Construction and characterization of two rice bacterial artificial chromosome libraries from the parents of a permanent recombinant inbred mapping population

Rice is a leading grain crop and the staple food for over half of the world population. Rice is also an ideal species for genetic and biological studies of cereal crops and other monocotyledonous plants because of its small genome and well developed genetic system. To facilitate rice genome analysis leading to physical mapping, the identification of molecular markers closely linked to economic traits, and map-based cloning, we have constructed two rice bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries from the parents of a permanent mapping population (Lemont and Teqing) consisting of 400 F9 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Lemont (japonica) and Teqing (indica) represent the two major genomes of cultivated rice, both are leading commercial varieties and widely used germplasm in rice breeding programs. The Lemont library contains 7296 clones with an average insert size of 150 kb, which represents 2.6 rice haploid genome equivalents. The Teqing library contains 14208 clones with an average insert size of 130 kb, which represents 4.4. rice haploid genome equivalents. Three single-copy DNA probes were used to screen the libraries and at least two overlapping BAC clones were isolated with each probe from each library, ranging from 45 to 260 kb in insert size. Hybridization of BAC clones with chloroplast DNA probes and fluorescent in situ hybridization using BAC DNA as probes demonstrated that both libraries contain very few clones of chloroplast DNA origin and are likely free of chimeric clones. These data indicate that both BAC libraries should be suitable for map-based cloning of rice genes and physical mapping of the rice genome.     

A phylogenetic analysis of the Orchidaceae: evidence from rbcL nucleotide

Cladistic parsimony analyses of rbcL nucleotide sequence data from 171 taxa representing nearly all tribes and subtribes of Orchidaceae are presented here. These analyses divide the family into five primary monophyletic clades: apostasioid, cypripedioid, vanilloid, orchidoid, and epidendroid orchids, arranged in that order. These clades, with the exception of the vanilloids, essentially correspond to currently recognized subfamilies. A distinct subfamily, based upon tribe Vanilleae, is supported for Vanilla and its allies. The general tree topology is, for the most part, congruent with previously published hypotheses of intrafamilial relationships; however, there is no evidence supporting the previously recognized subfamilies Spiranthoideae, Neottioideae, or Vandoideae. Subfamily Spiranthoideae is embedded within a single clade containing members of Orchidoideae and sister to tribe Diurideae. Genera representing tribe Tropideae are placed within the epidendroid clade. Most traditional subtribal units are supported within each clade, but few tribes, as currently circumscribed, are monophyletic. Although powerful in assessing monophyly of clades within the family, in this case rbcL fails to provide strong support for the interrelationships of the subfamilies (i.e., along the spine of the tree). The cladograms presented here should serve as a standard to which future morphological and molecular studies can be compared.     

Facing herbivory on the climb up: Lost opportunities as the main cost of herbivory in the wild yam Dioscorea praehensilis

Plants with simple architecture and strong constraints on their growth may offer critical insights into how growth strategies affect the tolerance of plants to herbivory. Although Dioscorea praehensilis, a wild yam of African forests, is perennial, both aerial apparatus and tuber are annually renewed. Each year, the tuber produces a single stem that climbs from the ground to the forest canopy. This stem bears no leaves and no branches until it reaches optimal light conditions. Once in the canopy, the plant's production fuels the filling of a new tuber before the plant dies back to the ground. We hypothesized that if deprived of ant defense, the leafless growth phase is a vulnerable part of the cycle, during which a small amount of herbivory entails a high cost in terms of loss of opportunity. We compared the growth of stems bearing ants or not as well as of intact stems and stems subjected to simulated or natural herbivory. Ants reduce herbivory; herbivory delays arrival to the canopy and shortens the season of production. Artificially prolonging the stem growth to the canopy increased plant mortality in the following year and, in surviving plants, reduced the stem diameter and likely the underground reserves produced. Tuber size is a key variable in plant performance as it affects both the size of the aerial apparatus and the duration of its single season of production. Aerial apparatus and tuber are thus locked into a cycle of reciprocal annual renewal. Costs due to loss of opportunity may play a major role in plant tolerance to herbivory, especially when architectural constraints interact with ecological conditions to shape the plant's growth strategy.     

湖北单子叶植物新记录

于2011~2013年对湖北神农架国家级自然保护区进行了第四次全国中药资源普查,发现若干湖北植物新记录。该研究报道了湖北单子叶植物2个新记录属——顶冰花属(Gagea Salisbury)和筒距兰属(Tipularia Nuttall),8个新记录种分别为:少花顶冰花[Gagea pauciflora(Turczaninow ex Trautvetter)Ledebour]、凤凰蜘蛛抱蛋(Aspidistra fenghuangensis K.Y.Lang)、卷瓣重楼(Paris undulata H.LiV.G.Soukup)、筒距兰(Tipularia szechuanica Schlechter)、大黄花虾脊兰(Calanthe sieboldii Decaisne ex Regel)、小杜若[Pollia miranda(H.Léveillé)H.Hara]、长耳南星(Arisaema auriculatum Buchet)、大针薹草(Carex uda Maximowicz)。包含3种国家二级保护植物——卷瓣重楼、筒距兰、大黄花虾脊兰。IUCN将筒距兰列为易危级别,卷瓣重楼和大黄花虾脊兰被列为极危级别,其中大黄花虾脊兰还是我国极小种群野生植物资源。该文对这些物种分布新区域的报道,扩大了这些植物的分布范围,也丰富和加深了对湖北植物多样性的认识与了解。     

