以色列野生燕麦物候及农艺性状与起源生态地理因素的相关性

为探讨起源地生态地理因素对野生燕麦物候期和农艺性状的影响,对种植于成都金堂试验地的源自以色列不同地区7个野生燕麦群体70个基因型的19个物候和农艺性状进行了测定,并用单因素方差(One-Way ANOVA)、相关性网络(Correlation-based network analysis,CNA)、斯皮尔曼秩相关(Spearmanp’s Rho Correlation)等方法进行数据分析。结果表明,不同群体和基因型间的物候期和农艺性状差异明显。其中,全生育期最短的群体是Sede Boqer,来自该群体的SB14-07的生育期仅170.0d;最大单株生物产量出现在Caesarea群体中,达268.1g;而千粒重最大的是来自Tabigha群体的Tg-09,为28.8g。起源地水分、温度、地理等因素对野生燕麦的物候及农艺性状起不同程度的关键性影响。以上结果说明,野生燕麦物候及农艺性状差异的实质是其长期与环境相互作用,在自然选择压力下进化形成的遗传多样性。

Effect of medicinal mushrooms on blood cells under conditions of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus(DM) is the third most common noninfectious disease leading to early disability and high mortality. Moreover, the number of patients is growing every year. The main symptom of DM is hyperglycemia. Increased levels of blood glucose activate polyol, hexosamine, and protein kinase metabolic pathways cause the intensification of non-enzymatic glycosylation and nitration of macromolecules. This, in turn, leads to the development of oxidative and nitrative stresses and secondary complications, such as different kinds of microand macroangiopathies. Metabolic disorders caused by insulin deficiency in diabetes significantly impede the functioning of a homeostasis system, which change the physical, biochemical, morphological, and functional properties of blood cells. As a result, the oxygen-transport function of red blood cells(RBCs), rheological properties of the blood, and functions of immunocompetent cells as well as the process of apoptosis are primarily affected. Modern pharmacotherapy focuses on the search for new preparations that aim to decrease blood glucose levels. Undesirable side effects and adverse reactions caused by synthetic medicines led to the search and investigation of new preparations of natural origin. Medicinal mushrooms play an important role among such new preparations. They are a source of a large number of high-and lowmolecular compounds with pronounced biological effects. Our investigations show pronounced hypoglycemic and anti-anemic action of submerged cultivated mycelium powder of medicinal mushrooms Agaricus brasiliensis(A. brasiliensis) and Ganoderma lucidum(G. lucidum) on streptozotocin-induced DM in rats. Also, we showed that mycelium powders have membrane protective properties as evidenced by the redistribution of RBC populations towards the growth of full functional cell numbers. Normalization of parameters of leukocyte formula and suppression of apoptosis of white blood cells in diabeticrats treated with A. brasiliensis and G. lucidum mycelia indicates pronounced positive effects of these strains of mushrooms. Thus, the use of medicinal mushrooms for treatment of DM and in prevention development of its secondary complications might be a new effective approach of this disease's cure. This article is aimed at summarizing and analyzing the literature data and basic achievements concerning DM type 1 treatment using medicinal mushrooms and showing the results obtained in our research.

Adaptation of mammals to hypoxia

Oxygen plays a pivotal role in the metabolism and activities of mammals.However,oxygen is restricted in some environments-subterranean burrow systems or habitats at high altitude or deep in the ocean-and this could exert hypoxic stresses such as oxidative damage on organisms living in these environments.In order to cope with these stresses,organisms have evolved specific strategies to adapt to hypoxia,including changes in physiology,gene expression regulation,and genetic mutations.Here,we review how mammals have adapted to the three high-altitude plateaus of the world,the limited oxygen dissolved in deep water habitats,and underground tunnels,with the aim of better understanding the adaptation of mammals to hypoxia.

