玉米的单倍体育种及基因转化的研究

玉米的单倍体育种，是利用花药培养或孤雌生殖产生单倍体后，进行人工或自然加倍，迅速获得稳定的新品种的育种方法。单倍体育种可以缩短育种时间，单倍体培养体系如果作为转基因的受体，可保证外源基因在后代中稳定遗传，而不发生分离。因此，玉米单倍体育种无论在实践中还是在理论研究方面都具有重大的意义。 本文针对玉米花药培养中长期以来未能解决的诱导频率低、基因型之间差异大、小苗移栽不容易成活等问题，重点探讨了各种因素对玉米花药培养的影响。结果表明：不同基因型之间的诱导频率差异明显，杂交种的诱导频率比纯系高，并选择出诱导频率高达20%的材料“中0198”;接种时花药中的花粉处于单核中期时，其诱导频率最高;采用液体培养基比采用固体培养基诱导频率提高一倍;培养基中加入0.5%的活性炭，可使诱导频率由5.25%提高到9.35%;15%的蔗糖浓度对玉米的花药培养是最适宜的，培养2周后，将培养基的蔗糖浓度从15%调整为10%，将明显提高诱导频率;培养基中高浓度的KT和低浓度的BA有利于诱导体细胞胚的发生，而低浓度的KT和高浓度的BA有利于诱导芽的发生;接种前将花药在4℃条件下进行低温预处理，可将诱导频率从3.13%提高到11.71%;培养基中添加2 mg/l的多效唑，可有效地促进小苗的生根;再生植株于冬季拿到海南种植，可明显提高移栽的成活率。 在玉米孤雌生殖的实验中，将未受粉的玉米雌穗接种在成份为N6 + 2,4-D 1mg/L + NAA 1mg/L + BA 1mg/L + CH 200mg/L + colchicine 2 mg/L + sucrose 5% + agar 0.7% 的培养基上。第一轮实验共接种了三个材料的26个雌穗（约3900个未受精的子房）。每种材料均有单性结实，诱导频率由高到低分别3.06%，2.29%，1.90%。直接获得了5株再生植株，通过染色体检查，发现其中3株为单倍体（n=10），另外2株为二倍体。移栽到土壤中后，有4株成活，其中一株二倍体植株能够正常开花、结实。得到的种子播种于实验田中，表现整齐一致，有纯系的特征，而且出现了2株白化苗。通过石蜡切片初步观察了孤雌生殖的胚胎发生过程，发现胚胎发生是从胚囊里的单倍体细胞起源的。第二、三轮实验又接种了10个基因型的玉米材料，证实了上述结果。 外源基因转导是利用生物技术进行玉米育种的一个有效途径。本文首次尝试了用离体子房注射法对玉米进行基因转化。首先构建了含有开花促进因子基因FPF1及植物选择标记抗除草剂基因pat的植物表达载体pFBR，采用离体注射培养法，取授粉24小时后的玉米雌穗，剥去苞叶，在超净工作台进行微量注射，然后切成小块接种在培养基上，在光照培养箱内培养，3-4周可直接获得种子或小植株。种子萌发后进行植株抗性筛选和分子检测，共注射了3个品种的47个雌穗（约16450个子房）得到再生植株109株，其中经PPT筛选有抗性的植株为23株，占再生植株的21.1%。经PCR检测，13株植株有阳性反应。但Southern杂交检测有杂带出现。出现杂带的原因、RNA水平的分子检测、转基因后代T1代的分子检测和早开花农艺性状的观察，由于时间关系没有完成，还需要进一步的实验。实验初步证明了离体子房注射法对玉米进行基因转化的可行性，而且与田间注射法相比，此方法具有省力省时，容易控制污染，转化效率提高的优点, 克服了玉米培养再生植株受基因型限制的困境, 将为玉米分子育种的基因工程提供更易行的手段。 同时，也为子房较大的其它植物的基因转化提供了方法。

Recent advances in the application of in vitro systems to plant improvement

The horticultural industry was instrumental in the early development and exploitation of genetic techniques over a century ago. This review will describe recent advances in a range of in vitro methods and their application to plant breeding, with especial emphasis on horticultural crops. These methods include improvements in the efficiency of haploid breeding techniques in many fruit and vegetable species using either microspore-derived or ovule-derived plants. Significant molecular information is now available to supplement these essentially empirical approaches and this may enable the more predictable application of these technologies in previously intransigent crops. Similarly there are now improved techniques for isolation of somatic hybrids, by application of either in vitro fertilisation or the culture of excised ovules from interspecific crosses. In addition to examples taken from the traditional scientific literature, emphasis will also be given to the use of patent databases as a valuable source of information on recent novel technologies developed in the commercial world.

