生长素水平以及光敏色素基因表达与水稻生殖生长的关系

第一部分 光敏核不育水稻农垦58S花药IAA的免疫组织化学分析 光周期敏感核不育水稻农垦58S是研究光周期调节花发育作用机理的好材料。在此方面已取得很大进展。有关植物激素的研究已发现长日照诱导农垦58S不育的信号传导环节之一是IAA的亏缺。本文首次应用免疫组织化学分析方法对长日和短日处理后的农垦58S和对照农垦58花药中的IAA进行了定位研究和相对水平的比较。结果表明此方法可反映游离态IAA在花药中的分布及其相对水平的变化。从雌雄蕊原基形成期至单核晚期的五个时期中，经长日照处理的农垦58S花药中的IAA水平都低于短日照处理的农垦58S及在不同光周期处理下的家垦58花药。对花药中生长素的亏缺与育性的关系以及IAA亏缺的原因也进行了讨论。 第二部分 不同水稻品种成花诱导阶段光周期敏感性及光敏色素mRNA丰度的比较 对光敏核不育水稻十多年的研究表明，光敏色素是感受光周期信号调节水稻成花诱导和育性转换的主要光受体。同时还发现光敏核不育基因导入不同遗传背景后，其基因表达条件，如临界光长、光敏温度范围、光温互补作用强弱等都表现明显差异。为了进一步探讨水稻光周期反应的作用机理，了解不同品种遗传背景对光周期信号感受的特点，我们选取籼稻、粳稻、早熟、晚熟共11个品种，比较光照阶段在长同、短同条件下叶片光敏色素B mRNA含量的差异。初步结果表明，光敏色素B的转录不受光调控，在长日、短日处理条件下没有明显差别。在多数品种间光敏色素B表达没有明显差异，说明其与品种感光性、籼粳性无明显相关。只有早熟粳稻铁粳23的光敏色素B mRNA含量较高，是一个例外。实验结果尚需进一步重复。这方面的工作可以为水稻发育光温互作本质的研究积累一些初步资料。

采用AFLP分子标记和分子生物学方法对资源植物的评价

中国资源植物丰富，蕴藏着优异的基因资源，开发和利用这些优异资源是植物学研究的重要课题。本文面向国家重大需求选择两种资源植物一羊草(Leymuschinensis (Trin.)Tzvel)和向日葵(llelia thus annuus L．)，采用分子标记技术和分子生物学方法对其进行评价和研究，以期为资源利用提供依据。由于两种植物本身的差别和采用的研究方法各异，故分别论述。 羊草，隶属禾本科赖草属，是欧亚大陆草原区东部重要建群种之一。羊草是牧草之王，是我国比较有优势的战略性生物资源，对我国北方畜牧业的发展以及生态环境的保育均具有重要意义。近年来，由于缺乏科学管理、过度放牧等不利影响，加之羊草本身固有的“三低”问题（即抽穗率低、结实率低、发芽率低）已对羊草生物多样性维持构成了严重的威胁，限制了我国人工草地建设和天然草地的改良及沙化治理的步伐。因此，如何通过形态调查结合生物技术手段评价羊草遗传多样性为建立核心种质及改良羊草、快速评价和创造新的种质、如何加快育种进程便成为当前亟待解决的问题。本文围绕这些问题开展了系统的研究并取得如下结果： 1． 对羊草的形态调查和AFLP分析，表明羊草是一种形态变异较大但是遗传变 异较小的物种。两种生态型的表现显著差异，其中灰绿生态型羊草比黄绿生 态型差异大。羊草遗传多样性与包括长期的栽培驯化、地理分布有很大的相 关性，地理来源相同的几乎全部聚到了一组。 2． 通过主成分分析和通径分析，简化了羊草31个性状分析的复杂性，了解到 羊草无性繁殖受好的营养生长促进。 3． AFLP分子标记技术在分析羊草遗传多样性方面有显著优势，尤其是对于羊 草这样多态性不高的物种是一种非常有效的分析工具。在分析AFLP数据时 采用聚类分析和主坐标分析相结合的方法，既兼顾了亲缘关系较近的种质之 间的关系调查也兼顾了亲缘关系较远的种质之间的关系调查。 4．羊草AFLP反应，不同引物所获得的总带数和多态性带数差别明显。羊草基因 组对3’端有选择性碱基TN的所有EcoRJ选择性引物扩增效果很差，前人 的有关赖草属的遗传研究也支持这一结果。 向日葵(n=17)，属于菊科( Compositae)向日葵属(Helia thus)，向日葵的研究重要领域是向日葵杂种生产，而细胞质雄性不育系的使用是杂种优势育种的核心。全世界90%以上的向日葵杂交种生产仍然在使用同一个细胞质类型PETI，玉米遗传单一给生产带来的毁灭性打击仍然令研究者和生产者记忆犹新，因此寻找更多的细胞质类型仍然是研究者的重要任务。本研究围绕一个新的不育源(G20023)的发现及鉴定，通过使用不育的G20023的保持系、恢复系、恢复的Fi代、回交一代之间比较以及与属于PETI细胞质类型的不育系的相应材料进行比较，找出与这一新的细胞质类型不育表型有关的可能差异序列，来探讨其不育机制，得到如下结果： 1、 通过田间杂交试验，证明G20023的保持系有很多（已证实有24份）， 目前找到的恢复系只有一个，H.maximiliani。G20023不育源作为一 种新的细胞质类型可以成为将来杂交育种的候选资源。同时，我们找 到一些表型证据，除了无花粉之外，G20023与PETI表型的典型不同 之处还在于前者的花药上下均为分离状态，而后者花药的基部联合， 顶部分离。显然，不同的细胞质类型在解剖结构上可能表现不尽相同。 2、 与线粒体基因组特异基因的核酸序列比较，结果表明，G20023线粒体 基因组上没有orfH522序列，与PETI表现出差异;此外，在基因atp6 位点也与PETI不同，而且在该位点也与同属向日葵ANTI不相同。同 时由于orf873并没有出现在ANTI中而出现在G20023中，因此我们可 以认为G20023这一个新的不育系是与ANTI和PETI不同的细胞质类 型。 3、 在参考常规线粒体DNA提取方法的基础上，我们做了很多改进，建立 了自己的向日葵线粒体DNA提取方法。该方法更快更简单，提取的线 粒体DNA完全可以用于酶切和杂交。 4、 G20023不育源由于其稳定的不育性状，可以作为培育无花粉彩色向日 葵杂交种的亲本材料，我们通过此不育源选育适当花色的无花粉观赏 向日葵生产杂交种。