Genetic diversity of wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum) and its utilization for barley improvement

Wild barley （Hordeum vulgare spp. spontaneum） is the undisputed progenitor of cultivated barley and offers considerable poten- tial as a genetic resource for barley improvement. Naturally occurring populations are distributed primarily across the Fertile Crescent, but secondary areas of diversity are also found in central Asia and Tibet. The pattern of its genetic diversity is non-random, and is structured on a global, regional and local scale. On a global scale, diversity follows ecogeography, while on a regional and local scale, it is more strongly determined by ecology. Populations growing in areas where the climate is unreliable and/or the soil is heterogeneous tend to retain the most diversity. A large number of accessions are currently conserved ex situ, but a high proportion of these have originated fi：om the Fertile Crescent. Given the likelihood of future climate change, conserving germplasm both in situ and ex situ in the various regions where the species＇ currently existing is a research priority. The value of H. vulgare spp. spontaneum for the improvement of cultivated barley lies largely in its potential contribution to the levels of attaina- ble pathogen resistance and abiotic stress tolerance.

Wild Barley,Hordeum spontaneum,a Genetic Resource for Crop Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions

Food security in cold and arid regions in the world is threatened by stressful and unpredictable environments.The sus-tainable and economically viable solution for increasing stability of food productivity in cold and arid regions is genetic improvement of crops towards high resistance to abiotic stresses,mainly cold and drought resistance.It is often empha-sized that crop genetic improvement lies in exploiting the gene pools of the wild relatives of the crop plant.Wild barley,H.spontaneum,the progenitor of cultivated barley,is a selfing annual grass of predominantly Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian distribution that penetrates into desert environments where it maintains stable populations.Wild barley is also found in cold regions,such as in Tibet.The adaptation of wild barley to the arid region in Israel and Jordan,and the cold region in Tibet has accumulated rich genetic diversities for drought,salt,and cold resistances in wild barley,which is the genetic resource for barley and other crop improvement in arid and cold regions.These genetic diversities are revealed by allozymes,DNA-based molecular markers,and morphological and physiological traits of wild barley plants.Quantita-tive trait loci(QTLs) related to drought resistance were identified in wild barley via the QTL mapping approach.Drought resistance genes such as dehydrins,hsdr4,and eibi1 were identified in wild barley based on the candidate gene approach,gene differential expression approach,and molecular genetic approach,respectively.Genetics and genomics of wild bar-ley cold resistance have not been exploited yet,remaining a huge treasure for future crop improvement of cold resistance.Advanced backcross QTL analysis,the introgression libraries based on wild barley as donors,a QTL approach based on wide crosses using wild barley,and positional cloning of natural QTLs will play prevailing roles to help us understand the molecular control of cold and drought tolerance.Integration of QTL information into a breeding pipeline aimed at im-proving tolerance to cold and drought will be achieved within a multidisciplinary context.

Consensus maps of cloned plant cuticle genes

Plant cuticle,which covers the plant surface,consists of waxes and cutins,and is associated with plant drought,cold,and salt resistance.Hitherto,at least 47 genes participating in the formation of plant cuticle have been cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana,Oryza sativa,Zea mays,Ricinus communis,Brassica napus,and Medicago truncatula;and about 85% of them encode proteins sharing above 50% identities with their rice homologous sequences.These cloned cuticle genes were mapped in silico on different chromosomes of rice and Arabidopsis,respectively.The mapping results revealed that plant cuticle genes were not evenly distributed in both genomes.About 40% of the mapped cuticle genes were located on chromosome 1 in Arabidopsis,while 20% of the mapped cuticle genes were located on chromosome 2 but none on chromosome 12 in rice.Some cloned plant cuticle genes have several rice homologous sequences,which might be produced by chromosomal segment duplication.The consensus map of cloned plant cuticle genes will provide important clues for the selection of candidate genes in a positional cloning of an unknown cuticle gene in plants.

Genetic Variation in <i>Salamandra</i><i>infraimmaculata</i>from Different Habitats Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism

The purpose of the present study was to examine the genetic variation in Salamandra infraimmaculata from different breeding site habitats using the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) method. The results of the dendogram from a hierarchical cluster analysis show that the grouping of S. infraimmaculata as cluster 5 differs from all the other clusters, including the St1 (Tel-Dan stream) population, which was the most predictable. Five Haplogroups (Hg) were characterized. The mean number of alleles per locus in each population (Ne) ranged from 10.566 (Sp1) to 2.720 (Po6). An average estimated heterozygosity (He) by population ranged from 0.100 (Po6) to 0.186 (St1). Population St1, a permanent breeding site where water was available all year round, exhibited the highest level of polymorphism, while population Po6, from the ephemeral breeding site, exhibited the lowest level of polymorphism. Gene flow between clusters showed that clusters 3 and 4 are sources of migrants and also receive gene flow, while clusters 1 and 2 may be a source of migrants but may not receive much gene flow. A phylogenetic analysis, based on clustering using Nei’s genetic distance, demonstrated that the Tel-Dan population is located on a separate branch within its sub-population. The conclusion of the present study shows that the genetic divergence among isolated populations is not correlated to distance but is affected by the variation of habitats.