In vitro breeding strategies in the development of Australian native plants

Plant tissue culture is a technique that exploits the ability of many plant cells to revert to a meristematic state. Although originally developed for botanical research, plant tissue culture has now evolved into important commercial practices and has become a significant research tool in agriculture, horticulture and in many other areas of plant sciences. Plant tissue culture is the sterile culture of plant cells, tissues, or organs under aseptic conditions leading to cell multiplication or regeneration or organs and whole plants. The steps required to develop reliable systems for plant regeneration and their application in plant biotechnology are reviewed in countless books. Some of the major landmarks in the evolution of in vitro techniques are summarised in Table 5.1. In this chapter the current applications of this technology to agriculture, horticulture, forestry and plant breeding are briefly described with specific examples from Australian plants when applicable.

Inheritance of resistance to root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus thornei and P. neglectus) in five doubled-haploid populations of wheat

Nematode species Pratylenchus thornei and P. neglectus are the two most important root-lesion nematodes affecting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other grain crops in Australia. For practical plant breeding, it will be valuable to know the mode of inheritance of resistance and whether the same set of genes confer resistance to both species. We evaluated reactions to P. thornei and P. neglectus of glasshouse-inoculated plants of five doubled-haploid populations derived from five resistant synthetic hexpaloid wheat lines, each crossed to the susceptible Australian wheat cultivar Janz. For each cross we determined genetic variance, heritability and minimum number of effective resistance genes for each nematode species. Distributions of nematode numbers for both species were continuous for all doubled-haploid populations. Heritabilities were high and the resistances were controlled by 4-7 genes. There was no genetic correlation between resistance to P. thornei and to P. neglectus in four of the populations and a significant but low correlation in one. Therefore, resistances to P. thornei and to P. neglectus are probably inherited quantitatively and independently in four of these synthetic hexaploid wheat populations, with the possibility of at least one genetic factor contributing to resistance to both species in one of the populations. Parents with the greatest level of resistance will be the best to use as donor parents to adapted cultivars, and selection of resistance to both species in early generations will be optimal to carry resistance through successive cycles of inbreeding to produce resistant cultivars for release.

Identification of haploid maize by flow cytometry, morphological and molecular markers

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic and economic analysis of a targeted marker-assisted wheat breeding strategy

The advent of molecular markers as a tool to aid selection has provided plant breeders with the opportunity to rapidly deliver superior genetic solutions to problems in agricultural production systems. However, a major constraint to the implementation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in pragmatic breeding programs in the past has been the perceived high relative cost of MAS compared to conventional phenotypic selection. In this paper, computer simulation was used to design a genetically effective and economically efficient marker-assisted breeding strategy aimed at a specific outcome. Under investigation was a strategy involving the integration of both restricted backcrossing and doubled haploid (DH) technology. The point at which molecular markers are applied in a selection strategy can be critical to the effectiveness and cost efficiency of that strategy. The application of molecular markers was considered at three phases in the strategy: allele enrichment in the BC1F1 population, gene selection at the haploid stage and the selection for recurrent parent background of DHs prior to field testing. Overall, incorporating MAS at all three stages was the most effective, in terms of delivering a high frequency of desired outcomes and at combining the selected favourable rust resistance, end use quality and grain yield alleles. However, when costs were included in the model the combination of MAS at the BC1F1 and haploid stage was identified as the optimal strategy. A detailed economic analysis showed that incorporation of marker selection at these two stages not only increased genetic gain over the phenotypic alternative but actually reduced the over all cost by 40%.

Factors affecting somatic embryogenesis and transformation in modern plant breeding

Somatic embryogenesis and transformation systems are indispensable modern plant breeding components since they provide an alternative platform to develop control strategies against the plethora of pests and diseases affecting many agronomic crops. This review discusses some of the factors affecting somatic embryogenesis and transformation, highlights the advantages and limitations of these systems and explores these systems as breeding tools for the development of crops with improved agronomic traits. The regeneration of non-chimeric transgenic crops through somatic embryogenesis with introduced disease and pest-resistant genes for instance, would be of significant benefit to growers worldwide.

