploids are larger (sturdier foliage, thicker stems and taller stature) than diploids while cytogeographic surveys suggested that polyploids and diploids have allopatric or parapatric distributions. Although autopolyploidy was initially regarded as common, influential writings by North American botanists in the 1940s and 1950s argued for the principle role of allopolyploidy; according to this view, genome duplication was significant for providing a broader canvas for hybridization rather than for its phenotypic effects per se. The emphasis on allopolyploidy had a chilling effect on nascent ecological work, in part due to taxonomic challenges posed by interspecific hybridization. Nonetheless, biosystematic efforts over the next few decades (1950s–1970s) laid the foundation for ecological research by documenting cytotype distributions and identifying phenotypic correlates of polyploidy. Rigorous investigation of polyploid ecology was achieved in the 1980s and 1990s by population biologists who leveraged flow cytometry for comparative work in autopolyploid complexes. These efforts revealed multi-faceted ecological and phenotypic differences, some of which may be direct consequences of genome duplication. Several classical hypotheses about the ecology of polyploids remain untested, however, and allopolyploidy—regarded by most botanists as the primary mode of genome duplication—is largely unstudied in an ecological context.     

A Review of Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH): Current Status and Future Prospects

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful technique for detecting DNA or RNA sequences in cells, tissues and tumors. This molecular cytogenetic technique enables the localization of specific DNA sequences within interphase chromatin and metaphase chromosomes and the identification of both structural and numerical chromosome changes. FISH is quickly becoming one of the most extensively used cytochemical staining techniques owing to its sensitivity and versatility, and with the improvement of current technology and cost effectiveness, its use will surely continue to expand. Here we review the wide variety of current applications and future prospects of FISH technology.     

Naming CHO cells for bio-manufacturing: Genome plasticity and variant phenotypes of cell populations in bioreactors question the relevance of old names

Chinese Hamster Ovary [CHO] cells are the workhorse for production of modern biopharmaceuticals. They are however immortalized cells with a high propensity for genetic change. Judging from published culture records, CHO cell populations have undergone hundreds of population doublings since their origin in the late 1950s. Different cell populations were established and named from 1 to 3 decades after their generation, such as CHO-Pro–, CHO-K1, CHO-DG44, CHO-S, CHO-DUK, CHO-DXB-11 to indicate origin and certain phenotypic features. These names are commonly used in scientific publications still today. This article discusses the relevance of such names. We argue that they provide a false sense of identity. To substantiate this, we provide the long (and poorly recorded) history of CHO cells as well as their highly complex genetics. Finally, we suggest an alternative naming system for CHO cells which provides more relevant information. While the implementation of a new naming convention will require substantial discussions among members of the relevant community, it should improve interpretation and comparability between laboratories. This, in turn will help scientific communities and industrial users to attain and further the full potential of CHO cells.     

Development and assignment of bovine-specific PCR systems for the Texas nomenclature marker genes and isolation of homologous BAC probes

In 1996, Popescu et al. published the Texas standard nomenclature of the bovine karyotype in which 31 marker genes, already mapped in man, were chosen to permit unambiguous identification and numbering of each bovine chromosome. However, specific PCR systems were not available for each marker gene thus preventing the assignment of part of these markers by somatic cell hybrid analysis. In addition, some difficulties remained with the nomenclature of BTA25, BTA27 and BTA29. In this work, specific PCR systems were developed for each of the marker genes except VIL1 (see results), from either existing bovine or human sequences, and a bovine BAC library was screened to obtain the corresponding BAC clones. These PCR systems were used successfully to confirm the assignment of each marker gene (except for LDHA, see results) by analysis on the INRA hamster-bovine somatic cell hybrid panel. The difficulties observed for LDHA and VIL1 are probably due to the fact that these genes belong to large gene families and therefore suggest that they may not be the most appropriate markers for a standardisation effort. This panel of BACs is available to the scientific community and has served as a basis for the establishment of a revised standard nomenclature of bovine chromosomes.     

Phylogeography of spiny mice (genus Acomys, Rodentia: Muridae) from the south-western margin of the Sahara with taxonomic implications

The present study aims to depict the overall pattern of Acomys history in south-western Sahara. We tested the specific predictions that: (1) several mitochondrial clades can be identified and that they coincide with the described species; (2) successive phases of desert expansion and contraction during the last 3 Myr have resulted in several phases of demographic expansion and population fragmentation in Acomys ; and (3) isolation-by-distance occurs. The extent of phylogeographic patterns and molecular genetic diversity (cytochrome b gene and D-loop) were addressed in a survey of 90 individuals of Acomys from 38 localities. Our phylogeographical analyses show a strong genetic structure within western Saharan Acomys , with several phylogroups displaying non-overlapping geographic distributions. Restricted gene flow with isolation-by-distance was recorded and a signal of population expansion was detected within several clades. We suggest that during arid or semi-arid paleoclimatic periods, when large sandy areas were present, Acomys was restricted to rocky massifs, whereas, in more humid periods, when savannah and/or steppe habitat prevailed, this species was able to disperse and to survive outside rocky areas because food resources were abundant. Based on a comprehensive sampling and the use of an integrative approach (i.e. combining cytogenetic, molecular and morphological data), we firmly propose that Acomys airensis should be considered as a junior synonym of Acomys chudeaui .  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 98 , 29–46.