Apoptosis-inducing effects of extracts from desert plants in HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells

Objective:To investigat the mechanism of antitumor efficacy of Origanum clayi(O.clayi) and Ochradenus baccatus(O.baccatus) extracts by exploring apoptosis-inducing potential.Methods:The aqueous extracts of aerial parts of aforementioned plants were prepared and used for this study.HepG2 cells were treated with varying concentrations(0,2 and 5 mg/mL)of each plant extract for 24 or 48 h.Cell apoptosis was measured by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate binding assay and flow cytometry.The expression levels of various apoptosisrelated genes were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.Results:O.clayi and O.baccatus extracts exerted apoptotic effects on HepG2 cells for 48 h following treatment.O.clayi extract was found to be a better apoptosis-inducing agent than O.baccatus extract as the former delivered greater efficacy at a lower concentration.Both extracts manifested upregulation of Bax,Bad.cytochrome c.caspase-3,caspase-7.caspase-9 and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase.Conclusions:The aqueous extracts of O.clayi and O.baccatus are capable of inducing apoptosis in HepG2 cells through modulation of mitochondrial pathway which explains their antitumor activities.These desert plants may serve as useful resources to develop effective remedies for hepatocellular carcinoma and other human malignancies.

The Upper Jordan River Algal Communities are Evidence of Long-Term Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts

Spatial and temporal algal diversity changes were studied in the major drinking water source of Israel - the Upper Jordan River. During 2006-2009, we found 232 species and infraspecies of algae and cyanobacteria: 85 of which were new for the Upper Jordan River Basin including three new for Israel. During many years of study of the Upper Jordan River, we collected information for the database of algal diversity. Historical analysis from 1883 to 2009 shows fluctuation of the whole algal diversity. Environmental indicator species show peaks in 1951, 1965, 1978, and 2009. Salinity impact was found in 1938 and 2000;acidification was detected in 1938, 1996, and 2000, and organic pollution, in 1996. Therefore, we can conclude that 1938, 1996, and 2000 were critical periods for the Upper Jordan River ecosystem. Indication of the trophic status shows stress of organic pollution since the 1970s, which was marked by dramatic increases in eutraphentic and hypereutraphentic species. The present analysis shows three peaks in the fluctuation in diversity throughout the river canal, which correlated with the organic pollution impact from the Masade village effluence in the middle reaches and near Lake Kinneret. Pollution was significant in rainy winters and stimulated species diversity development. The different approaches in comparing diversity in each river of the Upper Jordan Basin revealed that hydrology is a major regulating factor in species composition of the algal communities, which were formed under the influence of regional climatic factors. Therefore, the river can be highlighted as a natural system with high buffering and a self-purification capacity at the present time.

Relative Viability in Drosophila melanogaster in“Evolution Canyon”,Israel

Genetic diversity in natural populations has been explored through evolutionary analysis,and patterns of microscale biodiversity have been studied in populations at“Evolution Canyon”,Israel.A total of 2,000 eggs from each of iso-female Drosophila melanogaster line 2-1 from the north-facing slope(NFS)and line 6-1 from the south-facing slope(SFS)were placed in 20 vials and evaluated.Egg-to-adult viability was 0.89 and 0.75 in lines 2-1 and 6-1,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant by t-test.Genetic diversity was higher on the harsher SFS than on the milder NFS.Inter-slope genetic differences corroborated the effect of stochastic climate selection pressures to viability polygenes in populations at“Evolution Canyon”,Israel.

Microevolution of Mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit I in Drosophila melanogaster at ＂Evolution Canyon＂, Israel

We determined the sequence of mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit I （CO1） in two Drosophila melanogaster strains originating at ＂Evolution Canyon＂, Israel. CO1 nucleotide sequences from two iso-female strains, 2-1 and 6-1, were 1,534 and 1,543 base-pairs, respectively. In each strain, ATAA was used in initiation of translation. Exchange rates for nucleotide and amino acid sequences were larger in the 6-1 strain than in the 2-1 strain when Oregon-R was used as the standard. Non-synonymous exchange rate was larger than synonymous exchange rate among the three strains.

