极端干旱区沙土掩埋对凋落物分解速率及盐分含量动态的影响

极端干旱区由于降水稀少, 植被盖度低, 太阳辐射强烈, 以及土壤稳定性差, 导致其凋落物周转不同于非干旱区。为探究极端干旱区凋落物分解规律, 该研究利用凋落物分解袋法, 以塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘沙漠-绿洲过渡带优势物种花花柴(Karelinia caspia)、骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia)和胡杨(Populus euphratica)凋落叶为研究对象, 设置不同的沙土掩埋处理: 地表、2 cm和15 cm埋深, 以模拟自然条件下凋落物分解环境, 测定分解过程中凋落物质量和水溶性盐的变化特征。结果表明: 极端干旱区凋落物分解速率与凋落物初始碳(C)含量、氮(N)含量、C:N和木质素含量的关系与非干旱区存在较大差异, 在地表处理下, 木质素含量越高, 质量损失越快。不同分解环境下凋落物质量和水溶性盐损失具有显著差异, 与15 cm埋深相比, 地表和2 cm埋深处理显著增加了凋落物的质量损失和水溶性盐总量损失。地表处理增加了凋落物分解前期的水溶性盐溶解量。该研究表明, 极端干旱区凋落物分解的驱动机制具有独特性, 由于降水稀少, 土壤微生物的活性较低, 掩埋深度不是驱动凋落物分解的主要因素, 极端干旱区凋落物的分解主要受其他非生物过程如太阳光辐射的影响。     

A polymorphic microsatellite in the limit dextrinase gene of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

A DNA fragment containing the exons 16, 17 and intron 16 of the limit dextrinase gene was cloned using a 654 bp cDNA as probe. Intron 16 contained a simple sequence repeat (microsatellite). PCR primers were designed to amplify that microsatellite. Using these primers, the limit dextrinase gene was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 1 (7H) using 150 DH lines from the Steptoe × Morex mapping population. This gene co-segregated with the RFLP marker ABC154A. QTLs for malt extract, -amylase activity, diastatic power and fine-coarse difference previously mapped in the North American Barley Genome Mapping Project have been located in this chromosome region. Five limit dextrinase alleles were detected in 31 barley cultivars with a PIC of 0.75. Ten different alleles/genes were identified in 23 uncultivated Hordeum species or subspecies using these microsatellite primers. The primers also amplified one fragment from wheat and two from oat. This microsatellite should be useful for marker-assisted selection for malting quality.     

Targeted development of a microsatellite marker associated with a true loose smut resistance gene in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Microsatellite markers have many of the properties of an ideal marker, but development of microsatellite markers is tedious, time-consuming and expensive. In the past few years, great efforts have been made to develop, map and utilize microsatellite markers in various crops. It is still a major challenge to find a microsatellite marker associated with an economically important trait. In the present study we report on the targeted development of a microsatellite marker to a barley disease resistance gene. The method includes the following steps: (1) pooling DNA samples from a segregating population based on the principle of bulked-segregant analysis; (2) digesting the pooled DNAs and ligating adaptors; (3) selectively amplifying and identifying polymorphic microsatellites; and (4) developing primers for the microsatellite associated with the targeted trait. Using this method, a microsatellite marker associated with the true loose smut resistance gene (Un8) in the Harrington × TR306 doubled-haploid population was identified. This marker showed polymorphism in four breeding populations segregating for true loose smut resistance. In three of these populations, genetic distance between the microsatellite and the true loose smut resistance gene varied from 8.6 to 10.3 cM. Polymorphism of the microsatellite was tested among three disease resistant lines and 21 susceptible cultivars. Fourteen to eighteen of the 21 susceptible cultivars exhibited a polymorphism for the microsatellite with respect to at least one of the disease-resistant lines. This method for the targeted development of microsatellite markers should have widespread applicability and should efficiently provide highly polymorphic markers for use in breeding programs.