光敏核不育水稻中光敏色素的分析

本文报道了在育性转换敏感期光周期处理对光敏核不育水稻（农垦58S）及农垦58最新全展叶中光敏色素Ⅰ(PhyA)水平的影响PartI）．在10个光周期处理的最后一个暗期结束前,收获每株水稻的最上部二叶。PhyA用酶联免疫吸附测定法(ELISA)测定。 结果表明：0.5%(v／v)聚乙烯亚胺(PEI)可除去水稻叶片粗提液中干扰ELISA的物质;所用的ELISA专一性地检测水稻PhyA。和长日照(LD)处理相比，短日照(SU)处理导致农垦58S中PhyA的相对含量增加38.5%;而农垦58只增加18.5%。显然，在较长的暗期条件下（SD），农垦58S中PhyA的合成比农垦58快。SD处理下大量增加的PhyA可能和农垦58S的育性恢复有关。 上述结果也说明：在同一品种甚至不同品种的植株间，PhyA水平均易受光周期影响而剧烈变化。 为了进一步验证农垦58S中PhyA较快积累的推论，比较了农垦58s和农垦58幼苗（三叶期）在一延长暗期(24h)中PhyA的积累时程。和育性转换敏感期的植株相似，农垦58S幼苗中PhyA积累速度快于农垦58。在暗期开始6h后，这种差异更明显。这一结果证实了过去的假设：甲基化水平低的农垦58PhyA基因可能比农垦58PhyA基因更活跃地表达。 PhyA和PhyB同时存在于水稻叶片中。为了探讨PhyB是否参与农垦58S雄性不育的调节，在育性转换敏感期每日光期结束、暗期开始开始前进行短暂的FR照射实验(即end-of- dayFR irradiations)。EOD FR反应应由PhyB介导。和SD下的对照相比，经过10次EODFR处理(EOD FR+SD)的农垦58S植株抽穗和开花期都相应地推迟2天，而花粉败育率和种子结实率都没有变化。 EODFR处理抑制了农垦58的开花，但花粉育性几乎不受影响。 综上所述，可能是PhyA而不是PhyB参与调节农垦58S的雄性不育。 另外，本文采用免疫印迹(Immunoblotting or Western blotting)比较了农垦58S和农垦58黄化苗(3天龄)中PhyA的相对含量(PartⅡ)。 结果表明，RPA可以专一性地检测两品种中120KD多肽。该肽在照射R或FR后对内源蛋白酶水解的敏感性不同，照射FR后，该肽易降解产生116KD的片段;照射R后，相对较稳定。因此，上述120KD多肽是水稻PhyA。未观察到农垦58S和农垦58的PhyA在免疫原性、分子量及内源蛋白酶解水解带型有差异。定量分析表明农垦58s黄化苗中PhyA的相对含量比农垦58多40%。这一结果和上述光周期处理的结果是相辅相成的。由于干种子、以及吸涨36h以前的水稻胚中均检测不PhyA的存在，因此两品种间PhyA含量的差异是PhyA蛋白重新合成的结果。 活体低温(80K)荧光光谱分析表明：农垦58黄化苗（3天龄）具有典型光敏色素(主要为PhyA）的荧光发射，其最大波长为683.8nm，而农垦58S以及由其转育来的培矮64s都缺少明显的光敏色素峰。显然，农垦58S和农垦58的PhyA荧光光谱特性有所不同。这一差异是否和雄性不育有关仍待深入研究。 本文第三部分比较了农垦58S和农垦58黄化苗（6天龄）最初转到白光下(4h)合成叶绿素的情况。无论是短暂红光(R)处理或对照，农垦58幼苗合成叶绿素的量（在白光下4h）都多于农垦58S。由于R促进叶绿素合成的效果可被随后的远红光照射(FR)逆转，因此水稻幼苗中叶绿素合成是在光敏色素的控制下。FR逆转性在农垦58S中似乎更完全。连续FR（12h最有效）促进叶绿素合成的效果在农垦58S中更明显，但叶绿素合成的量（在白光下4h）仍是农垦58多。然而，对于自然光周期下生长的幼苗（2-4叶期），农垦58S的叶绿素含量明显高于农垦58。文中讨论了这种差异的可能原因。