农杆菌介导的单子叶植物早熟禾的转化

利用种子和胚分别在两种培养基K3和K5诱导产生了早熟禾(Poa pratensis L.)一个品种Mado的胚性愈伤组织.K3培养基含有10.0μmol/L的二氯苯氧乙酸(2,4-D)、0.5μmol/L的苄氨基嘌呤(BAP).K5培养基是K3另加0.5μmol/L的硫酸铜.光照条件为20～30 μmol.m-2.s、16 h光照、8 h黑暗.温度保持在24℃.用携有bar基因和gus基因的pDM805质粒转化的农杆菌AGL1对胚性愈伤组织进行转化.共得到4个转基因株系.影响转基因效率的主要因素有愈伤组织的胚性、光照条件、共转化时间、抗生素浓度、选择压力.本研究建立了单子叶早熟禾农杆菌介导的转基因方案.     

Allometry and life history of a forest understory palm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinanga coronata</Emphasis> (Arecaceae) on Mount Halimun,West Java

We studied the allometry and life history of an understory palm Pinanga coronata (Arecaceae) in a tropical montane rainforest on Mount Halimun, West Java, Indonesia. When the palm was small, the diameter of the stem increased with the minimum amount of vertical growth needed for new leaves to emerge (juvenile stage). After the base diameter of the stem and the length of the leaves reached a sufficient size (3.5cm and 207.7cm, respectively), the palm started to elongate the stem vertically (adult stage). The total mass and area of leaves in the crown increased with increasing stem mass, and approached constant values asymptotically. At the adult stage, the palm increased specific gravity of the lower part of the stem as it grew taller to support the increasing mass of crown and stem. To avoid self-shading, crown architecture changed as the plant grew larger; leaf blades became longer and narrower and petiole length increased to display leaves efficiently away from the stem. The palm also produced clonal sprouting shoots and formed small clumps. Each clump contained an average of 7.5 shoots. The spatial distribution of the palm was strongly affected by topography, but only minimally affected by light conditions. The architectural adaptation to shaded conditions, effective dispersal of fruits and clonal growth are likely to be the factors that allow P.coronata to be one of the most dominant understory plant species in the study area.     

单子叶植物叶片气孔观察方法改良的研究

通过对传统的植物叶片气孔观察方法的改良,建立了一种观察单子叶植物气孔的有效方法。该方法不仅能够分清上下表皮、准确定位,而且简单易行,具有很高的可靠性和稳定性。实验中采用该法可以准确地获得植物叶片的气孔参数,为植物学及生态学的相关研究提供方法上的参考依据。     

The questionable affinities of Corsia (Corsiaceae): evidence from floral anatomy and pollen morphology

The floral anatomy and pollen morphology of Corsia are described in the context of its systematic relationships. Flowers of Corsia are epigynous, lack septal nectaries and possess a large labellum formed from the outer median tepal (sepal). The labellum is highly vascularized and has a prominent outgrowth (callus) that is apparently nectiiferous in some species of section Sessilis , although not in section Unguiculatis . The six fertile stamens are proximally fused to the style, forming a gynostemium. This combination of labellum and gynostemium is otherwise found only in Orchidaceae (Asparagales), but the orchid labellum is formed from the opposite median inner tepal, and is therefore not homologous with that of Corsia . The three genera of Corsiaceae ( Corsia , Arachnitis and Corsiopsis ) are markedly different in some respects; e.g. only Corsia has a gynostemium. However, they share a unique synapomorphy in the presence of a labellum formed from the outer median tepal (sepal). Corsia and Arachnitis are also similar in pollen sexine sculpturing. Among other putative relatives, the range of morphological similarities between Corsia and Campynemataceae (Liliales) tends to support recent preliminary inferences from molecular data that they are closely related, but a relationship with Thismia (Dioscoreales) cannot be discounted. Both Campynemataceae and Thismia share similarities with Corsia , including epigyny, absence of septal nectaries, presence of tepal nectaries, and pollen morphology. © 2002 Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 138 , 315–324.     

Antifreeze protein accumulation in freezing-tolerant cereals

Freezing-tolerant plants withstand extracellular ice formation at subzero temperatures. Previous studies have shown that winter rye ( Secale cereale L.) accumulates proteins in the leaf apoplast during cold acclimation that have antifreeze properties and are similar to pathogenesis-related proteins. To determine whether the accumulation of these antifreeze proteins is common among herbaceous plants, we assayed antifreeze activity and total protein content in leaf apoplastic extracts from a number of species grown at low temperature, including both monocotyledons (winter and spring rye, winter and spring wheat, winter barley, spring oats, maize) and dicotyledons (spinach, winter and spring oilseed rape [canola], kale, tobacco). Apoplastic polypeptides were also separated by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotted to determine whether plants generally respond to low temperature by accumulating pathogenesis-related proteins. Our results showed that significant levels of antifreeze activity were present only in the apoplast of freezing-tolerant monocotyledons after cold acclimation at 5/2⁰C. Moreover, only a closely related group of plants, rye, wheat and barley, accumulated antifreeze proteins similar to pathogenesis-related proteins during cold acclimation. The results indicate that the accumulation of antifreeze proteins is a specific response that may be important in the freezing tolerance of some plants, rather than a general response of all plants to low temperature stress.