A note on inbreeding in dairy cattle breeding

Starting from the study at the beginning of the East German "Heterosisfeldversuch", where PANICKE et al. (1975) considered the possibilities of a targeted use of inbreeding and heterotic effects, we show and discuss results of inbreeding studies in the USA dairy cattle breeding. Several research groups worldwide presented effective tools for managing inbreeding in dairy cattle. Their efforts underline the need of inbreeding studies. Contemplating inbreeding is necessary for any breeding decision to avoid inbreeding depression and for improved genetic analyses, e.g. in QTL- estimation. A novel methodology (HERNANDEZ-SANCHEZ et al., 2004a and b) is suggested for estimating inbreeding at the three levels of population, individual and locus.

Wheat breeding nurseries, target environments, and indirect selection for grain yield

Use of appropriate nursery environments will maximize gain from selection for yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the target population of environments of a breeding program. The objective of this study was to investigate how well-irrigated (low-stress) nursery environments predict yield of lines in target environments that varied in degree of water limitation. Fifteen lines were sampled from the preliminary yield evaluation stage of the Queensland wheat breeding program and tested in 26 trials under on-farm conditions (Target Environments) across nine years (1985 to 1993) and also in 27 trials conducted at three research stations (Nursery Environments) in three years (1987 to 1989). The nursery environments were structured to impose different levels of water and nitrogen (N) limitation, whereas the target environments represented a random sample of on-farm conditions from the target population of environments. Indirect selection and pattern analysis methods were used to investigate selection for yield in the nursery environments and gain from selection in the target environments. Yield under low-stress nursery conditions was an effective predictor of yield under similar low-stress target environments (r = 0.89, P < 0.01). However, the value of the low-stress nursery as a predictor of yield in the water-limited target environments decreased with increasing water stress (moderate stress r = 0.53, P < 0.05, to r = 0.38, P > 0.05; severe stress r = -0.08, P > 0.05). Yield in the stress nurseries was a poor predictor of yield in the target environments. Until there is a clear understanding of the physiological-genetic basis of variation for adaptation of wheat to the water-limited environments in Queensland, yield improvement can best be achieved by selection for a combination of yield potential in an irrigated low-stress nursery and yield in on-farm trials that sample the range of water-limited environments of the target population of environments.

Is lek breeding rare in bats?

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) are among the most successful mammals and likely display the widest range of mating systems within the Class. One mating system that is underrepresented in the Chiroptera is lek breeding, which is characterized by aggregations of sexually displaying males that are visited by receptive females who appraise male displays and actively choose mates, yet receive no direct benefits such as assistance in parenting. Leks are thought to form when males can defend neither resources nor females, making it more economical to establish small breeding territories and self-advertise through sexual displays. Lekking is rare in mammals, and it has been suggested that a lack in the mobility required by females to economically seek out aggregations of sexually displaying males may explain this rarity. Bats, like birds, do not suffer reduced mobility and yet out of over a thousand described species, only one has been confirmed to breed in leks. We examine the rarity of lekking in bats by providing an overview on the current state of knowledge of their mating systems and discuss the ecological and social determinants for the observed trends, contrasted with the prerequisites of lek-breeding behaviour. We use the breeding behaviour of New Zealand's lesser short-tailed bat Mystacina tuberculata, which is believed to be a lek breeder, as a case study for the examination of potential lekking behaviour in bats, and highlight the importance of such research for the development of effective conservation strategies.

Females as mobile resources: communal roosts promote the adoption of lek breeding in a temperate bat

Males of lek-breeding species defend clustered territories from which they display to visiting females. However, the mechanisms leading to the adoption of clustered male display sites are often unknown. In this study, we examined the possibility of a resource-based lek in New Zealand’s lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) (Mammalia: Chiroptera), by assessing the placement of “singing roosts” used by males in relation to communal roosting sites used by females. The “resource-based lek” model posits that males settle near resources required by females to increase female encounter rates. For most bat species, where females are highly mobile and widely dispersed across landscapes while foraging, communal daytime roosts dominated by females may represent such a resource. Through use of video footage, spatial analyses of singing-roost locations, and passive-integrated transponder tags we confirmed that M. tuberculata employs a lek mating system. We found that male singing roosts were significantly clustered in space, were defended by resident individuals, and were visited by females (who did not receive resources from males) for mating purposes. Transponder records also indicated that some singing roosts were shared between multiple males. Spatial logistic regression indicated that singing-roost locations were associated with communal roosting sites. Communal roosts are selected based on criteria independent of the locations of singing roosts, suggesting that males responded to the location of communal roosts and not the reverse. Mystacina tuberculata thus provides evidence of a resource-based lek, and is only the second bat species worldwide confirmed to use a lek-mating system.