光敏核不育水稻41 kDa和61 kDa蛋白质的发现、N-端序列分析及其雄性不育性状关系的探讨

光敏核不育水稻农垦58S是石明松于1973年在晚粳农垦58的大田中发现的雄性不育突变体，它在长日照下雄性不育可被用于与恢复系杂交生产杂种，而在短日照下雄性可育能用于自交繁殖，它的恢复系来源广泛。基于这些特性，育种学家用光敏核不育水稻建立的二系杂交水稻制种技术有很大的应用潜力。近十几年来，育种学家用农垦58S作基因供体转育了许多新的不育系，研究结果表明育成的粳型不育系均为光敏不育系，但在育成的籼型不育系中，绝大多数丧失光敏核不育特性，变成温敏不育系。目前因不知光敏核不育的分子遗传机制，尚不能解释这些问题。 本文用双向电泳技术分析了农垦58S和农垦58苗期和育性转换光敏感期叶绿体蛋白质的差异，在农垦58S中发现三个蛋白质(Pl，P2和P3)，其中Pl和P2在苗期和光敏感期叶片内均存在，P3仅在光敏感期的叶片中存在，它们不受长日照或短日照处理的影响。农垦58没有这三个蛋白质。 用制备型双向电泳纯化后，得到SDS - PAGE和IEF纯的Pl和P2。经SDS-PAGE和IEF测定，Pl的等电点是6.2，分子量是41 kDa;P2的等电点是5.8，分子量是61 kDa。现称Pl为P41，P2为P61。氨基酸序列分析和同源性检索发现P41与水稻叶绿体ATP合成酶p亚基和酵母转录因子CAD1有同源性，此外，P41的N-端序列中有一个与蛋白激酶催化核心中的多功能motif Y-G-X-G-X- (P/T)-G-V相似的序列;P61的14个氨基酸长的N-端序列与水稻叶绿体ATP合成酶β亚基的一致。P41和P61 N-端前12个氨基酸的序列也完全一致。 PCR扩增和Southern杂交分析没有发现农垦58S和农垦58之间ATP合成酶β亚基基因(atpB)的多态性。Nothern杂交分析表明农垦58S中仅有一种、与农垦58 atpB mRNA分子量相同的atpB转录产物，但它的atpB mRNA丰度明显低于农垦58的。没有检测到突变的atpB和其它形式的atpB转录产物。 分析P41和P61在其它水稻材料中的分布特点发现它们在粳型光敏不育系7001S、5088S、31301S、C407S和1647S，籼型光敏不育系W7415S和W9451S以及温（光）敏不育系培矮64S中存在，而在对照材料三系水稻马协A、珍汕97A、马协B、珍汕97B和明恢63以及常规粳稻C94153中不存在。根据这些不育系的系谱和它们与农垦58S之间基因的等位性研究结果，讨论了P41和P61与光敏核不育性的可能联系。

与烟草细胞质雄性不育相关的线粒体基因atp9的mRNA研究

下载PDF阅读器已知导入未编辑atp9 mRNA的烟草表现细胞质雄性不育(CMS),因此认为线粒体基因atp9是引起高等植物CMS的主要基因.为了解atp9在CMS中的作用机制,从3对烟草不育系及其同型保持系中提取atp9,利用实验与理论结合来分析其mRNA在编辑前后以及在不育系及其同型保持系中的一维、三维信息差别.结果表明,atp9 mRNA一维信息方面的差异,更重要的是二级结构的差异和稳定性,可能是影响ATP合成而导致CMS的根本原因.

