Development of polymorphic EST markers in Penaeus monodon: applications in penaeid genetics

The objective of this study was to develop type I markers for genome mapping and other genetic studies of Penaeus monodon. Primers were designed based on expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a P monodon cephalothorax cDNA library to amplify 100-300 bp products. 34 of the primer pairs successfully amplified PCR products from genomic DNA. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed that similar to 30% of the ESTs tested exhibit polymorphism in a test panel of P monodon individuals. Mendelian inheritance of the EST-derived markers has been established in two international reference mapping families of P monodon, and mapping of these markers is in progress. Some ESTs were successfully amplified from other Penaeus species (P. chinensis, P japonicus and P vannamei), indicating that the markers are applicable in cross-species comparison. Two populations of P. japonicus could be differentiated using one of the ESTS. In conclusion, the polymorphic EST markers developed in this study are applicable in genome mapping and population genetic studies of penaeid shrimp. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of carbon ion irradiation on sweet sorghum seeds

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of different doses of 100 MeV/u carbon ions on sweet sorghum seeds in order to improve crop yields and their sugar content. After irradiation, seeds were germinated and grown to 30 days, and others were sown in the field. At the end of harvesting season all planted seeds were picked separately and M2 generations obtained. The differences among the treatments were examined using the RAPID procedure. In the study done by using 38 primers; according to the amplification results, the differences among the various doses treatment were shown.

甜高粱在青海高原种植的初步研究；Preliminary study on sweet sorghum growing on Qinghai Plateau

为探讨甜高粱(Sorghum bicolor)在青海作为饲料作物种植的可能性,在青海高原上做了初步试验,结果显示:密度对茎秆高度、茎粗、产量有显著影响,对生育期、单株质量影响不显著,株行距为0.40 m×0.20m时,产量最高;浇水次数对甜高粱的生育期、茎秆高度、茎粗、单株质量、产量没有显著影响,表明甜高粱对水分依赖不高,具有很强的耐旱和抗旱性;地膜对甜高粱有极显著影响,使其生育期提前,茎秆高度增高,单株质量增加、产量提高;糖分含量在开花-收获期为15.93%~16.67%,比不盖地膜增加了29.19%~47.98%;大田示范密度0.50 m×0.20 m,开花-收获期666.7 m2产量达4 890.8 kg,投入产出比为1∶1.78,效益显著。研究表明,在青海高原东部农业区盖地膜种植饲用甜高粱,用作饲料是完全可行的。

聚乙二醇模拟干旱对甜高粱幼苗丙二醛、脯氨酸含量的影响；Effects of Drought Stress Simulated by PEG on Malonaldehyde and Proline Contents of Sweet Sorghum Seedlings

以甜高粱品种KFJT-CK及经过碳离子辐照选育出的早熟突变株KFJT-1为材料,用浓度分别为5%,10%和15%的聚乙二醇(PEG)6000模拟干旱对其进行胁迫处理,测定丙二醛(MDA)及脯氨酸(Pro)的含量。随着胁迫时间的延长和胁迫程度的增加,MDA含量持续升高;Pro含量在5%和10%PEG胁迫下持续升高,在15%PEG胁迫下先升高后降低。表明碳离子辐照可能使甜高粱膜脂过氧化特性发生改变,影响Pro的表达。为进一步研究碳离子束辐照对甜高粱的耐旱生理提供一定的基础,并为下一步的育种工作提供有用的参考。

Comparative molecular population genetics of phycoerythrin locus in Prochlorococcus

As the only remainder type of phycobiliproteins in Prochlorococcus, the actual role of phycoerythrin still remains unknown. Previous studies revealed that two different forms of phycoerythrin gene were found in two ecotypes of Prochlorococcus that are specifically adapted to either high light (HL) or low light (LL) conditions. Here we analyze patterns of phycoerythrin nucleotide variation in the HL- and LL-Prochlorococcus populations. Our analyses reveal a significantly greater number of non-synonymous fixed substitutions in peB and peA than expected based on interspecific comparisons. This pattern of excess non-synonymous fixed substitutions is not seen in other five phycoerythrin-related genes (peZ/V/Y/T/S). Several neutrality statistical tests indicate an excess of rare frequency polymorphisms in the LL-Prochlorococcus data, but an excess of intermediate frequency polymorphisms in the HL-Prochlorococcus data. Distributions of the positively selected sites identified using the likelihood ratio test, when mapped onto the phycoerythrin tertiary structure, reveal that HL- and LL-phycoerythrin should be under different selective patterns. These findings may provide insights into the likely role of selection at the phycoerythrin locus and motivate further research to unveil the function of phycoerythrin in Prochlorococcus.

Population genetics of Crassostrea ariakensis in Asia inferred from microsatellite markers

Crassostrea ariakensis is an important aquacultured oyster species in Asia, its native region. During the past decade, consideration was given to introducing C. ariakensis into Chesapeake Bay, in the United States, to help revive the declining native oyster industry and bolster the local ecosystem. Little is known about the ecology and biology of this species in Asia due to confusion with nomenclature and difficulty in accurately identifying the species of wild populations in their natural environment. Even less research has been done on the population genetics of native populations of C. ariakensis in Asia. We examined the magnitude and pattern of genetic differentiation among 10 wild populations of C. ariakensis from its confirmed distribution range using eight polymorphic microsatellite markers. Results showed a small but significant global theta (ST) (0.018), indicating genetic heterogeneity among populations. Eight genetically distinct populations were further distinguished based on population pairwise theta (ST) comparisons, including one in Japan, four in China, and three populations along the coast of South Korea. A significant positive association was detected between genetic and geographic distances among populations, suggesting a genetic pattern of isolation by distance. This research represents a novel observation on wild genetic population structuring in a coastal bivalve species along the coast of the northwest Pacific.