Breeding and fecundity of the endemic Australian gudgeon, sleepy cod Oxyeleotris lineolatus (Steindachner 1867) (Eleotridae)

Sleepy cod (Oxyeleotris lineolatus Steindachner) is a tropical species of eleotrid native to northern Australia. A related species, sand or marbled goby, is the highest priced freshwater fish in Asia, and a market for a similar fish exists in expatriate Chinese communities. Sleepy cod breed when minimum temperatures reach 24 °C for more than 3 days. During the breeding season the genital papilla is broad and flattened in females compared to the triangular papilla of males and juveniles. Spawning pairs were usually of approximately equal size. Females could spawn up to 10 times during one breeding season. Wet weather increased the frequency of spawning. Eggs were usually laid hanging from the underside of a surface. Most spawning occurred between 05:00 and 10:00 h. Females attended egg masses immediately after spawning, after which males cared for eggs until hatching, 3–5 days later. Agitation of the egg mass was essential for development. The mean number of eggs per spawning was 43 130. Larvae commenced feeding 2–5 days after hatching, on plankton from 100 to 250 m in size. A spawning trap used to collect egg masses is described. The breeding biology of sleepy cod is considered to be an adaptation to the monsoonal tropics.

Standardising bull breeding soundness evaluations and reporting in Australia

There is substantial variation in bull breeding soundness evaluation procedures and reports in Australia; the situation is compounded by difficulties in interpretation and the validity of many reports. In an effort to overcome this, the scientific literature was reviewed [Fordyce G. In: Fordyce G, editor. Bull fertility: selection and management in Australia. Eight Mile Plains, Australia: Australian Cattle Vets; 2002] and the needs of stakeholders were considered in preparing a manual, Evaluating and Reporting Bull Fertility [Entwistle KW, Fordyce G. Evaluating and reporting bull fertility. Eight Mile Plains, Australia: Australian Cattle Vets; 2003.] that outlined standards for assessing and reporting bull breeding soundness. A new recording and reporting system, called Bull Reporter, is based on standards from this manual and groups bull fertility traits into five summary categories: Scrotum, Physical, Crush-side Semen, Sperm Morphology, and Serving. The client will generally select which categories they wish to have included in the evaluation to suit their specific purposes. While there is adequate room for comments, the veterinarian is not required to make an overall judgment of whether the bull has normal capacity to sire calves under natural mating management, but ensures the standards for each selected category are met. Professional, standardised, easy-to-read reports are produced either electronically [Entwistle KW, Fordyce G. Evaluating and reporting bull fertility. Eight Mile Plains, Australia: Australian Cattle Vets; 2003.] or manually. A bull owner or their agent signs the certificate to affirm that bulls have not undergone procedures to rectify faults which may have otherwise caused them to fail the standards. An accreditation system for assessing sperm morphology was established because of its demonstrated relationship with pregnancy rates and because of the difficulties in achieving consistent and accurate assessments among laboratories. It is considered that Bull Reporter is applicable to beef and dairy bulls across all levels of management, genotypes and environments throughout Australia, with substantial potential for application elsewhere in the world.

Applications of pedigree-based genome mapping in wheat and barley breeding programs.

The aim of the pedigree-based genome mapping project is to investigate and develop systems for implementing marker assisted selection to improve the efficiency of selection and increase the rate of genetic gain in breeding programs. Pedigree-based whole genome marker application provides a vehicle for incorporating marker technologies into applied breeding programs by bridging the gap between marker-trait association and marker implementation. We report on the development of protocols for implementation of pedigree-based whole genome marker analysis in breeding programs within the Australian northern winter cereals region. Examples of applications from the Queensland DPI&F wheat and barley breeding programs are provided, commenting on the use of microsatellites and other types of molecular markers for routine genomic analysis, the integration of genotypic, phenotypic and pedigree information for targeted wheat and barley lines, the genomic impacts of strong selection pressure in case study pedigrees, and directions for future pedigree-based marker development and analysis.