水稻同源四倍体三系法杂种优势利用研究

水稻是重要的粮食作物，其产量的增加和品质的改良都是关系国计民生的大事。就我国现阶段的国情而言，水稻产量在现有水平上稳步提升仍是未来十几年甚至几十年农业生产最重要的目标之一。尽管根据“超级杂交水稻育种”的战略设想和水稻育种实践，通过不断地改进育种技术可望在更高的产量水平上进行水稻杂种优势利用，在稻属植物内还具有很大的产量潜力可以挖掘。然而，仅仅从现有的种质基础出发，要更大幅度提高水稻单产，实现“超级杂交稻”的目标也存在一些困难：现有的推广品种是二倍体，尽管种类众多，但是其基因组的来源相对单一；同时，水稻基因组DNA含量也是作物中最少的，基因组内寻求开发潜力有一定困难；水稻作为C3植物，光合利用效率不高也是制约水稻产量提高的因素之一。因此，寻求常规手段以外的技术突破或者方法创新，是实现“超级杂交稻”的目标的迫切需求。本研究利用秋水仙素能抑制细胞分裂中纺锤丝的收缩、使细胞染色体加倍的作用，对水稻幼穗诱导的愈伤组织细胞进行加倍，并分化出再生植株；创制出水稻同源四倍体新的种质材料，在此基础上选育水稻同源四倍体雄性不育三系材料，并实现水稻同源四倍体的三系配套，开展水稻同源四倍体杂种优势利用和四倍体杂交水稻选育研究，建立水稻同源四倍体杂种优势利用的新技术体系。这不仅有助于倍性水平杂种优势的开拓和利用，同时也将为我国新世纪“超级稻”育种研究开辟一条新的技术途径。 水稻幼穗诱导愈伤组织并分化成苗是一项成熟、简单的组织培养技术。本研究以普通二倍体水稻亲本为材料，用秋水仙素进行水稻的多倍体化诱导，创制同源四倍体水稻三系亲本材料并对其进行鉴定。多倍体化以秋水仙素诱导的愈伤组织培养为基础，研究不同秋水仙素浓度梯度和愈伤组织诱导培养基组合对诱导四倍体植株的影响。结果表明在MS+2,4 D 1.0mg/L+ KT0.2mg/L+ IAA0.2mg/L 和500mg/L的秋水仙素处理下，水稻愈伤组织染色体加倍（有最高的效率）效果较好，平均加倍频率可达25.26%，其中，材料CDR22和IR26诱导较易成功，加倍频率分别达到75%和26.5%；相对材料94109 1.3%加倍频率和冈46B 10.8%加倍频率，诱导率差异极显著。 对水稻四倍体材料进行了形态学鉴定结果表明，与二倍体水稻对照相比其株高、穗长、花粉育性等主要农艺性状，确定四倍体材料在穗长和千粒重两方面极显著提高，种子的长度和宽度也显著增长。对花粉育性鉴定，确认水稻四倍体不育系材料仍为不育，保持系材料自交和杂交可育，恢复系材料自交和杂交可育。对四倍体材料进行细胞形态、染色体数目等方面进行细胞学鉴定，经核型分析表明水稻四倍体材料具有48条染色体，是二倍体水稻的两倍。水稻四倍体材料根尖分生组织细胞与二倍体的根尖分生组织细胞相比，细胞体积、细胞核和核仁显著增大。四倍体三系材料在细胞有丝分裂中期均可规则排列在赤道板，并能均等地移向两极；后期观察中没有发现染色体分离滞后现象，分裂末期细胞能够形成大小相对均一的子细胞。水稻同源四倍体三系材料细胞分裂未见异常，植株生长发育正常。 从1996年至2006年，针对结实率、有效分蘖、着粒数和穗长等主要农艺性状，通过系谱选育的方法，对培育的同源四倍体水稻亲本材料进行了连续选择和改良，取得较好成效。表现为结实率的改良效果极佳，所有改良材料的平均结实率均呈上升趋势，如D237（29.70％→72.70％）、DTB（19.55％→53.21％）等。有效分蘖总体呈现上升趋势，但在不同的年份，如1998和2002存在较大的负向波动。部分材料改良效果明显，如D19B（5.87→13.50）、D什香 (7.00→12.00)等；同时一些材料如DTB和D明恢63虽然总体略有提高，但在不同的年份波动很大，因此存在较大改良阻力，原因还有待进一步研究。着粒数的改良上升趋势比较显著，除保持系的DTB之外，其余材料的平均着粒数有显著提高。穗长的改良阻力较大，虽然不同材料总体上有所提高，但效果并不显著，并且不同年份有较大负向波动（2001）。此外还对株高、剑叶长等性状也进行了选择，但效果不显著，原因有待进一步提高。同源四倍体材料产量相关性状遗传改良幅度不一致，保持系和恢复系间的遗传改良效果也存在差异。这为同源四倍体水稻的进一步利用打下了良好的基础。 籼稻和粳稻亚种间杂交及杂种优势利用的主要障碍就是其低的结实率。而同源四倍体杂交水稻的研究为提高杂交水稻的杂种优势利用创造了新的途径。本研究通过随机区组设计方案，挑选性状优良的二倍体水稻材料，包括雄性不育系，保持系和恢复系进行秋水仙素诱导加倍，从而获得同源四倍体水稻对应的三系材料。利用选育的优良水稻同源四倍体三系材料，配制7个杂交组合，杂交F1代与其恢复系亲本进行比较，用于计算超亲优势（HB）；而杂交F1代与生产上大面积推广的二倍体杂交品种汕优63进行比较，用于计算杂种优势。结果显示，同源四倍体杂交水稻的超亲优势表现为：每株有效穗变化幅度为1.4%至105.9%，总粒数为0.5%至74.3%，每穗实粒数为17.6%至255.7%，结实率为9.6%至130.4%。这些农艺性状的改良使得这7个杂种F1的理论产量的超亲优势高达64.8%至672.7%。小区试验中四倍体杂交水稻组合T461A/T4002和T461A/T4193分别比二倍体对照汕优63提高46.3%和38.3%以上，除一个品种以外所有品种产量均接近或高于汕优63的产量。同源四倍体水稻强大的杂种优势表明，亚种间杂交育性低的问题可通过四倍体化及强化选择来解决。此外，同源四倍体杂交水稻器官的巨大性也是其产量提高的有利因素，水稻同源四倍体三系杂种优势利用研究具有一定的理论价值和商业生产潜力。 Rice is one of the major food crops, the improvement of the production and quality of it is an important thing related to the people's livelihood. On China's current national conditions, steadily increase of the rice yield based on the current level is still one of the most important goals in the next decade or even decades of agricultural production. According to the "super hybrid rice breeding" the strategic and rice breeding practice, improvement of the use of hybrid rice heterosis through continuous improvements in breeding technology is expected to get a higher level of rice yield, there are also a great yield potential can be exploited. However, there are also some difficulties to increase rice yield obviously and implement the goal of "super hybrid rice" based on the existing germplasm: Rice varieties in promotion are diploid, although there are many varieties, but their genome are from a comparatively single source; Meanwhile, the rice genome DNA are the least among the crops, it is difficult to exploit the development potential within the genome; Rice as C3 plants, photosynthetic efficiency is not high, it is one of the factors constraint rice yield. Therefore, seeking technological breakthroughs or innovative methods different from conventional means is the urgent needs to reach the target of "super hybrid rice". Using colchicine inhibit spindle contraction during cell division, double the cell chromosome, we induced callus cells from rice panicle to be doubled, and differentiated regeneration; we created a new autotetraploid rice germplasm material, and on that basis we bred male sterility three line autotetraploid rice materials, and the achieved the three line rice autotetraploid matchmaking, researched in autotetraploid rice heterosis usage and tetraploid hybrid rice breeding, constituted a new technology system of autotetraploid hybrid rice heterosis utilization. This not only helps the tetraploid rice heterosis exploration and use, but also inaugurates a new technical means for China in the new century "super rice" breeding research. We chose ordinary diploid rice as materials, using colchicine to induce the polyploidization, created the autotetraploid rice three-line materials and identified them. The polyploidization was based on the colchicine-induced callus tissue culture, and