A direct gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the detection of orellanine present in stomach content (Part I)

Intoxication with Cortinarius orellanus Fr. is often lethal or, at the least, disabling for the victim. Orellanine is recognized as the prime toxic substance in this mushroom. Poisoning by other toxic mushrooms can be occasionally mistaken as poisoning by C. orellanus or vice versa. The C. orellanus toxins have a prolonged latent period after ingestion and onset in the appearance of symptoms. These properties of the toxin together with the chemo-, thermo- and photolability have made it difficult to develop a direct analytical method for diagnosing poisoning with orellanine, which in turn is needed to administer the correct medication. The aim of this study was to develop a direct analytical method for the detection of orellanine present in stomach content. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams (GC-MS with SMB) was used for the direct detection of orellanine in the stomach fluids of rats after they were fed with food containing C. orellanus. This method can be used as a platform for the future development of analytical procedures for the direct analytical detection of orellanine in humans intoxicated by ingestion of toxic mushrooms. The standard orellanine was isolated from C. orellanus following the procedure described by Prast et al. [1] and was used as an authentic comparison.

小麦低分子量谷蛋白亚基基因5′侧翼保守序列染色体组特异性DNA变异的分析及验证

根据33个低分子量麦谷蛋白亚基(LMW-GS)基因5′侧翼序列的相似性进行聚类分析,可将其划分成8个类群,这与基于N末端推导氨基酸序列进行的类群划分结果完全一致.序列比对发现,各类群基因5′侧翼保守序列间存在DNA多态性,共发现34个多态性位点,其中18个为潜在单核苷酸多态性位点(SNPs,singlenucleotidepolymorphisms).除1个LMW-GS类群之外,其余7个类群的5′侧翼序列均具有类群特异性DNA变异位点.根据类群间的DNA多态性对这7个类群设计了特异引物,利用普通小麦(TriticumaestivumL.)品种中国春及其第1同源群双端体系对其进行染色体定位分析,揭示了1AS,1BS和1DS上分别有第2,1和4类群.对PCR产物的克隆测序进一步验证了不同染色体组上的LMW-GS基因类群间5′侧翼序列具有特异性.这些结果表明,LMW-GS基因的编码区及其5′侧翼保守序列可能是协调进化的.本文报道的7对引物可对7类LMW-GS基因的完整编码区进行特异扩增,因而能在小麦复杂的遗传背景下有目的地对某一类LMW-GS基因进行分离克隆,这有助于弄清单个LMW-GS对小麦品质的贡献.同时,在小麦育种中,这些标记对于有效地选择与品质密切相关的LMW-GS组分有一定应用价值.

Functional characterization of powdery mildew resistance gene MIIW172,a new Pm60 allele and its allelic variation in wild emmer wheat

Wild emmer wheat(Triticum dicoccoides,WEW)is an immediate progenitor of both the cultivated tetraploid and hexaploid wheats and it harbors rich genetic diversity against powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt).A powdery mildew resistance gene Ml I^(W172)originated from WEW accession I^(W172)(G-797-M)is fine mapped in a 0.048 centimorgan(c M)genetic interval on 7 AL,corresponding to a genomic region spanning 233 kb,1 Mb and 800 kb in Chinese Spring,WEW Zavitan,and T.urartu G1812,respectively.Ml I^(W172)encodes a typical NLR protein NLRI^(W172)and physically locates in an NBS-LRR gene cluster.NLRI^(W172)is subsequently identified as a new allele of Pm60,and its function is validated by EMS mutagenesis and transgenic complementation.Haplotype analysis of the Pm60 alleles reveals diversifications in sequence variation in the locus and presence and absence variations(PAV)in WEW populations.Four common single nucleotide variations(SNV)are detected between the Pm60 alleles from WEW and T.urartu,indicative of speciation divergence between the two different wheat progenitors.The newly identified Pm60 alleles and haplotypes in WEW are anticipated to be valuable for breeding powdery mildew resistance wheat cultivars via marker-assisted selection.