we experimented different colchicine concentrations and culture mediums to induce tetraploid plants, confirmed that the optimal concentration for inducement was 500 mg/L, the average induce rate was 25.26 %. Among all the materials, CDR22 and IR26 had higher induced rate; in contrary, 94109 and GANG46B had lower induced rate, the difference was significant. Autotetraploid materials was identified of both morphological and cytological, compared plant height, length of pollen sterility, and other major agronomic traits with a diploid rice as the control plant, identified that the autotetraploid materials had very significant advantages in ear length and thousand-grain weight, as well as the size of the seeds. Cytology identification included observation of the cell morphology, the number of chromosomes, and karyotype analysis on the autotetraploid materials confirmed that their chromosome number was 48, twice of the diploid rice. Mitoses in the three lines were common: chromosomes arrayed normally in metaphase and separated balanced into the two poles, chromosome moved without lagging in anaphase and daughter cells normally formed in telophase except one. It has been proved that tetraploid rice has normal meiosis as their diploid relatives, which usually including series of sub-phases as interphase, prophase I (five sub-phases), prophase II, metaphase I, II, anaphase I, II and telophase I, II. However, abnormal phenomena, such as formation of tetravalent, trivalent and univalent, chromosome lagging and so on, which would finally block meiosis. Configurations of chromosome in metaphaseⅠwere versatile in structure and form accept the bivalent. That condition varied in different strain, suggesting more complex paring configurations and more versatile genetic characters in tetraploid rice. All these abnormalities in meiosis contributed to low fertility of gamete and might consequently resulted in low seed setting. Successive selection and improvement on seed set, productive tiller per plant, total grains per panicle, panicle length and so on had been carried out from 1996 to 2006. The raise of seed sets was significant in both restorers and maintainers. Seed sets of some strains were improved more significantly than others, for example D237（29.70％→72.70％）、DTB（19.55％→53.21％）and et al.. Productive tiller per plant was improved to some extant. The tendency of improvement was rising on the whole but changed in some years such as 1998 and 2002. Part of the stains increased greatly, such as D19B（5.87→13.50）、Dshixiang (7.00→12.00) and so on, but some strains including DTB and Dminghui63 only increased little and decreased in some years by unknown reason. Total grains per panicle increased significantly and all strains except DTB increased. Improvement of panicle length termed to be hard. Different strains showed different capacities for improvement and floating existed in different years for example 2001. It has been proved that other agronomical traits including plant length, flag leaf length and so on could be improved but not significantly by selection also. In a word, agronomical traits could be raised by successive selection that is prerequisite for further utility of autotetraploid rice. Poor fertility is the main barrier for utilizing heterosis between the two rice (Oryza stiva L.) sub-species, indica and japonica. Recently, the development of autotetraploid hybrids (2n=4x=48) has been suggested as a new method for increasing heterosis in hybrid rice. Using standard experimental protocols, the elite diploid rice male sterile, maintainer, and restorer lines were colchine-doubled and autotetraploid counterparts were obtained. Seven resulting hybrids were analyzed for heterobeltiosis (HB), where the F1 was compared to the male parent, and the degree of heterosis, where the F1 was compared to the diploid commercial hybrid, Shanyou 63. The HB among the autotetraploid hybrids ranged from 1.4 to 105.9% for the productive panicles per plant, 0.5 to 74.3% for total kernels per panicle, 17.6 to 255.7% for filled kernels per panicle, and 9.6 to 130.4% for seed set. Improvements in these yield components resulted in the HB for kernel yield ranging from 64.8 to 672.7% among the seven hybrids. Hybrids T461A/T4002 and T461A/T4193 yielded 46.3 and 38.3% more, respectively than Shanyou 63, and all other hybrids but one yielded the same or more than Shanyou 63. The high heterosis for yield suggests that hybrid sterility between two rice sub-species may be overcome by using tetraploid lines followed by intensive selection. Also, the gigantic features of the autotetraploid hybrids may establish a plant structure able to support the higher yield.

Gene expression disruptions of organism versus organ in Drosophila species hybrids.

Hybrid dysfunctions, such as sterility, may result in part from disruptions in the regulation of gene expression. Studies of hybrids within the Drosophila simulans clade have reported genes expressed above or below the expression observed in their parent species, and such misexpression is associated with male sterility in multigenerational backcross hybrids. However, these studies often examined whole bodies rather than testes or had limited replication using less-sensitive but global techniques. Here, we use a new RNA isolation technique to re-examine hybrid gene expression disruptions in both testes and whole bodies from single Drosophila males by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. We find two early-spermatogenesis transcripts are underexpressed in hybrid whole-bodies but not in assays of testes alone, while two late-spermatogenesis transcripts seem to be underexpressed in both whole-bodies and testes alone. Although the number of transcripts surveyed is limited, these results provide some support for a previous hypothesis that the spermatogenesis pathway in these sterile hybrids may be disrupted sometime after the expression of the early meiotic arrest genes.

Efectividad de la evaluación de polen en el campo para determinar androesterilidad en maíz (Zea mays ssp. mays)

p.213-220

Androesterilidad genético citoplasmática en sorgo : empleo de los citoplasmas A2 yA3

p.117-122

Androesterilidad en girasol y comportamiento de líneas endocriadas a la podredumbre blanca de capítulos

p.111-120

Rapeseed cytoplasm gives advantage in wild relatives and complicates genetically modified crop biocontainment

Biocontainment methods for genetically modified crops closest to commercial reality (chloroplast transformation, male sterility) would be compromised (in absolute terms) by seed-mediated gene flow leading to chloroplast capture. Even in these circumstances, however, it can be argued that biocontainment still represses transgene movement, with the efficacy depending on the relative frequency of seed-and pollen-mediated gene flow. In this study, we screened for crop-specific chloroplast markers from rapeseed (Brassica napus) amongst sympatric and allopatric populations of wild B. oleracea in natural cliff-top populations and B. rapa in riverside and weedy populations. We found only modest crop chloroplast presence in wild B. oleracea and in weedy B. rapa, but a surprisingly high incidence in sympatric (but not in allopatric) riverside B. rapa populations. Chloroplast inheritance models indicate that elevated crop chloroplast acquisition is best explained if crop cytoplasm confers selective advantage in riverside B. rapa populations. Our results therefore imply that chloroplast transformation may slow transgene recruitment in two settings, but actually accelerate transgene spread in a third. This finding suggests that the appropriateness of chloroplast transformation for biocontainment policy depends on both context and geographical location.

Technologies for biological containment of GM and Non-GM crops

International Perspective The development of GM technology continues to expand into increasing numbers of crops and conferred traits. Inevitably, the focus remains on the major field crops of soybean, maize, cotton, oilseed rape and potato with introduced genes conferring herbicide tolerance and/or pest resistance. Although there are comparatively few GM crops that have been commercialised to date, GM versions of 172 plant species have been grown in field trials in 31 countries. European Crops with Containment Issues Of the 20 main crops in the EU there are four for which GM varieties are commercially available (cotton, maize for animal feed and forage, and oilseed rape). Fourteen have GM varieties in field trials (bread wheat, barley, durum wheat, sunflower, oats, potatoes, sugar beet, grapes, alfalfa, olives, field peas, clover, apples, rice) and two have GM varieties still in development (rye, triticale). Many of these crops have hybridisation potential with wild and weedy relatives in the European flora (bread wheat, barley, oilseed rape, durum wheat, oats, sugar beet and grapes), with escapes (sunflower); and all have potential to cross-pollinate fields non-GM crops. Several fodder crops, forestry trees, grasses and ornamentals have varieties in field trials and these too may hybridise with wild relatives in the European flora (alfalfa, clover, lupin, silver birch, sweet chestnut, Norway spruce, Scots pine, poplar, elm, Agrostis canina, A. stolonifera, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, L. multiflorum, statice and rose). All these crops will require containment strategies to be in place if it is deemed necessary to prevent transgene movement to wild relatives and non-GM crops. Current Containment Strategies A wide variety of GM containment strategies are currently under development, with a particular focus on crops expressing pharmaceutical products. Physical containment in greenhouses and growth rooms is suitable for some crops (tomatoes, lettuce) and for research purposes. Aquatic bioreactors of some non-crop species (algae, moss, and duckweed) expressing pharmaceutical products have been adopted by some biotechnology companies. There are obvious limitations of the scale of physical containment strategies, addressed in part by the development of large underground facilities in the US and Canada. The additional resources required to grow plants underground incurs high costs that in the long term may negate any advantage of GM for commercial productioNatural genetic containment has been adopted by some companies through the selection of either non-food/feed crops (algae, moss, duckweed) as bio-pharming platforms or organisms with no wild relatives present in the local flora (safflower in the Americas). The expression of pharmaceutical products in leafy crops (tobacco, alfalfa, lettuce, spinach) enables growth and harvesting prior to and in the absence of flowering. Transgenically controlled containment strategies range in their approach and degree of development. Plastid transformation is relatively well developed but is not suited to all traits or crops and does not offer complete containment. Male sterility is well developed across a range of plants but has limitations in its application for fruit/seed bearing crops. It has been adopted in some commercial lines of oilseed rape despite not preventing escape via seed. Conditional lethality can be used to prevent flowering or seed development following the application of a chemical inducer, but requires 100% induction of the trait and sufficient application of the inducer to all plants. Equally, inducible expression of the GM trait requires equally stringent application conditions. Such a method will contain the trait but will allow the escape of a non-functioning transgene. Seed lethality (‘terminator’ technology) is the only strategy at present that prevents transgene movement via seed, but due to public opinion against the concept it has never been trialled in the field and is no longer under commercial development. Methods to control flowering and fruit development such as apomixis and cleistogamy will prevent crop-to-wild and wild-to-crop pollination, but in nature both of these strategies are complex and leaky. None of the genes controlling these traits have as yet been identified or characterised and therefore have not been transgenically introduced into crop species. Neither of these strategies will prevent transgene escape via seed and any feral apomicts that form are arguably more likely to become invasives. Transgene mitigation reduces the fitness of initial hybrids and so prevents stable introgression of transgenes into wild populations. However, it does not prevent initial formation of hybrids or spread to non-GM crops. Such strategies could be detrimental to wild populations and have not yet been demonstrated in the field. Similarly, auxotrophy prevents persistence of escapes and hybrids containing the transgene in an uncontrolled environment, but does not prevent transgene movement from the crop. Recoverable block of function, intein trans-splicing and transgene excision all use recombinases to modify the transgene in planta either to induce expression or to prevent it. All require optimal conditions and 100% accuracy to function and none have been tested under field conditions as yet. All will contain the GM trait but all will allow some non-native DNA to escape to wild populations or to non-GM crops. There are particular issues with GM trees and grasses as both are largely undomesticated, wind pollinated and perennial, thus providing many opportunities for hybridisation. Some species of both trees and grass are also capable of vegetative propagation without sexual reproduction. There are additional concerns regarding the weedy nature of many grass species and the long-term stability of GM traits across the life span of trees. Transgene stability and conferred sterility are difficult to trial in trees as most field trials are only conducted during the juvenile phase of tree growth. Bio-pharming of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds in plants Bio-pharming of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds in plants offers an attractive alternative to mammalian-based pharmaceutical and vaccine production. Several plantbased products are already on the market (Prodigene’s avidin, β-glucuronidase, trypsin generated in GM maize; Ventria’s lactoferrin generated in GM rice). Numerous products are in clinical trials (collagen, antibodies against tooth decay and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from tobacco; human gastric lipase, therapeutic enzymes, dietary supplements from maize; Hepatitis B and Norwalk virus vaccines from potato; rabies vaccines from spinach; dietary supplements from Arabidopsis). The initial production platforms for plant-based pharmaceuticals were selected from conventional crops, largely because an established knowledge base already existed. Tobacco and other leafy crops such as alfalfa, lettuce and spinach are widely used as leaves can be harvested and no flowering is required. Many of these crops can be grown in contained greenhouses. Potato is also widely used and can also be grown in contained conditions. The introduction of morphological markers may aid in the recognition and traceability of crops expressing pharmaceutical products. Plant cells or plant parts may be transformed and maintained in culture to produce recombinant products in a contained environment. Plant cells in suspension or in vitro, roots, root cells and guttation fluid from leaves may be engineered to secrete proteins that may be harvested in a continuous, non-destructive manner. Most strategies in this category remain developmental and have not been commercially adopted at present. Transient expression produces GM compounds from non-GM plants via the utilisation of bacterial or viral vectors. These vectors introduce the trait into specific tissues of whole plants or plant parts, but do not insert them into the heritable genome. There are some limitations of scale and the field release of such crops will require the regulation of the vector. However, several companies have several transiently expressed products in clinical and pre-clinical trials from crops raised in physical containment.

Asynchronous flowering and within-plant flowering diversity in wheat and the implications for crop resilience to heat

Self-pollination dominates in wheat , with a small level of out-crossing due to flowering asynchrony and male sterility. However, the timing and synchrony of male and female flowering in wheat is a crucial determinant of seed set and may be an important factor affecting gene flow and resilience to climate change. Here, a methodology is presented for assessing the timing and synchrony of flowering in wheat. From the onset of flowering until the end of anthesis, the anther and stigma activity of each floret was assessed on the first five developing ears in potted plants grown under ambient conditions and originating from cv Paragon or cvs Spark-Rialto backgrounds. At harvest maturity, seed presence, size and weight was recorded for each floret scored. The synchrony between pollen dehiscence and stigma collapse within a flower was dependent on its relative position in a spike and within a floret. Determined on the basis of synchrony within each flower, the level of pollination by pollen originating from other flowers reached approximately 30% and did not change throughout the duration of flowering. A modelling exercise parameterised by flowering observations indicated that the temporal and spatial variability of anther activity within and between spikes may influence the relative resilience of wheat to sudden, extreme climatic events which has direct relevance to predicted future climate scenarios in the UK.

Comparative analysis of performance and stability among composite cross populations, variety mixtures and pure lines of winter wheat in organic and conventional cropping systems

This study investigated the effects of increased genetic diversity in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), either from hybridization across genotypes or from physical mixing of lines, on grain yield, grain quality, and yield stability in different cropping environments. Sets of pure lines (no diversity), chosen for high yielding ability or high quality, were compared with line mixtures (intermediate level of diversity), and lines crossed with each other in composite cross populations (CCPn, high diversity). Additional populations containing male sterility genes (CCPms) to increase outcrossing rates were also tested. Grain yield, grain protein content, and protein yield were measured at four sites (two organically-managed and two conventionally-managed) over three years, using seed harvested locally in each preceding year. CCPn and mixtures out-yielded the mean of the parents by 2.4% and 3.6%, respectively. These yield differences were consistent across genetic backgrounds but partly inconsistent across cropping environments and years. Yield stability measured by environmental variance was higher in CCPn and CCPms than the mean of the parents. An index of yield reliability tended to be higher in CCPn, CCPms and mixtures than the mean of the parents. Lin and Binns’ superiority values of yield and protein yield were consistently and significantly lower (i.e. better) in the CCPs than in the mean of the parents, but not different between CCPs and mixtures. However, CCPs showed greater early ground cover and plant height than mixtures. When compared with the (locally non-predictable) best-yielding pure line, CCPs and mixtures exhibited lower mean yield and somewhat lower yield reliability but comparable superiority values. Thus, establishing CCPs from smaller sets of high-performing parent lines might optimize their yielding ability. On the whole, the results demonstrate that using increased within-crop genetic diversity can produce wheat crops with improved yield stability and good yield reliability across variable and unpredictable cropping environments.

Polimorfismo floral em Valeriana scandens L. (Valerianaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)